Graduated driver licensing and permit requirements
The three stages
Maine's graduated driver licensing (GDL) system phases in driving privileges. A learner's permit may be issued at age 15 to a person who passes the knowledge and vision tests. The permit holder may drive only with a qualified licensed adult accompanying driver and must obey permit restrictions, including no driving while using a mobile phone. The permit is generally valid for two years. Before advancing, the holder must complete an approved driver education course and hold the permit for the required period without certain violations.
The intermediate license is available at age 16 after the permit has been held at least six months and driver education is complete. The applicant must pass the road test. Intermediate licensees face a nighttime restriction, generally midnight to 5 a.m., unless an exception applies, and passenger limits during the early months. A full, unrestricted license comes at age 16 years 9 months after meeting the intermediate requirements and maintaining a clean record.
Worked example
A student gets a permit at 15 years 2 months. Six months later the student is 15 years 8 months-old enough to have held the permit, but not old enough for an intermediate license. The earliest date is the 16th birthday, assuming driver education is finished and the record is clean. The full license could then come at 16 years 9 months.
Traps
A permit is not a solo-driving license. The six-month clock is a holding period, not a substitute for the age requirement. Nighttime and passenger limits apply to intermediate drivers even when a parent is not in the car. A suspension or violation can restart or delay eligibility, so check the current BMV requirements before scheduling a road test.