Getting a learner's permit and a license

Key points

1. New residents with a valid license from another state must surrender it and apply for a Maine license within 30 days.

   Source: Handbook p. 1-2

   “New residents who hold a valid driver's license from another state must surrender that license and apply for a Maine driver's license within 30 days of establishing residency in this state.”
   Maine Driver's License Manual, Handbook p. 1-2

2. You must be at least 15 to get a learner's permit, and under 18 you must complete an approved driver education course.

   Source: Handbook p. 1-2

   “You must be at least 15 years of age. If under 18 years of age you must complete an approved driver education course.”
   Maine Driver's License Manual, Handbook p. 1-2

3. To get a permit you must pass a written knowledge exam; the permit is generally valid for 2 years.

   Source: Handbook p. 1-2

   “To obtain a learner's permit you must successfully complete a driver knowledge written examination. A learner's permit is generally valid for 2 years.”
   Maine Driver's License Manual, Handbook p. 1-2

4. A permit holder must drive with a licensed driver who is at least 20 and has held a license for 2 years, seated next to the learner.

   Source: Handbook p. 1-2

   “Any resident who has a valid learner's permit may drive if they are accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 20 years of age and has held a valid license for a minimum of 2 years. The licensed driver must occupy the seat adjacent to the driver with the learner's permit.”
   Maine Driver's License Manual, Handbook p. 1-2

5. You can get a license at 16 with approved driver education, or at 18 without it.

   Source: Handbook p. 1-3

   “Be at least 16 years of age and have completed an approved driver education course. Be at least 18 years of age if you have not completed an approved driver education course.”
   Maine Driver's License Manual, Handbook p. 1-3

6. Under 21, you must hold the permit for 6 months and complete 70 hours of driving, including 10 at night, before a road test.

   Source: Handbook p. 1-3

   “Before a person under 21 years of age can apply for a road test, that person must have held a learner's permit for 6 months from the date of issue of the learner's permit and must complete a minimum of 70 hours of driving, including 10 hours of night driving,”
   Maine Driver's License Manual, Handbook p. 1-3

7. Birth certificates or passports are required from applicants up to and including age 22.

   Source: Handbook p. 1-2

   “Birth certificates or Passports are required from applicants up to and including age 22 to determine date of birth.”
   Maine Driver's License Manual, Handbook p. 1-2

8. Maine has 3 classes of driver's licenses.

   Source: Handbook p. 1-3

   “Maine has 3 classes of driver's licenses.”
   Maine Driver's License Manual, Handbook p. 1-3

9. You must tell the Bureau of Motor Vehicles within 30 days if your name or address changes.

   Source: Handbook p. 1-6

   “Maine law requires that you notify the Bureau of Motor Vehicles within 30 days of the change.”
   Maine Driver's License Manual, Handbook p. 1-6

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Maine practice test

1. 1. What is the minimum age to obtain a Maine learner's permit?

   1. 16 years
   2. 14 years
   3. 15 years
   4. 18 years
   Show answer

   15 years. A Maine learner's permit applicant must be at least 15 years of age. Sixteen is the minimum age discussed for a regular driver's license, which makes it a likely but incorrect answer when the question concerns the permit. Applicants under 18 also need an approved driver education course and must pass the written knowledge examination. The memory cue is the progression: permit at 15, then later licensing requirements at 16 or 18 depending on education. Age alone does not authorize solo driving, because the permit requires a qualified licensed driver beside the learner.

2. 2. A Maine learner's permit holder is supervised by a licensed driver. Which supervisor meets the manual's requirement?

   1. Any licensed driver seated in the back seat
   2. A driver age 18 who has held a license for 1 year
   3. A driver at least 20 who has held a valid license for 2 years
   4. A driver at least 21 who has held a permit for 6 months
   Show answer

   A driver at least 20 who has held a valid license for 2 years. The supervising operator must be at least 20 years old and must have held a valid license for at least 2 years. The supervisor also occupies the seat beside the learner, so a back seat position fails even if that person is licensed. Age 18 and one year of licensing falls short on both experience measures, and a learner's permit does not substitute for the required valid license history. When checking a supervision question, verify age, years licensed, and seating position together rather than relying on only one qualification.

3. 3. How long must a person under 21 hold a Maine learner's permit before applying for a road test?

   1. 6 months from the permit's issue date
   2. 30 days from the permit's issue date
   3. 12 months after completing the road test
   4. Until age 21 regardless of issue date
   Show answer

   6 months from the permit's issue date. Before applying for a road test, a person under 21 must have held the learner's permit for six months from its issue date. That waiting period is separate from the practice-driving total, which also includes required night driving. A permit held for three months is therefore too recent, even if the driver has logged many miles. The useful sequence is permit issuance, six months of holding it, supervised practice, and then the road-test application. Check the date on the permit rather than guessing from the driver's birthday.

Source: the Maine Driver's License Manual, Section 1: Your Driver's License. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.