Driving Tests

Maine Provisional License: Tickets, Suspensions and Zero Alcohol Under 21

informational·how to guide·Published May 12, 2026

What is a Maine provisional license?

In Maine, every license issued to a driver under 21 is a provisional license. It stays provisional for 2 years from the issue date or until age 21, whichever is later. A moving violation within 2 years of issue brings a suspension of 30 days for a first offense, 180 days for a second and one year for a third or later. Until 21, the alcohol limit is 0.00.

Where these rules come from

Maine sets these rules in Title 29-A of the Maine Revised Statutes: section 2472 (juvenile provisional license), section 2471 (adult provisional license) and section 1251 (license required). Section 1311 sets the intermediate license. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) is part of the Department of the Secretary of State. The rules here are as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (maine.gov/sos/bmv) before you drive.

What is a juvenile provisional license in Maine?

"Juvenile provisional license" is the term in Maine law (Title 29-A, section 2472). It covers every license of a driver under 21, so a 20-year-old with a first license has one too. The license is provisional for 2 years from the date of issue or until the holder turns 21, whichever comes last. Then it stays valid as a regular license until its normal expiration date. A license issued outside Maine to a driver under 21 also counts as provisional for driving in Maine.
The intermediate license is separate: 270 days of restrictions for a licensed driver under 18. Our guide to the Maine intermediate license rules covers them.

Maine provisional license suspensions at a glance

Maine provisional license suspensions at a glance
Situation	Suspension
Moving violation within 2 years of issue, 1st offense (driver under 21)	30 days
Moving violation, 2nd offense	180 days
Moving violation, 3rd or later offense	One year
Alcohol above 0.00, drugs or OUI conviction, 1st offense (under 21)	One year, unless a longer period applies
Alcohol above 0.00, drugs or OUI conviction, 2nd offense	Two years, unless a longer period applies
Refusal of the chemical test, 1st refusal	18 months
Refusal of the chemical test, 2nd or later refusal	30 months
Any alcohol, drug, OUI or refusal suspension with a passenger under 21	180 days extra, if the Secretary of State determines the passenger was under 21
New driver 21 or older (adult provisional), 1st, 2nd, 3rd or later moving violation	30, 60, 90 days

What happens after a moving violation on a provisional license?

If a driver under 21 is convicted or adjudicated of a moving violation that happened within 2 years of the issue date, the Secretary of State must suspend the license for the periods in the table above.
To end the suspension, the driver must complete a driver improvement program that the Secretary of State approves. Ask the BMV how to enroll in an approved program.

Can you ask for a hearing on a moving-violation suspension?

You are under 18

No. For a moving-violation suspension, a person under 18 has no right to a hearing.

You are 18 to 20

You can ask. If you ask, the Secretary of State gives a hearing as soon as practicable. After it, for good cause, the suspension can be continued, changed or ended.

You are 21 or older with an adult provisional license

You can ask. If you ask, the Secretary of State gives a hearing as soon as practicable. After it, for good cause, the suspension can be continued, changed or ended.

Can you drive with any alcohol under 21 in Maine?

No. A Maine license of a driver under 21 carries the condition that the driver may not drive with an alcohol level of more than 0.00 grams per 100 milliliters of blood or 210 liters of breath. A driver under 21 who breaks it falls under Maine law (Title 29-A, section 1251), which makes driving in violation of a license condition a Class E crime. Separately, the Secretary of State suspends the license, without a preliminary hearing, for any alcohol level above 0.00, for an OUI conviction or for driving under the influence of drugs. The question on the alcohol level for a driver under 21 tests this rule.

What if you refuse the chemical test under 21?

A driver under 21 must take a chemical test when there is probable cause to believe the driver drove with alcohol above 0.00 or under the influence of drugs. A refusal brings an 18-month suspension for the first refusal and 30 months for a second or later refusal, plus 180 days if the Secretary of State determines a passenger was under 21. The practice question on the required chemical test covers the rule that a refusal can lead to a suspension.

How do you get your license back after a suspension?

After a first alcohol, drug or OUI suspension: the Secretary of State may issue a license when half of the suspension period has passed and the Secretary of State has notice that you finished the alcohol and other drug program of the Department of Health and Human Services.
After a second or later alcohol, drug or OUI suspension: a license may be issued when the full suspension period is over, with the same program notice.
After a suspension for an offense that Maine law lists as a major offense (Title 29-A, section 2551-A): pay a $200 fee and finish any community service that a court imposed, up to 60 hours, before the license is reinstated.
After those major offenses, also pass an examination that the Secretary of State sets within 90 days after the license is restored. If you fail it, the license is suspended again.

What is the adult provisional license in Maine?

A new driver who is 21 or older gets an original license that is provisional for one year from the date of issue (section 2471). After that year, it stays valid as a regular license to the next normal expiration date. A moving violation in that year brings a suspension of 30 days for a first offense, 60 days for a second and 90 days for a third or later offense.

Key takeaways

Every Maine license of a driver under 21 is provisional for 2 years from issue or until age 21, whichever is later.
A moving violation within 2 years of issue, while you are under 21, brings a 30-day, 180-day or one-year suspension, and a driver improvement program before the suspension can end.
Under 21, the alcohol limit is 0.00. A first alcohol, drug or OUI suspension is one year, a second is two years, and a passenger under 21 can add 180 days.
A new driver 21 or older has a one-year adult provisional license with suspensions of 30, 60 and 90 days.
Next step: practice on the free Maine Class C permit practice test.

Maine provisional license: common questions

Do the provisional rules end when I turn 18?

No. Your license stays provisional for 2 years from the issue date or until you turn 21, whichever is later, and the 0.00 alcohol rule lasts until 21. What ends sooner are the intermediate license restrictions for drivers under 18, which last 270 days from issue. At 18, you can also ask for a hearing on a moving-violation suspension, a right that a driver under 18 does not have.

Does my out-of-state license count as provisional in Maine?

Yes, if you are under 21. Maine law treats a license from another state or jurisdiction held by a person under 21 as a provisional license for driving in Maine. The 0.00 alcohol rule and the duty to take a chemical test also apply to every driver under 21. If you are moving here, see our guide to getting a Maine license after a move.

I got my license at 16. Can a ticket at 19 still suspend it?

Not under the provisional rule for moving violations. That rule covers a moving violation that happened within 2 years of the issue date, so for a license issued at 16 the window ends at 18. Your license still stays provisional until 21, and the 0.00 alcohol rule and its one-year and two-year suspensions apply until then.

What does the hearing on an under-21 alcohol suspension decide?

If you ask for a hearing under Maine law (Title 29-A, section 2483), it must cover three points: was there probable cause, did you drive with an alcohol level above 0.00 or under the influence of a confirmed drug, and were you under 21. A suspension for alcohol above 0.00 or for drugs is stayed until the hearing result.