Maine Driving Laws 2026: Speed Limits, OUI BAC Limits and Maine BMV Road Rules for the Permit Test

What are the default speed limits in Maine when no sign is posted? Maine sets 25 mph in urban areas and 45 mph on rural highways. Maine calls drunk driving OUI, Operating Under the Influence. The OUI threshold is 0.08% for adults and 0.02% for under-21. Headlights are required 30 minutes after sunset and when visibility is under 1000 feet. Maine also requires headlights when windshield wipers are in use. Hands-free phone use is required for all drivers.

1. Speed Limits: 45/25/15 mph Defaults

Maines unposted speed limits are simpler than most states, just three tiers. Speeding in a school zone automatically doubles the fine. Heres exactly what applies when no sign is visible:

Key test point: Maines default is 25 mph in built-up areas, lower than many other states 30-35 mph defaults. The school zone limit of 15 mph applies from a half hour before school starts to a half hour after it ends. When in doubt, slow down, and speeding in a school zone in Maine automatically doubles the fine.

2. Right-of-Way: Who Goes First

Maines knowledge test hits right-of-way scenarios consistently, especially yielding to school crossing guards, which Maine law treats as a legal directive. When a school crossing guard directs you to stop, you must stop. Right-of-way is always yielded, never demanded.

4-way stop (all arrive at once)

Driver to the right

4-way stop (one arrives first)

Driver who arrived first

Roundabout / traffic circle

Vehicles already inside the circle

Emergency vehicles (lights/siren)

Emergency vehicle, pull to the right and stop

Pedestrians in crosswalk

Pedestrians always

T-intersection (no signs)

Through road traffic; drivers on the dead-end must yield

Yield sign

Cross traffic and pedestrians always

Merging onto a highway

Traffic already on the highway

3. Turns & Signal Laws

Maine requires signaling at least 100 feet before any change or turn. Cars coming out of a driveway or alley must stop before crossing the sidewalk, a Maine rule that trips many test-takers. Right turns on red are permitted after a full stop unless posted otherwise:

Right turn on red

Permitted after a full stop unless a sign prohibits it. Yield to pedestrians and cross traffic.

No right turn on red

When posted, you must wait for a green light before turning right.

Left turn on red

Only allowed from a one-way street onto another one-way street, after a full stop.

Left turn from two-way street

Start from the left lane; end in the left lane of the cross street.

Right turn

Stay as close to the right curb as possible; end in the right lane.

U-turns

Legal where not prohibited by a sign; must not interfere with traffic. Illegal in Maine where signs prohibit it, where visibility is insufficient, or where it cannot be safely completed. Maine traffic law discourages U-turns in high-traffic areas.

4. Lane Rules & Line Markings

On Maines two-lane state highways through the mountains and along the coast, knowing when yellow lines permit or prohibit passing is a genuine safety matter, not just a test question. Heres the full breakdown tested on the Maine BMV exam:

Center turn lane (CTSL)

Used only to begin or complete a left turn; not for through travel or merging. You may travel no more than 300 feet in the CTSL.

Solid white line

Do not cross; marks the edge of the road or a lane that should not be changed.

Solid yellow line (your side)

No passing allowed.

Broken yellow line

Passing allowed when safe.

Solid + Broken yellow centerline

Passing allowed only on the broken-line side.

5. Passing: The 10-Second Gap Rule

Maines handbook is specific: at highway speeds of 50-55 mph, you need 10 to 12 seconds to complete a pass safely, which means a very large gap in oncoming traffic. On Maines mountain roads and coastal two-lanes, that gap rarely exists:

• Only pass on the left, using the oncoming lane, when it is safe and legal.
• Do not pass within 100 feet of an intersection, railroad crossing, bridge, or curve where your view is limited. Look for the No Passing Zone pennant sign.
• The vehicle being passed must not speed up while you are overtaking.
• Return to your lane well before oncoming traffic. At 55 mph you need 10-12 seconds of clear road to complete a pass safely, plan accordingly before you begin.
• Never pass a stopped school bus with flashing red lights, this applies in both directions on undivided roads.
• You may pass on the right only when the vehicle ahead is turning left and there is a usable lane to the right.

6. Following Distance

Maines handbook flags October and November as peak deer collision months, and moose are present year-round on rural highways in northern Maine. The 3-second rule is your minimum on Maine roads; on wet or icy pavement, double or triple it.

7. School Buses & Emergency Vehicles

Maine tests school bus stop rules and school crossing guard authority on the knowledge exam. Maine law requires stopping when a crossing guard in uniform directs you, it is a legal obligation, not a courtesy. School bus stop rules apply on all undivided roads.

School Buses

• When a school bus stops with flashing red lights and an extended stop arm, all traffic in both directions must stop on undivided roads.
• On roads with a true median or physical barrier, only traffic behind the bus must stop, oncoming traffic may proceed.
• A center turn lane does not count as a divider. On 4+ lane roads without a raised median or barrier, all directions must stop.
• You must remain stopped until the red lights stop flashing and the stop arm is retracted.
• Illegally passing a Maine school bus is a serious moving violation carrying points and significant fines. An OUI while passing a school bus can result in enhanced penalties.
• Railroad crossings: School buses must stop at ALL railroad crossings, with or without passengers, even if no lights are flashing and no train is visible. This is a frequently tested rule.

Emergency Vehicles

• When you see or hear an emergency vehicle (police, fire, ambulance) with lights or siren: pull to the right edge of the road and stop. Do not block intersections.
• Move Over Law (Maine): When approaching a stationary emergency vehicle, tow truck, or highway maintenance vehicle with lights activated on a multi-lane road, move one lane away when it is safe to do so. If lane change is not possible, reduce speed and proceed with caution.

8. OUI Laws: Up to 6-Year Refusal Ban

Maine uses OUI, Operating Under the Influence, not DUI. Maines handbook puts it plainly: you will be promptly arrested and taken off to jail. The implied consent refusal suspension is among the most severe in the country, up to six years. And refusing a test does not help: it becomes an aggravating factor that adds more time to your suspension if convicted.

9. Seat Belts: Weight-Based Child Rules

Maine uses a weight-based child restraint system that the BMV exam tests directly. Children under 55 lbs must be in a child safety seat; 5580 lbs under age 8 require an approved child restraint; under 18 but over 8 years old or over 49" must use a seat belt. Children age 12 and under should always ride in the rear seat.

10. Where You Cannot Park

Maines parking rules include specific distances that appear on the BMV knowledge test. The fire hydrant distance in Maine, 10 feet, is notably shorter than most other states 15 feet. Know every number for the Maine exam:

• Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant
• Within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection
• Within 30 feet of a stop sign, yield sign, or traffic signal
• Within 50 feet of a railroad crossing
• On a sidewalk, in front of a driveway, or on a bridge
• In a no-parking zone or alongside a curb painted yellow or red
• Double parking (alongside a vehicle already parked at the curb)
• Headed downhill: turn wheels toward the curb. Headed uphill with a curb: turn wheels away from curb. Uphill without a curb: turn wheels toward the shoulder.

11. Driving in Bad Weather

Maine winters are serious, black ice on the Maine Turnpike, coastal fog that reduces visibility to car lengths on US-1, and spring mud seasons that make rural roads unpredictable. The BMV manual covers every hazardous condition relevant to Maine roads:

• Headlights required in Maine from sunset to sunrise; also on rainy, snowy, or foggy days and whenever you have trouble seeing other vehicles or they may have trouble seeing you.
• In heavy fog, use low beams, high beams reflect off fog and reduce visibility.
• If you start to hydroplane, ease off the gas gently. Do not brake hard or turn sharply.
• In icy conditions, brake gently well in advance. Start slowing earlier than normal. Leave extra following distance.
• If your car goes into a skid, steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go. Do not overcorrect.
• Never use cruise control on wet, icy, or slippery roads.

12. Points & License Suspensions

Maines point system issues a warning at 6 points and suspends at 12 points. Uniquely, Maine allows drivers to earn up to 4 credit points for a violation-free period, reducing your total below threshold. Heres how it works:

Note: Maine allows earning up to 4 credit points for a violation-free driving period, these credits reduce your total point accumulation. Maine also has administrative license suspension rules separate from the court-based OUI conviction system, both can act on your license simultaneously.

13. Headlights: Turn Off Fog Lights on Low Beam

Maines headlight law specifies exact dimming distances, 500 feet for oncoming vehicles and 300 feet when following, and adds a specific rule about fog auxiliary lights: you must turn them off when switching to low beams. On Maines dark rural roads, high beams can see twice as far as low beams:

Key test point: Maines rule: oncoming = dim at 500 feet, following = dim at 300 feet. Both numbers appear on the knowledge test. The additional Maine-specific rule: you must also turn off fog auxiliary lights when switching to low beams. And remember, headlights illuminate about 250 feet ahead; drive at a speed that allows stopping within that distance.

14. Night Driving: Moose Season

Maine has one of the highest moose-vehicle collision rates in the country. A moose is tall enough that a headlight strike hits the body, not the legs, bringing hundreds of pounds through your windshield. On I-95 north of Bangor, US-1 through Washington County, and Route 201 through the Kennebec Valley, moose crossings at night are a genuine fatality risk.

15. Cell Phones & Distracted Driving

Maines handbook opens its distracted driving section with a pointed observation: while instant communications can make businesses more efficient, the priority behind the wheel is driving. Maine prohibits handheld device use while driving for all drivers.

Key test point: Maine prohibits handheld device use for all drivers. The BMV exam also covers distracted driving as a factor in crashes involving wildlife, looking at a phone when a moose appears in your headlights at night leaves zero reaction time.

16. Railroad Crossings: Exempt Track Warning

Maines handbook covers two railroad crossing rules specific to the states exam: first, do not shift a manual transmission while crossing tracks, staying in gear gives better control on the uneven surface. Second, tracks marked "Exempt" may still be in use, check both directions regardless of the sign.

Key test point: Never drive around or under a lowered crossing gate, it is illegal and extremely dangerous. Wait until gates are fully raised and all tracks are clear.

17. How to Drive a Roundabout

Maine DOT has been installing roundabouts at intersections across the state, particularly in the Greater Portland area, on US-1 corridor improvements, and at rural highway junctions. The BMV tests them. The rule that most test-takers miss: entering traffic must yield to vehicles already circulating inside, every time.

Key test point: The most common wrong answer on roundabout questions is thinking you have right-of-way when entering. You never do, yield to traffic already inside.