Maine · Permit testHow do you book the Maine road test?
Send your request to the BMV’s main office at 29 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333‑0029:
- At 21 or older, mail the road test request card from the back of your learner’s permit
- Under 21, mail your completed driving log instead of the card
The BMV then schedules you at the testing location nearest to you. Bring your learner’s permit and the exam appointment notice to the test.
What your car needs
You bring your own car, and it must be:
- Registered, with the registration in the car
- Inspected, with an inspection sticker that hasn’t expired
- On a regular registration: state law doesn’t accept an antique automobile registration for a road test
- Equipped for the weather, with snow treads or chains when they’re needed
The examiner may also refuse the test if a front seat isn’t free for them or isn’t fastened to the floor, a door doesn’t work, the glove compartment won’t stay shut, or you won’t take pets out of the car. A driver with a valid license must come with you.
What the examiner checks
From the BMV’s exam page and the manual, the examiner judges how you:
- Keep control of the car going forward and backward
- Hold your lane position
- Turn left and right, and drive straight ahead
- Watch for and react to other drivers, pedestrians, signs, signals and conditions
- Parallel park
- Back up in a straight line
The manual says you won’t be asked to do anything out of the ordinary or illegal. The BMV’s exam page also has a video, What to Expect During the State of Maine Class C License Road Test, with a transcript.
Parallel parking, step by step
The manual’s steps for parking in a space along the curb:
- Signal, then stop level with the car you’ll park behind, about 2 feet away from it
- Turn the wheels sharply right and back slowly, looking over your right shoulder
- When your front door passes the back bumper of the car ahead, straighten the wheels and keep backing
- Once you’re clear of that car, turn the wheels sharply left and back slowly toward the car behind, stopping before you touch it
- Turn the wheels right and pull forward to the center of the space, ending about 6 inches from the curb and no more than 18 inches away
Cancelling, snow days and retests
To cancel, tell the BMV’s Examination Section at least 48 hours before the test. Without that notice, state law adds $35 when you rebook.
On a road test day with snow or ice, you can choose to be rescheduled at no fee by calling 207-624-9000, ext. 52119.
If you don’t pass, you get information on why and what to practice, with a receipt to send in when you ask for another test.
After you pass
BMV staff issue you a temporary license and tell you how to get your photo license. The driver’s license page explains what you show for it.
Sources: Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles · Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes and 2 more. Checked November 2026.
- Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles: Driver’s license exam ↗
- Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles: Maine Driver’s License Manual (PDF, Rev 4/24) ↗
- Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles: License age restrictions ↗
- Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes: Title 29-A §1307, Examination fees ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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