Maine Permit Test Cheat Sheet
A condensed, skimmable recap of the rules most worth knowing cold before your exam — distilled from our full Maine practice question bank. This isn't a replacement for the Maine Driver's Manual; confirm anything time-sensitive with Maine BMV.
Maine Licensing Basics
- The knowledge test itself runs 30 questions total, and passing requires at least 24 of them correct, which works out to 80%; the earliest a Maine resident can apply for a learner's permit at all is 15 years old.
- An applicant who is still under 21 at the time of applying must hold onto that permit for a full 6 months before becoming eligible to schedule the road test; an applicant who is already 21 or older when applying skips that waiting period entirely and can move straight to testing.
- Every hour of supervised practice driving has to add up to at least 70 hours in total, and at least 10 of those specific hours must happen after dark rather than during daylight; a signed driving log form, with a parent or legal guardian's signature on it, is what actually verifies those hours were completed.
- Whoever supervises a permit holder's practice driving has to be seated in the front passenger seat throughout, has to be at least 20 years old, and has to have already held their own license for a minimum of 2 full years before qualifying to supervise at all.
- Every Maine driver's license, from the very first permit through a full unrestricted license, is issued by the same single statewide agency: the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, itself a division that sits inside the larger Department of the Secretary of State rather than existing as its own separate cabinet department.
Intermediate License & Restrictions
- A teen driver becomes eligible to move up from a learner's permit to an intermediate license once they turn 16, but only after they've already cleared the permit hold, logged every required practice hour, and finished an approved driver's education course covering both classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction.
- Once that intermediate license is finally issued, its restrictions don't disappear right away — they keep running for a full 270 days from the original issuance date, covering both a midnight-to-5-a.m. curfew and a rule against carrying any passenger besides an immediate family member unless a separately qualifying licensed operator is also riding along at the same time.
- Cell phone use of any kind, hands-free devices fully included, stays completely off-limits all the way through the permit stage and continuing through the first 270 days of actually holding a license; only once a driver clears that combined stretch can they legally use a hands-free device the way an established adult driver already can.
- The zero-tolerance rule Maine applies to any driver still under 21 is genuinely stricter than what most other states use: rather than setting some specific small BAC number as the legal cutoff, any measurable trace of alcohol in the body at all is already enough on its own to cost that driver a full year without a license.
DUI, Alcohol & Drugs
- The standard BAC threshold for a driver 21 or older is 0.08%.
- Alcohol degrades judgment, reaction time, coordination, and vision — all necessary for safe driving, even below the legal limit.
Distracted Driving
- A driver 18 or older, past the intermediate stage, may not hold a phone while driving, but a hands-free device is allowed.
- Texting while driving is a primary offense for every Maine driver.
Right-of-Way
- With no signs or signals controlling an intersection, yield to whoever approaches from your right.
- A driver turning left has to let oncoming traffic and crossing pedestrians clear before completing the turn.
- A vehicle already on the roadway has the right-of-way over one entering from a driveway, alley, or parking lot.
Traffic Signals
- A solid red light means a full stop; treat a flashing red exactly like a stop sign.
- A flashing yellow signal means proceed with caution — no full stop is required.
- If a signal is dark or malfunctioning, treat the intersection as if every approach had its own stop sign.
Traffic Signs
- Shape is a nationwide code: octagon means stop, downward-pointing triangle means yield, diamond means warning.
- Color carries meaning too — red for stop/yield/prohibition, orange for construction, yellow for warnings.
- A red circle with a diagonal slash is the standard national way to say an action isn't allowed.
Lane Markings & Usage
- Yellow lines separate opposing directions of traffic; white lines separate lanes traveling the same direction.
- A broken line permits a lane change when safe; a solid line discourages crossing.
Turning
- Signal well ahead of the turn itself, so other drivers actually have time to react.
- A right turn on red is generally legal after a complete stop and yielding, unless a posted sign says otherwise.
- A safe U-turn always needs a clear view of traffic in both directions.
Passing
- A double solid yellow line prohibits passing for traffic in either direction.
- The posted speed limit still applies mid-pass.
Following Distance
- Hold at least a 3-second gap in normal conditions, and stretch that further in rain, fog, or heavy traffic.
- Tailgating is a leading cause of rear-end crashes.
Freeway Driving
- Use the acceleration lane to match highway speed before merging.
- Signal and move into the exit lane well ahead of your exit.
Roundabouts
- Traffic circulates counterclockwise, and vehicles already inside have the right-of-way over ones entering.
Railroad Crossings
- Slow down, look both ways, and listen before crossing, even where there are no gates or lights.
- Never stop on the tracks, and never drive around a lowered gate.
Pedestrians & Crosswalks
- Every intersection is a legal crosswalk, marked or not, and pedestrians there have the right-of-way.
- A white cane or guide dog marks a visually impaired pedestrian — stop and yield without exception.
School Zones
- Children move less predictably than adult pedestrians, so slow down and follow any crossing guard's directions.
Bicycles
- Cyclists are generally treated as vehicle operators, with the same rights and duty to follow traffic law.
- Give a cyclist at least 3 feet of clearance when passing.
Sharing the Road with Large Vehicles
- If you can't see a truck driver's mirrors, assume they can't see you either.
- Trucks need much more distance to stop than a car does.
Moose & Large Animal Hazards
- Moose are most active at dawn and dusk and are tall enough that a collision often clears a car's hood but strikes the windshield directly.
- Slow down and scan the shoulders closely on rural roads through wooded areas, especially at those hours.
Move Over & Emergency Vehicles
- Move over a lane away from a stopped emergency vehicle when safe, or slow down noticeably if you can't change lanes.
Night Driving
- Switch to low beams within roughly 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle so you don't blind the other driver.
Fatigue & Drowsy Driving
- Yawning, heavy eyelids, and drifting out of your lane are early signs your body is losing the fight to stay alert.
Vehicle Equipment
- Headlights are generally required starting a half hour after sunset through a half hour before sunrise.
Work Zones
- Fines commonly double for violations inside a posted, active construction or maintenance zone.
Insurance & Registration
- Drivers must be ready to present a license, registration, and proof of insurance at any traffic stop.
After a Collision
- Check for injuries and call 911 before dealing with any paperwork.
- Stop and exchange information with everyone involved — leaving without doing so is a hit-and-run.
Seatbelts & Child Safety
- Maine law requires a seatbelt for the driver and every passenger, front seat and back.
School Buses
- Traffic in both directions on an undivided road must stop for a school bus with flashing red lights, and wait until the lights stop flashing.
Speed Limits
- The basic speed law requires a safe speed for conditions, which can be lower than the posted limit.
Signs to Know
Quick visual recap of commonly tested signs — see the full Permit practice test for sign-recognition questions.
Come to a complete stop, then proceed only when it is safe to do so
Slow down and be ready to stop, giving the right-of-way to other traffic or pedestrians
Do not drive past this sign in this direction; the roadway is closed to traffic entering here
You are driving against the flow of traffic and must safely turn around or stop immediately
Traffic on this road or lane may only travel in the direction the arrow points
Making a U-turn is prohibited at this location
The maximum legal speed under normal conditions on this road is 55 mph
A railroad track crosses the road ahead; slow down, look, and listen for a train before crossing
Parking is not allowed in this area
Drivers may not turn right at this intersection while the signal is red
Two lanes of traffic ahead are merging into one; be prepared to adjust speed and position
The road ahead curves; reduce speed as needed for the curve
You are entering a section of road with traffic moving in both directions; stay in your lane
A stop sign is ahead; begin slowing down now to be able to stop when you reach it
Drivers must keep to the right of a divider, island, or obstruction ahead
Passing other vehicles is prohibited in this zone
Watch for pedestrians and slow down or stop if needed
Slow down and watch for children crossing near the school
Watch for cyclists who may be crossing or entering the road ahead
Watch for deer crossing, especially at dawn or dusk
Last reviewed: 2026-07-24