Maine (ME) Teen Auto Insurance Laws, Rates & Requirements

More than 5,000 teens die in car accidents each year across the U.S. In an effort to reduce the number of fatal traffic accidents involving teens, the state of Maine has adopted its own version of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL), as well as automatic restrictions on teen driver licenses. Maine Graduated Licensing (GDL) has been effect since September 13, 2003.

Continue reading to learn more about Maine’s teen driving laws and the consequences for violating them.

Maine Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) and Driver License Requirements

Maine’s Graduated Driver Licensing program is a 3-step licensing system for new drivers. It allows Maine’s young drivers to gain driving experience under lower risk conditions that those involved in driving on Maine’s busy highways and roads. The first step in the process is the instruction permit.

To obtain a Maine instruction permit, you must be at least 15 years of age and:

•    Complete an application at the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV)
•    Pass a written exam
•    Pass a vision screening
•    Provide the driver education completion certificate
•    Provide an original birth certificate or photocopy with embossed seal or stamp of issuing agency
•    $10 check or money order to the Secretary of State

Once you have received your instruction permit, you must drive with a licensed driver at least 20 years old at all times. The licensed driver’s license must be at least two consecutive years old. The next step in Maine’s GDL system is the learner’s permit phase. After successful completion of the instruction phase, you must:

•    Hold the learner’s permit for 6 months before applying for the road test
•    Log 35 hours of driving -- 5 hours must be completed at night
•    Take the written exam

After successful completion of the above requirements, you will receive an intermediate license. This is a limited license that carries the following restrictions:

•    Licensee cannot carry any passengers, with the exception of family members, unless he is accompanied by a licensed driver age 20 or older that has held his license for 2 consecutive years. This restriction lasts for the first 6 months of licensure
•    Licensee cannot drive between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m.

If you violate any GDL laws, during any of the phases listed above, license restrictions will be extended for 180 days.

Maine Teen Driving Laws and Enforcement

Instruction and Learner’s Permit Holders
You must drive with a licensed driver at least 20 years old at all times. The licensed driver’s license must be at least two consecutive years old.

Intermediate License Holders
Licensee cannot carry any passengers, with the exception of family members, unless he is accompanied by a licensed driver age 20 or older that has held his license for 2 consecutive years. This restriction lasts for the first 6 months of licensure. Licensee cannot drive between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m.

State of Maine Driver’s License
The State of Maine driver’s license is provisional during the first two years. If the license holder is convicted a moving violation during this time, his license could get suspended for up to 30 days or more.

Maine Cell Phone Use/Texting While Driving Laws

In the state of Maine, it is against the law for drivers under the age of 18 to use a cell phone, in any capacity, while driving. If you violate Maine’s cell phone law, your license will be suspended. This penalty is mandatory for all young drivers convicted of moving violations.
   
Maine Teen DUI Laws

The state of Maine has zero tolerance for underage drinking and driving. The means, if you get caught with any measurable amount of alcohol in your system, you will be convicted of DUI. A first offense carries a mandatory 1-year license suspension, period.

Maine Teen Auto Insurance Requirements

It doesn’t matter if a vehicle is registered in your name or your teen’s name -- auto insurance is the law in the state of Maine. All motorists in the state of Maine must carry minimum liability insurance coverages of $50,000/$100,000 for bodily injury, $25,000 for property damage, $50,000/$100,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM), and $1,000 for medical payments. Maine is one of a handful of states that currently require UM/UIM. The mandatory minimum amount of UM/UIM covers $50,000 per person per accident up to a total of $100,000 per accident for any bodily injury caused by the uninsured and/or underinsured driver.

Because the risk of an auto collision is significantly higher during the first year teens are able to drive, Maine auto insurance companies recommend purchasing higher amounts of coverage than the legal limits. If you plan to add a teen driver to your policy, keep in mind that your annual rate will increase anywhere from $1,200 to $4,900 a year - or an average of $2,171 a year.

Although auto insurance premiums will increase if you add a teen to your policy or purchasing teen auto insurance will always be pricier than other policies, there are ways to qualify for discounts on teen auto insurance. Auto insurance companies offer discounts ranging from 10-15% or more for:

•    Maintaining at least a B average
•    Successful completion of a state approved safe driver course

You can also lower your premiums on teen auto insurance if you avoid purchasing sports and luxury cars for your teen, if you opt for a higher deductible, or if you combine insurance policies into one (i.e. life, home, health, renter’s, etc.).