Maine Auto Driving Laws

Suspension Periods for Designated Convictions or Adjudications

In accordance with Maine driving law, the license, permit or privilege to operate of any person convicted of the following offenses may be suspended for a period up to 30 days:

• failure to stop for a police officer
• leaving the scene of an accident (bodily injury)
• operating alone on permit
• operating a motor vehicle without a license (crime)
• passing a stopped school bus, exceeding posted speed by at least 30 miles per hour
• altering a driver's license or registration certificate
• loaning a driver's license
• unlawful use of a driver's license
• displaying a suspended license
• falsifying an application for registration certificate or driver's license
• giving false information to a police officer

Suspension Periods for Demerit Point Accumulation

The following is a listing of certain convictions or adjudications for violation of Maine driving law for which demerit points have been assigned. The convictions and adjudications for violations of Maine traffic laws as listed herein are not intended to be the total list of convictions and adjudications to which the Secretary of State may assign demerit points.

In accordance with Maine driving law, points for a conviction or adjudication for violation of Maine traffic laws will be erased from a driver's record when the conviction or adjudication becomes one year old. No points may be assigned to those convictions or adjudications that requires a statutory revocation or suspension of the license, permit or privilege to operate a motor vehicle by the Secretary of State or by a Court.

Maine driving law stipulates that any person whose driving record shows an accumulation of 12 demerit points for convictions or adjudications for violations of Maine traffic laws within a one year period may have his or her license, permit or privilege to operate suspended for a period up to 15 days.

Maine Driving Law Demerit Points

• Driving Wrong Side - 6
• Driving Wrong Way - 6
• Exceeding Posted Speed by at Least 15 Miles Per Hour
• But Less Than 30 Miles Per Hour - 6
• Illegal Transportation Liquor - Minor - 6
• Improper Passing - 6
• Leaving Scene of an Accident (Property Damage) - 6
• Operating Beyond Restriction - 6
• Operating With Improper License - 6
• Operating Without Corrective Lenses - 6
• Operating Left on Curve - 6
• Other Improper Pass - 6
• Pass Within 100 Feet of Intersection - 6
• Pass on Curve or Hill - 6
• Pass on Right - 6
• Pass Wrong Side - 6
• Violation - Do Not Pass - 6
• Violation of Instruction Permit - 6
• Operating Motorcycle Beyond Restriction - 6
• Exceeding Posted Speed by Less Than 15 Miles Per Hour - 4
• Excessive Acceleration - 4
• Failure to Keep Right - 4
• Failure to Return to the Right - 4
• Fail to Yield to Emergency Vehicle - 4
• Fail to Yield - No Sign - 4
• Fail to Yield to Pedestrian - 4
• Fail to Yield - Sign - 4
• Fail to Give Way to Other Vehicle - 4
• Fail to Obey Stop Sign - 4
• Fail to Stop at Red Light - 4
• Fail to Yield Right of Way - 4
• Imprudent Driving - 4
• Imprudent Speed - 4
• Operating a Motor Vehicle With Obstructed View - 4
• Operating Without a License (traffic infraction) - 4
• Red Light Violation - 4
• Crossover Violation - 2
• Displaying a Blue Light - 2
• Displaying a Red Light - 2
• Excessive Noise - 2
• Failure to Dim Headlights - 2
• Fail to Signal - 2
• Fail to Obey Traffic Island - 2
• Failure to Reduce Speed on a Grade or Curve - 2
• Follow Too Close - 2
• Illegal Left Turn  - 2
• Illegal Right Turn - 2
• Illegal U-Turn - 2
• Impeding the Flow of Traffic - 2
• Improper Turn - 2
• Lane Conviction - 2
• Littering - 2
• Obstructing the Flow of Traffic - 2
• Obstructing Traffic - 2
• Operating Motor Vehicle Without Tail Lights - 2
• Operating Without Lights - 2
• Other Moving Violation - 2
• Speed Under Posted Minimum - 2
• Squealing Tires - 2
• Trailer Without Lights - 2
• Trucks Traveling Less Than 150 Feet Apart - 2

120 Day Suspension

Any person whose license, permit or privilege to operate has been suspended three times within a three year period by the Secretary of State pursuant to these rules or by a court following a conviction or adjudication of an offense of Maine driving law listed herein is subject to a further suspension for a period up to 120 days.

The 120 day suspension applies to persons who have been convicted or adjudicated of a Maine driving law offense, which offense was committed following the third suspension within that three year period.

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