PORTLAND MAINE

Portland Maine Licensing Procedures and Portland Maine Online Driver Education

The process of applying for your Portland Maine learner's permit or first Portland Maine driver's license can be daunting, but it doesn't need to be if you have the right information. This short guide will give you all the necessary facts to ensure that you don't hit any snags while applying for your first Portland Maine driver's license.

The first thing you need to know is that Portland Maine has a Graduated Driver License Program that is specially geared toward younger drivers like yourself. The program will allow you to safely gain driving experience in stages, before being granted full driving privileges. So let's get started.

Portland Maine Instructional Permit and Portland Maine Learner's Permit

When you turn 15, you can apply for a Portland Maine Instruction Permit, provided you've completed a Portland Maine-approved driver education course (more on this later). This license allows you to practice driving with another licensed driver who is at least 20 and has held a license for at least 2 years. You should begin by making an appointment at your local Portland Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) and bring the following:

• The completed application
• Two forms of identification
• Your $10 fee, payable to the Secretary of State
• Your birth certificate (notarized copies are not acceptable)
• The driver education completion certificate

With these materials in hand, go to your local Portland Maine BMV. You'll then have to pass a Portland Maine written exam as well as a vision screening. If you survived, a round of applause: you just earned your Portland Maine instruction permit! Your Portland Maine instruction permit is valid for 18 months. After you've had your Portland Maine instruction permit for 6 months, you'll have earned the right to "graduate" to the next step in program.

The Portland Maine Intermediate Driver's License

Before heading down to your local Portland Maine BMV in order to apply for your Portland Maine intermediate driver's license, you'll need to make sure you've obeyed a few Portland Maine State requirements.

• Log at least 35 hours of driving
• 5 practice hours must be done at night
• Hold your Portland Maine learner's permit for at least 6 months in good standing

If you've completed the following requirements, head on down to your local Portland Maine BMV where you'll have to take the dreaded road exam. If you pass, then another round of applause: you've just earned your Portland Maine intermediate driver license!

Restrictions and Penalties for Portland Maine Teen Drivers

Although you've proven yourself a capable enough driver by this point, you'll still have to live with a few restrictions until you've held your Portland Maine intermediate driver's license for 180 days in good standing.

• Remember that with your Portland Maine learner's permit, you can only practice driving with another licensed driver who is at least 20 and has held a license for at least 2 years.
• If you're a Portland Maine intermediate license holder, you can't carry passengers who aren't family members unless one of them is a licensed driver who is at least 20 and has held a driver license in good standing for 2 years
• No driving from 12AM to 5AM
• It's prohibited to use your cell phone while driving

If you're able to drive without incident for 180 days, then congratulations! You can now be issued a full Indiana full license, free of the above restrictions.

Portland Maine Auto Insurance And Financial Responsibility Laws

Just getting a Portland Maine full driver's license is only the first step toward being a responsible driver. You still need to get Portland Maine liability insurance. The minimum coverage is:

• $50,000 per person for bodily injury
• $25,000 for property damage
• $2,000 for mandatory coverage of medical payments
• $100,000 per accident for bodily injury

This is no joke: your Portland Maine learner's permit or Portland Maine intermediate driver license could be suspended and you could be fined if you are ever found to be driving without Portland Maine mandatory liability insurance.

Portland Maine Drunk Driving, Cell Phone, and Text Messaging Laws

As a new Portland Maine driver, it's important for you to learn the Portland Maine drunk driving, cell phone, and text messaging laws. After all, your safety and the safety of others is our top priority.

DUI Laws. First of all, Portland Maine has a zero tolerance law, so if you're under 21 and caught with a Blood Alcohol Content of .02, you'll face stiff fines and Portland Maine driver's license suspension, just like any adult with a Blood Alcohol Content of .08. You don't receive a pass just because you're a "little tipsy"!

Upon your first conviction of a Portland Maine DUI (0.08), you'll face the following penalties:

• license suspension of 90 days
• Jail sentence of up to 30 days
• $500

And of course, further Portland Maine DUI convictions will result in increased jail time, community service, fines, and Portland Maine license suspension or even Portland Maine license revocation.The bottom line: don't get behind the wheel drunk, period.

Cell Phone Use. Currently, Portland Maine prohibits teen drivers who hold a Portland Maine instruction license or intermediate license from using cell phones while driving. Even after you gain a full license, however, we strongly suggest that you keep cell phone use while driving to an absolute minimum!

Portland Maine Online Driver Education

As we said above, you'll need a certificate of completion from a Portland Maine-approved driver education course in order to apply for your Portland Maine instruction license. For information about approved Portland Maine online driver education courses, go here.