Maine Traffic Laws: Points, Tickets, License Suspension and DUI

Maine uses a demerit point system. The Secretary of State issues a warning when points reach 6, and a driver whose total reaches 12 points or more has the license suspended. Under the Secretary of State's rules, 12 demerit points within a one-year period may lead to a suspension of up to 15 days. A driver may request a hearing, and the decision may be appealed to Superior Court.

Exceeding the posted speed by less than 15 mph is 4 points; by at least 15 but less than 30 mph is 6 points. Exceeding the posted speed by 30 mph or more is listed among offenses for which the license may be suspended for up to 30 days.

Points are erased from the driving record when they become one year old. Drivers also earn one violation-free credit point for each calendar year without convictions or suspensions, up to four credit points.

Completing the Maine Driving Dynamics Course (a five-hour program) or another approved driver improvement course deducts three points from a driver's point total. Anyone may take it, even with no record, but points are deducted only once in any twelve-month period. It does not dismiss the ticket.

Traffic tickets are paid to the Violations Bureau: online 24/7 through Maine eCourts Traffic Pay (Visa, Mastercard, Discover; 5% convenience fee, $1 minimum), by phone at 1-866-729-8499 (2.89% convenience fee), by check or money order payable to "Treasurer, State of Maine" mailed to Violations Bureau, P.O. Box 480, Lewiston, ME 04243-0480, or in person at any Maine state courthouse. Handwritten tickets may take time to appear online. You have 30 days from the date the decision is entered to pay unless a judge orders otherwise; missing the deadline can lead to license suspension, a $50 late fee per violation and a BMV reinstatement fee.

The reinstatement fee is $50, and the total fee for all court-ordered suspensions for nonappearance or nonpayment in effect at one time is $50 (29-A M.R.S. 2486); a juvenile provisional major-offense suspension carries a $200 fee that must be paid at once. Pay online (debit or credit card, $5 processing fee per transaction; the service shows the total fee due), at a BMV branch, by phone or by mail (no fee); you can usually pay in $50 increments. The online service cannot be used to pay court fines or fees. Payment does not mean you are reinstated: call the BMV at 207-624-9000 ext. 52100 to confirm, and do not drive until the BMV confirms you are legal to drive; a letter is also mailed once you are reinstated.

The Judicial Branch Violations Bureau handles traffic tickets for the whole state. Tickets can be paid online through the Violations Bureau payment portal, by mail, by phone (1-866-729-8499), or in person at any state courthouse. To contest, follow the directions on the paper ticket or use the online Guide & File service within the time allowed to respond; a Notice of Trial is then mailed, and traffic trials are held remotely by Zoom. Missing the trial without a continuance leads to a default judgment and a fine. Fines after an 'adjudicated' result are due within 30 days unless the judge orders otherwise, and an appeal must be filed within 21 days.

Common suspension reasons listed by the BMV include failing to answer a traffic summons or pay a fine (suspended until the appearance is made or fine paid), OUI or refusing a test, driving to endanger (at least 30 days), reaching 12 demerit points, being responsible for accident damage without liability insurance (until proof of insurance is filed), and for drivers under 21 with a provisional license, any moving violation within two years of issue (30 days for a first, 180 days for a second, one year for a third).

0.08 for adult drivers (OUI). Drivers under 21 may not operate with any alcohol level above 0.00.

First OUI with no prior offense in 10 years is a Class D crime with these minimum penalties that cannot be suspended: a fine of at least $500 ($600 if the person refused a test), a 150-day court-ordered license suspension, and at least 48 hours in jail if the BAC was 0.15 or more, the driver was going 30 mph or more over the limit, eluded an officer, or had a passenger under 21 (at least 96 hours if the person refused a test). A first-offender may have the license reinstated after 30 days of the suspension by installing an approved ignition interlock for the rest of the suspension. Drivers under 21 face a one-year suspension of a provisional license for a first OUI or any alcohol level above 0.00.

A driver the officer has probable cause to believe was operating under the influence must submit to a breath, blood or urine test. Refusal leads to immediate license suspension by the Secretary of State: 275 days for a first refusal, 18 months for a second, 4 years for a third, and 6 years for a fourth (one year for a first refusal where death occurred or will occur). Refusal is admissible at trial and is an aggravating factor at sentencing. For drivers under 21, the refusal suspension is 18 months for a first refusal and 30 months for a later refusal.

10 years. OUI penalties increase based on the number of previous OUI offenses within a 10-year period.

The BMV handbook says certain mandatory suspensions, including OUI and test refusal, have no 'work' license option. However, the Secretary of State may reinstate a license early if the person installs an approved ignition interlock for the rest of the suspension: after 30 days for one OUI offense, after 9 months for two, 3 years for three, and 4 years for four or more. A $50 administrative fee applies.

Maine is hands-free: a driver may not use, manipulate, talk into or otherwise interact with a handheld phone or electronic device while operating on a public way, including while stopped in traffic or at a light. Drivers 18 and older without an intermediate license or learner's permit may use a device in hands-free mode (a single swipe, tap or push on a mounted device is allowed). Exceptions include emergency calls to law enforcement or emergency services, and commercial or school bus drivers as federal rules allow. Fine: $50 for a first offense and $250 for a later offense. Separately, texting while driving carries a fine of at least $250, and repeat texting violations within 3 years bring a fine of at least $500 plus license suspension (30, 60 or 90 days). Drivers under 18 may not use a mobile phone or handheld device at all while driving.

Maine classifies crimes by letter rather than calling them felonies; the Class C and Class B OUI offenses are the ones the state's OUI guide refers to as 'felony OUI.' OUI is a Class C crime when the person has 2 previous OUI offenses within 10 years (at least 30 days in jail and a fine of at least $1,100) or 3 or more within 10 years (at least 6 months and $2,100). It is a Class C crime when the OUI causes serious bodily injury, and a Class B crime when it causes a death or when the person has any prior Class B or C OUI conviction or prior OUI-related criminal homicide conviction, no matter how long ago.

Yes, they are used. The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety hands out a notice explaining that sobriety checkpoints are set up to detect impaired drivers, are clearly marked by signs in advance, and stop vehicles in a set sequence such as every vehicle or every third vehicle. The state's OUI guide notes that Maine's highest court has upheld roadblocks that limit officer discretion and minimize intrusion, weighing factors such as advance notice, location, duration and supervisor-set standards.