Maine defensive driving course rules
In Maine a driver improvement course gives a 3 point credit against demerit points; the ticket stays. It applies once a year.
Rules checked
Maine has no course that dismisses a ticket. Finishing a driver improvement course approved by the Department of Public Safety or the Secretary of State gives you a three point credit against demerit points, once in any twelve month period. The credit expires one year after you finish. The state's own Maine Driving Dynamics course runs five hours and costs $70; approved AAA courses also count. The conviction stays on your record.
- What a course does
- Points taken off; the conviction stays
- Speed limit for the course
- Not published
- How often
- Once a year
- Deadline to ask
- Not published
- Speeding points
- 4 to 6 points
- Points count for
- 1 year
The Maine rule
Every field of the rule. The number points to its source at the foot of the page.
- The program
- Defensive driving course credit (driver improvement course, 29-250 C.M.R. ch. 1 section 6)
- What it does
- Points taken off; the conviction stays
- Set by each court
- No
- Speed limit for the course
- Not published
- Bar at double the posted limit
- Not published
- Open to CDL holders
- Not published
- Open to tickets in a commercial vehicle
- Not published
- Open to learner and provisional licenses
- Not published
- Open to drivers licensed in another state
- Not published
- How often
- Once a year, the rule does not say what the window counts from
- Lifetime limit
- Not published
- Deadline to ask
- Not published
- Court fee for the course
- Not published
- Course length
- 5 hours
- Course price the rule publishes
- $70The course fee for Maine Driving Dynamics is $70 (state course; AAA alternatives set their own price)
- Crashes
- Not published
Who qualifies
- Not published for CDL holders. Ask your court.
- Not published for tickets written in a commercial vehicle.
- Not published for drivers licensed in another state.
- Speed limit for the course: not published. Your court decides.
- Once a year, the rule does not say what the window counts from.
Deadline and how to ask
- Ticket writtenDay 0
- Deadline to askBy the date on your citation
The state rule names no day count. The date on your citation or notice applies.
Points in Maine
| Violation, as the state lists it | Type | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Exceeding Posted Speed by Less Than 15 Miles Per Hour | Speeding | 4points |
| Exceeding Posted Speed by at Least 15 Miles Per Hour But Less Than 30 Miles Per Hour | Speeding | 6points |
| Exceeding posted speed by at least 30 miles per hour: listed for a suspension of up to 30 days, no point value given | Speeding | Not published |
| Imprudent Speed | Speeding | 4points |
| Fail to Stop at Red Light / Red Light Violation | Red light or stop sign | 4points |
| Fail to Obey Stop Sign | Red light or stop sign | 4points |
| Improper or Erratic Lane Change | Lane change or turn | 6points |
| Improper Passing | Lane change or turn | 6points |
| Improper Turn / Illegal Left Turn / Illegal Right Turn / Illegal U-Turn | Lane change or turn | 2points |
| Lane Conviction | Lane change or turn | 2points |
| Follow Too Close | Following too closely | 2points |
| Operating Motor Vehicle Without Tail Lights | Equipment or registration | 2points |
| Fail to Yield Right of Way | Other moving violation | 4points |
| Imprudent Driving | Other moving violation | 4points |
| Other Moving Violation | Other moving violation | 2points |
Fees as published
- Course price the rule publishes
- $70State, in its own words: The course fee for Maine Driving Dynamics is $70 (state course; AAA alternatives set their own price)Maine Driving Dynamics, Maine Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Highway Safety (opens in a new tab)
Insurance
A voluntary course is published here for an insurance discount. Insurers set their own rates; ask yours.
Check a Maine ticket
The form opens the checker with Maine filled in. Add the violation and the date from your ticket.
Maine traffic school questions
Can a defensive driving course take points off in Maine?
In Maine a driver improvement course gives a 3 point credit against demerit points; the ticket stays. It applies once a year. The program: Defensive driving course credit (driver improvement course, 29-250 C.M.R. ch. 1 section 6).
How often can you take traffic school in Maine?
Once a year, the rule does not say what the window counts from.
How many points is a speeding ticket in Maine?
Maine gives 4 points for 1 to 14 mph over; 6 points for 15 to 29 mph over.
How long do points stay on your license in Maine?
Points count for 1 year in Maine.
Does a defensive driving course lower car insurance in Maine?
A voluntary course is published here for an insurance discount. Insurers set their own rates; ask yours.
Sources
Checked against these pages in .
- 29-250 C.M.R. ch. 1, Rules for Administrative Suspension Relating to Demerit Point Accumulation, Convictions and Adjudications, Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (Word document linked as Demerit Points from the BMV suspensions page; amended July 25, 2012) (opens in a new tab)
- License Suspensions and Revocations, Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (opens in a new tab)
- Maine Driving Dynamics, Maine Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Highway Safety (opens in a new tab)