Driving Tests

Maine Learner's Permit Rules: Age 15, Who Can Ride With You and Phones

informational·how to guide·Published June 16, 2026

What are the Maine learner's permit rules?

In Maine you can apply for a learner's permit at age 15. If you are under 18, you must finish a driver education course first. The permit is valid for 2 years. You must drive with a licensed operator who is 20 or older, has held a license for 2 years and sits in the seat beside you. You must not use a phone while you drive, even hands-free.

Where the Maine permit rules come from

Maine sets the learner's permit rules in Maine law (Title 29-A, section 1304). The driver education certificate rules are in section 1351, and the phone ban for all drivers is in section 2121. The other rules here come from sections 1301, 1302, 1307, 1311, 1408 and 2472 of the same title. The Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), part of the Secretary of State's office, applies these laws. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (maine.gov/sos/bmv) before you drive.

How to qualify for a Maine learner's permit

Age: 15 or older for a car (Class C) permit, and 16 or older for a motorcycle or moped permit.
Driver education: if you are 15, 16 or 17, finish a driver education course before you apply. A course provider cannot give a completion certificate to a student who started the course before age 15.
Examination: pass all parts of the examination except the driving test. The Secretary of State may waive the permit exam after it receives your course completion certificate.
Who issues it: the Secretary of State or your driver education course provider.

What is the 60-day driver education certificate permit?

Your driver education course completion certificate can work as a temporary learner's permit for a noncommercial Class C vehicle. It is valid for 60 days from the course completion date on the front of the certificate. While you use it, keep the certificate with you and drive with a licensed operator who is 20 or older, has held a license for 2 years, is licensed for your vehicle class and sits in the seat beside you. It is a temporary permit, separate from the 2-year learner's permit.

Who can ride with you as your Maine permit supervisor?

The supervising licensed operator must have held a valid license for at least 2 years.
The operator must be at least 20 years old.
The operator must sit in the seat beside you.
The operator must be licensed for the class of vehicle you drive.
The operator must keep to every restriction on his or her own license while supervising you.
These rules do not apply when you operate a motorcycle or moped.

What if my permit supervisor has been drinking?

Do not drive with that person. Maine law makes it a Class E crime to accompany a permit holder who drives on a public way when the accompanying person has impaired mental or physical functioning from alcohol or drugs. Before each practice drive, pick a supervisor who has not been drinking and has not used drugs.

Can I use my phone with a learner's permit in Maine?

No, not while you drive. A permit holder may not use, handle or talk into a handheld device or phone on a public way, even when the car is stopped for traffic, a traffic light or a stop sign. Hands-free use is allowed only for drivers 18 or older who do not drive on a learner's permit or an intermediate license. To use your phone, pull over to the side of the road, or off it, and stop where the car can safely stay. A violation is a traffic infraction. Our practice question on a learner's hands-free call tests this rule.

Phone use with a Maine learner's permit

Phone use with a Maine learner's permit
Situation	Allowed?
Holding the phone while driving	No
Holding the phone at a red light or stop sign	No
Hands-free call while driving	No
Emergency call to police or emergency services while driving	No: the emergency exception excludes permit holders
Any use after you pull over and stop in a safe place	Yes
Fine under the general phone law	$50 (U.S. dollars) for a first offense, $250 for a later offense

Do I have to carry my Maine permit?

Yes. You must have the permit in immediate possession whenever you drive. When a law enforcement officer asks, you must show it. If you get a complaint for not carrying it, the complaint can be dismissed when you show satisfactory evidence that you held a valid license or permit at the time.

How long is a Maine learner's permit valid?

A learner's permit is valid for 2 years. It expires sooner when you pass the driving examination, unless the Secretary of State lets it continue, and you must then give the expired permit to the Secretary of State right away. If you do not complete the driving test within the 2 years, you must take the permit examination again.

What comes after the Maine permit?

1
Hold the permit for 6 months
A person under 21 cannot apply for a license until 6 months have passed since the permit was issued.
2
Log 70 hours of driving
A person under 21 must also complete at least 70 hours of driving, including 10 hours at night, with a parent, guardian or licensed driver at least 20 years old. A parent, stepparent or guardian certifies the time on a form set by the Secretary of State. The 70-hour driving log guide explains the log.
3
Apply for your license and pass the driving test
The Class C noncommercial examination fee is $35 (U.S. dollars) and includes the first road test. A reexamination is also $35.
4
Start on a first license
A driver under 18 starts on an intermediate license, with limits for 270 days. Every license of a driver under 21 is a provisional license for 2 years or until age 21, whichever is later, with an alcohol limit of 0.00.

Which Maine rules apply at your age

You are under 18

You need a driver education course completion certificate for your license. A parent or guardian must sign your license application. A spouse who is 18 or older can sign instead. An employer who is 18 or older can sign when you have no parent, guardian or spouse of 18 or older. A court order of emancipation also works.

You are under 21

You must hold the permit for 6 months and complete 70 hours of driving, including 10 hours at night, before you can apply for a license.

You are 21 or older

You do not need the 6-month wait, and you do not send a certification of driving time to the Secretary of State.

Key takeaways

You can apply for a Maine learner's permit at age 15, and you must finish driver education first if you are under 18.
Your supervisor must be 20 or older, licensed for 2 years, licensed for your vehicle class and in the seat beside you.
A permit holder cannot use a phone while driving, even at a red light or hands-free.
The permit lasts 2 years. A person under 21 needs 6 months and 70 hours of driving before a license.
Next step: practice on the free Maine Class C permit practice test.

Maine learner's permit: common questions

Can I drive alone with a Maine learner's permit?

Not in a car. On every drive with a car permit, a licensed operator who is 20 or older, has held a license for 2 years and is licensed for your vehicle class must sit beside you. A motorcycle or moped permit holder rides without that operator, but a motorcycle or moped learner's permit does not allow a passenger.

Can my 19-year-old brother or sister supervise my practice driving?

No. The supervising operator must be at least 20 years old and must have held a valid license for at least 2 years. So a 20-year-old who got a license less than 2 years ago cannot supervise you either. Test yourself with our practice question on who may supervise a Maine permit holder.

Can I drive at night or with friends on a Maine learner's permit?

On a permit, a qualified supervisor must sit beside you on every drive, day or night. If you are under 21, your 70 hours must include 10 hours at night. If you are under 18, the midnight to 5 a.m. ban and the limit on passengers outside your immediate family apply for 270 days after you get your first license. The intermediate license guide explains them.

Do I need driver education if I am 18 or older?

Maine's driver education rule is for ages 15 to 17: an applicant of that age must finish a course before the permit, and a license for a person under 18 needs a course completion certificate. If you are 18, 19 or 20, you still hold the permit for 6 months and log 70 hours, including 10 at night, before you apply for a license. At 21 or older, you send no driving log.

Can I show my Maine permit on my phone?

Yes. A permit holder may carry the permit in electronic form, which means a digital copy of the permit on a phone or other portable device. When a law enforcement officer asks, you must show the permit or its electronic version. Showing it on your phone does not give the officer consent to look at anything else on the phone.