Maine Permit Test Cheat Sheet (2026)
The Maine rules and numbers to know for the BMV knowledge test, on one page. Every line was checked against the official Maine driver's handbook. It is a study sheet: you cannot use notes during the real test.
The Maine test at a glance
- Questions on the test
- 30
- To pass
- 24 of 30 correct (80%)
- Time limit
- We found no published time limit for the Maine knowledge test.
- Minimum permit age
- 15 years old
- Hold the permit for
- 6 months (applicants under 21)
- Alcohol limit under 21
- Zero tolerance (any measurable amount)
Maine rules and numbers
From the official Maine handbook (Rev 4/24); PDF page numbers in brackets.
Rules of the road
- Maine: a first license issued under age 21 is provisional for two years. [p.9]
- Maine default limit outside built-up areas: 45 mph unless posted. [p.81]
- Maine business or residential district: 25 mph unless posted. [p.81]
- Maine school zone: 15 mph from 1/2 hour before school starts to 1/2 hour after it ends. [p.77]
- Maine work zones: speeding fines are doubled. [p.53]
- Maine municipal parking rules (driver's manual): no parking within 10 feet of a hydrant. [p.70]
- Maine municipal parking rules (driver's manual): no parking within 15 feet of a crosswalk. [p.70]
- Maine curb parking: no more than 18 inches from the curb. [p.69]
- Maine: do not follow within 500 feet of a fire truck answering an alarm. [p.109]
- Maine: give at least 3 feet when passing a bicyclist. [p.68]
- Maine rail crossing with flashing red lights: stop at least 15 feet away. [p.77]
- Maine: with a solid divider between you and a stopped school bus, you need not stop. [p.69]
- Maine: a pass must be completed before a no passing zone begins. [p.68]
- White cane or guide dog in the road: stop at least 10 feet away. [p.59]
- Maine: left-turning drivers yield to oncoming bicyclists and roller skiers. [p.49]
- Maine: report crashes with injury or $2,000+ damage to police. [p.96]
- Maine permit supervisor: licensed driver age 20+ with 2 years' experience. [p.7]
- Maine under 21: 70 supervised hours (10 at night) and 6 months on a permit. [p.8]
- Maine under-18 license: no driving midnight to 5 a.m. for the first 270 days. [p.9]
- Maine points: warning at 6, suspension at 12 or more. [p.14]
Safe driving & emergencies
- Maine: drivers under 18 may not use a mobile phone or handheld device while driving. [p.9]
- Maine: text messaging while driving is banned for all drivers. [p.7]
- Maine following distance: at least 4 seconds. [p.85]
- Maine: headlights on if you can't see 1000 feet ahead or wipers run constantly. [p.90]
- Maine: dim high beams within 500 ft of oncoming traffic, 300 ft when following. [p.90]
- Stalled on tracks: get out, move toward the train and away from the tracks at 45 degrees. [p.99]
- Maine: don't start a pass within 1/3 mile of a hill or curve. [p.67]
- Maine: moose collisions peak in May and June. [p.118]
- Moose eyes rarely reflect in headlights - watch for the silhouette. [p.118]
- Unavoidable animal crash: brake, steer straight, release brakes just before impact. [p.119]
- Snow or ice: stopping takes 3 to 12 times the dry-pavement distance. [p.116]
- Stranded in winter: stay with the car; run the heater in spurts, window cracked. [p.116]
Rules learners miss most
The rules behind the most-missed questions on our practice tests. Some details, such as parking distances, can differ by state - your handbook has the final word.
- At 60 mph a car travels about 88 feet per second.
- Measure following distance in seconds, counted from a fixed roadside object.
- A yellow curb signals a stopping or parking limit - check signs and local rules.
- Uncontrolled T-intersection: the terminating road yields to the through road.
- Uphill with a curb: turn wheels away from the curb; downhill: toward it.
- KEEP RIGHT: pass to the right of the island, median or obstruction.
- Point of no return: past it you cannot stop safely on yellow, so proceed.
- Zipper merge: use both lanes up to the merge point, then alternate.
- In heavy rain use low beams, slow down and increase following distance.
- Parallel park close to and parallel with the curb, within your state's limit.
- Yellow pennant on the left side of the road: a no-passing zone begins.
- Car with skid marks: the road is slippery when wet.
- Diamond-shaped signs are warning signs.
- 4-way stop tie: the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
- ABS keeps wheels from locking in hard braking so you can still steer.
- A round yellow sign warns of a railroad crossing ahead.
- Merging onto a highway: yield to traffic already on the highway.
- An upward-pointing pentagon marks a school zone or school crossing.
- Steady yellow: the light is about to turn red - stop if you can do so safely.
- Basic speed law: never drive faster than is safe for conditions, even under the limit.
- Use high beams on open roads; dim them for oncoming or followed vehicles.
- Arrows pointing up and down warn of two-way traffic ahead.
- Orange diamond signs warn of construction and work zones.
- Adult (21+) BAC limit is 0.08% in most states.
- Implied consent: by driving you agree to chemical tests if arrested for DUI.
Now test yourself
Reading rules is a start; answering questions is what makes them stick.