Suspended license in Maine: points, other causes, and how to reinstate
In Maine, the first points threshold is 12 points within 1 year: Suspension of the license, permit or privilege to operate for up to 15 days. A Maine Driving Dynamics (driver improvement course, Bureau of Highway Safety) removes 3 points, once in a twelve month period. The fee to reinstate after a suspension that is not alcohol-related is $50.
A DUI is only one of the ways a license gets suspended. Points from ordinary tickets, an unpaid ticket, a lapse in insurance, unpaid child support or a missed court date each carry their own suspension and their own path back. The rules below are the ones the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (Department of the Secretary of State) states, each quoted from its page or from the statute.
How the points system works
Most states assign points to moving violations and suspend the license when the total inside a set window crosses a threshold. The threshold, the window and how long each violation keeps counting are all set by the state.
Maine's demerit point system, adopted by the Secretary of State under 29-A M.R.S. §2458(3) and set out in Bureau of Motor Vehicles Rule Chapter 1, assigns demerit points to convictions and adjudications 'for the purpose of identifying the reckless or negligent driver'. A driver whose record shows 12 demerit points within a one-year period may be suspended for up to 15 days; a notice is sent when the accumulation reaches 50 percent of that number.
| Points | Within | Consequence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 points | 1 year | Suspension of the license, permit or privilege to operate for up to 15 days | maine.gov |
Points period stated by the agency: 1 year. Points for a conviction or adjudication are erased from the record when the conviction or adjudication becomes one year old. Three suspensions within a three-year period under the rule or by a court expose the driver to a further suspension of up to 120 days for an offense committed after the third suspension. The Bureau sells a three-year driving record ($5) and a ten-year record ($10), so the convictions themselves remain visible on the record after the points expire.
“Any person whose driving record shows an accumulation of 12 demerit points for convictions or adjudications within a one year period may have his or her license, permit or privilege to operate suspended for a period up to 15 days.”
“Points for a conviction or adjudication will be erased from a driver's record when the conviction or adjudication becomes one year old.”
| Violation | Points |
|---|---|
| Exceeding Posted Speed by Less Than 15 Miles Per Hour | 4 |
| Exceeding Posted Speed by at Least 15 Miles Per Hour But Less Than 30 Miles Per Hour | 6 |
| Operating After Suspension - Traffic Infraction | 8 |
| Leaving Scene of an Accident (Property Damage) | 6 |
| Fail to Obey Stop Sign | 4 |
| Follow Too Close | 2 |
Check points or the driving record: maine.gov
The statute: 29-A M.R.S. §2458(3)
“the Secretary of State shall adopt rules establishing a uniform system of assigning demerit points for convictions or adjudications of violations of statutes or rules governing the operation of motor vehicles”
Traffic school and point reduction
| Course | Maine Driving Dynamics (driver improvement course, Bureau of Highway Safety) |
|---|---|
| Effect | Removes or prevents points |
| Points removed | 3 |
| How often | once in a twelve month period |
Any driver may complete the five-hour Maine Driving Dynamics course offered by the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Highway Safety; the course fee is $70 and some schools may add a fee. A student who completes the course receives a three-point credit on the driving record and may be eligible for an insurance discount. Under BMV Rule Chapter 1, section 6, only one three-point credit is given for a driver improvement course authorized by the Department of Public Safety or the Secretary of State, once in a twelve-month period, and the credit is erased one year from the completion date. Separately, a driver with no convictions, adjudications, suspensions or revocations in a calendar year earns one violation-free credit (maximum four) that the Secretary of State may apply against demerit points.
“A student who completes the course will receive a three-point credit on their driving record and may be eligible for insurance discount.”
Other reasons a license is suspended, and what ends each one
These are the causes the licensing agency itself lists on its suspension pages, with what it requires to lift each one. Court-imposed suspensions and DUI suspensions are covered on the state's DUI pages.
| Cause | What the agency states | To reinstate | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demerit Points | An accumulation of 12 demerit points for convictions or adjudications within a one-year period may bring a suspension of up to 15 days (BMV Rule Chapter 1, section 4); a driver suspended three times within three years faces up to 120 additional days. The Bureau lists 'Demerit Points' among its Court Records suspensions. | Serve the suspension and pay the $50 reinstatement fee under 29-A M.R.S. §2486(1); a hearing may be requested and the suspension may remain in effect pending the hearing. | $50 |
| Failure to Pay Fine / Failure to Appear / Failure to Pay Fine Contempt | Under 29-A M.R.S. §2608, when a person fails to answer a traffic-infraction summons by the date specified, fails to appear for trial, or fails to pay a fine assessed in a traffic-infraction proceeding, the court clerk suspends the license and the right to operate; the suspension has the same force as a Secretary of State suspension and remains in effect until the person answers, appears or pays the fine. | Answer, appear or pay the fine (whichever was the basis for the suspension) and pay the $50 reinstatement fee under 29-A M.R.S. §2486(1). | $50 |
| Suspension on nonappearance or nonpayment of fine (criminal traffic offense) | Under 29-A M.R.S. §2605, a person who fails to appear in court on the date specified in response to a Uniform Summons and Complaint, a summons, a bail condition or court order for a criminal traffic violation, or fails to pay a fine imposed for a criminal traffic offense, has the license suspended by the clerk; the court notifies the Secretary of State, who records the suspension. | Appear or pay the fine, then pay the $50 reinstatement fee; 29-A M.R.S. §2486(1) caps the total reinstatement fee for all court-ordered suspensions under §§2605 and 2608 in effect at one time at $50. | $50 |
| Failure to Pay Child Support | Under 19-A M.R.S. §2202, the Department of Health and Human Services may certify a support obligor who is not in compliance with a support order to the Secretary of State, who must then suspend the obligor's operator's license and the right to apply for one. A written payment agreement with the department, with current support paid when due, is a way to come into compliance. | Written confirmation from the department that the obligor is in compliance with the order of support (19-A M.R.S. §2202(8)), plus the $50 reinstatement fee under 29-A M.R.S. §2486(1). | $50 |
| Habitual Offender Revocations | Under 29-A M.R.S. §2551-A, a habitual offender is a person whose record shows three or more convictions or adjudications within five years for listed major offenses (OUI, driving to endanger, operating after suspension, eluding, speeding 30 mph or more over the limit, among others) or ten or more moving-violation convictions arising from separate acts within a five-year period. The license is revoked; after three years the person may petition the Secretary of State for relief. | A petition for relief presented to the Secretary of State after three years from the date of revocation, compliance with financial-responsibility requirements, and a finding that public safety will not be endangered (29-A M.R.S. §2554). | — |
| Adverse and Erratic Driver Suspensions | Under 29-A M.R.S. §2458(2), the Secretary of State may suspend without preliminary hearing a person convicted of moving violations 'with such frequency as to indicate a disrespect for traffic laws', a reckless or negligent driver as shown by the demerit point system, a record of accidents or other evidence, or a person convicted of failing to stop for a police officer or of driving to endanger. BMV Rule Chapter 1 sets suspension periods of up to 90 days for eluding or passing a roadblock, up to 60 days for operating after suspension, and up to 30 days for listed offenses. | Serve the suspension period set by the Secretary of State; a hearing may be requested; pay the $50 reinstatement fee under 29-A M.R.S. §2486(1). | $50 |
| Medical Condition Suspensions / Vision Condition Suspensions | The Bureau lists suspensions arising from a medical adverse report, a medical condition or a vision condition, and states that no reinstatement fees apply to medical suspensions. 29-A M.R.S. §2458(2)(D) allows suspension of a person who is incompetent to drive a motor vehicle. | Medical information as requested by the Bureau's Medical Review unit; no reinstatement fee applies. | $0 |
| Judgment Suspension resulting from accident / Uninsured Accidents | The Bureau's Financial Responsibility and Accident unit handles judgment suspensions resulting from an accident, SR-22 requirements from court decisions, and uninsured accidents. The Financial Responsibility page explains that a Certificate of Insurance (SR-22) or evidence of insurance may be required and that the SR-22 is filed by the insurer. | Satisfaction of the judgment or filing of a Certificate of Insurance (SR-22) as required by the Bureau, plus the $50 reinstatement fee. | $50 |
Source quotes for each cause
Demerit Points
“Any person whose driving record shows an accumulation of 12 demerit points for convictions or adjudications within a one year period may have his or her license, permit or privilege to operate suspended for a period up to 15 days.”
Failure to Pay Fine / Failure to Appear / Failure to Pay Fine Contempt
“The suspension remains in effect until the person answers or appears, either in person or by counsel, or pays the fine. On answer, appearance or payment of the fine, whichever was the basis for the suspension, and on condition of payment of a $50 reinstatement fee pursuant to section 2486”
Suspension on nonappearance or nonpayment of fine (criminal traffic offense)
“fails to pay a fine imposed for a criminal traffic offense, the clerk shall suspend the person's license or permit, the right to operate a motor vehicle”
Failure to Pay Child Support
“If the commissioner certifies the obligor to the Secretary of State, the Secretary of State must suspend any motor vehicle operator's licenses that the obligor holds and the obligor's right to apply for or obtain a motor vehicle operator's license”
Habitual Offender Revocations
“The person has accumulated 10 or more convictions or adjudications for moving violations arising out of separate acts committed within a 5-year period.”
Adverse and Erratic Driver Suspensions
“Has been convicted or adjudicated for offenses against traffic regulations governing the movement of vehicles with such frequency as to indicate a disrespect for traffic laws and disregard for the safety of other persons on public ways”
Medical Condition Suspensions / Vision Condition Suspensions
“MEDICAL (No reinstatement fees apply) For information regarding the following call 207-624-9000, ext. 52124. Adverse Suspension resulting from medical adverse report Medical Condition Suspensions Vision Condition Suspensions”
Judgment Suspension resulting from accident / Uninsured Accidents
“For information regarding a Certificate of Insurance (SR-22), judgment suspension, or requirement to provide evidence of insurance, call or send your request in writing to: Bureau of Motor Vehicles Driver License Services Division”
Reinstating after a non-DUI suspension
Reinstatement fee: $50. 29-A M.R.S. §2486(1) requires a $50 fee before a suspension for any reason other than OUI or failure to submit to a test is terminated, and caps the total for all court-ordered fine or appearance suspensions under §§2605 and 2608 in effect at one time at $50. The OUI reinstatement fee is also $50 (§2486(1-A)). Medical suspensions carry no reinstatement fee. Paying online adds a $5 processing fee; paying by mail, phone or in person is free.
“before a suspension for any reason other than OUI or failure to submit to a test is terminated and a license or certificate reinstated, a fee of $50 must be paid to the Secretary of State. The total reinstatement fee for all court-ordered suspensions under sections 2605 and 2608 that may be in”
Resolve the underlying cause
For a court suspension, answer, appear or pay the fine (29-A M.R.S. §2608); for child support, obtain the department's written confirmation of compliance; for points or adverse-driver suspensions, serve the suspension period.
“On answer, appearance or payment of the fine, whichever was the basis for the suspension, and on condition of payment of a $50 reinstatement fee pursuant to section 2486, subsection 1”
Confirm the reinstatement fee due
The Bureau's online reinstatement-fee service shows the total fee before payment; the amount can also be verified with the Court Records Unit at 207-624-9000 ext. 52100.
“The service will show you the total fee due before you proceed to the payment screen. You may also call the Bureau of Motor Vehicles at 207-624-9000 ext 52100 to verify the amount of your reinstatement fee.”
Pay the reinstatement fee
Payment is accepted online (Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express, with a $5 processing fee per transaction), in person at any Bureau branch office, by phone, or by mail; fees cannot be paid at mobile unit locations. In most cases any amount between $50 and the total may be paid in $50 increments.
“In most cases, you may pay any amount between $50.00 and your total reinstatement fee in increments of $50.00.”
Wait for the Bureau to review the record and confirm reinstatement
After payment the Bureau reviews the record to determine whether all reinstatement requirements have been met, then mails a letter; status can be checked by phone during business hours.
“After receiving notice of your payment, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles must review your record and determine whether all requirements for reinstatement have been met.”
Official page: maine.gov
After a DUI the steps are different: how to get a license back after a DUI in Maine.
Driving during a non-DUI suspension
Not available · Work-restricted license (29-A M.R.S. §2503). Maine's work-restricted license is limited by statute to first-offense suspensions under 29-A M.R.S. §2453, §2453-A or §2472(3)(B) or (C), which concern implied-consent and under-21 alcohol suspensions; the Bureau's suspension page lists it under 'Issuance of Work Restricted Licenses for persons convicted of OUI'. No statute or Bureau page provides a restricted license during a demerit-point, fine or child-support suspension. A driver suspended under the demerit-point rule may request a hearing before the Secretary of State, and the suspension may remain in effect pending the hearing.
“On receipt of a petition for a work-restricted license from a person under suspension pursuant to section 2453, section 2453‑A or section 2472, subsection 3, paragraph B or C for a first offense, the Secretary of State may stay a suspension during the statutory suspension period and issue a”
For the privilege after a DUI, see driving after a DUI in Maine.
Questions about a suspended license in Maine
- How many points suspend a license in Maine?
- Under Bureau of Motor Vehicles Rule Chapter 1 (adopted under 29-A M.R.S. §2458(3)), a driver whose record shows 12 demerit points within a one-year period may be suspended for up to 15 days. The Bureau sends a notice when the accumulation reaches 50 percent of that number, and a hearing may be requested.
- How long do demerit points stay on a Maine driving record?
- BMV Rule Chapter 1 states that points for a conviction or adjudication are erased from the record when the conviction or adjudication becomes one year old. The conviction itself still appears on the three-year and ten-year driving records the Bureau sells.
- Does a defensive driving course remove points in Maine?
- Yes. The Bureau of Highway Safety's Maine Driving Dynamics course ($70) gives a three-point credit on the driving record. Under BMV Rule Chapter 1, section 6, only one three-point credit is allowed in a twelve-month period, and the credit is erased one year from the completion date.
- What is Maine's reinstatement fee for a non-OUI suspension?
- 29-A M.R.S. §2486(1) sets a $50 fee before a suspension for any reason other than OUI or failure to submit to a test is terminated; the total for all court-ordered fine or appearance suspensions in effect at one time is $50. The Bureau states that medical suspensions carry no reinstatement fee, and online payment adds a $5 processing fee.
- Who is a habitual offender in Maine?
- Under 29-A M.R.S. §2551-A, a habitual offender is a person with three or more convictions within five years for listed major offenses, or ten or more moving-violation convictions from separate acts within a five-year period. After three years from the revocation, the person may petition the Secretary of State for relief under 29-A M.R.S. §2554.
Sources
- Maine BMV: License Suspensions & Revocations (suspension categories, driving records)
- Maine BMV Rule 29-250 Chapter 1: Rules for Administrative Suspension Relating to Demerit Point Accumulation (Word)
- Maine DPS Bureau of Highway Safety: Maine Driving Dynamics
- Maine BMV: Get a Driving Record
- Maine BMV: Driver's License Reinstatement Fees FAQ
- Maine BMV: Financial Responsibility (SR-22, judgment suspension)
- 29-A M.R.S. §2458 Suspension or revocation of license (demerit point system) (Maine Legislature)
- 29-A M.R.S. §2486 Reinstatement fee (Maine Legislature)
- 29-A M.R.S. §2605 Suspension on nonappearance or nonpayment of fine (Maine Legislature)
- 29-A M.R.S. §2608 Suspension for failure to appear, answer or pay a fine in a traffic infraction (Maine Legislature)
- 29-A M.R.S. §2551-A Habitual offender (Maine Legislature)
- 29-A M.R.S. §2554 Relief from habitual offender status (Maine Legislature)
- 29-A M.R.S. §2503 Work-restricted license (Maine Legislature)
- 19-A M.R.S. §2202 Family financial responsibility (child support license suspension) (Maine Legislature)
Cite this page
Every state page quotes the statute or agency page each value comes from; when citing this page, include the verification date shown above.
WheelsBack. "Maine license suspension, points and reinstatement rules." Verified against primary sources August 29, 2026; sources re-checked September 4, 2026. https://wheelsback.com/maine/suspended-license/