Defensive Driving in Maine

What is a Maine Defensive Driving Course?

If you've received a traffic ticket, accumulated too many driving record points, or want to earn a car insurance discount, you may be able to complete an approved defensive driving course.

Defensive driving courses in Maine are approved by the Bureau of Highway Safety (BHS) and are provided either online or in a classroom.

Either way, you'll have the chance to gain valuable safe driving knowledge that may help to prevent you from receiving traffic tickets and causing accidents in the future.

Even if you are not eligible to receive a point reduction or earn an insurance discount, completing a defensive driving course in Maine can still be beneficial. Read on for course details and requirements.

Maine BHS-Approved Defensive Driving Courses

You may be able to use a defensive driving/driver improvement course to:

  • Dismiss a traffic ticket or satisfy a traffic court requirement.
  • Remove points from your Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) driving record.
  • Earn a car insurance discount.

If you are required to complete traffic school by the court or Maine BMV, you may have specific requirements you must meet, such as:

  • Your deadline for completing the course.
  • Which type of program you must take (online or in person).
  • Any fees and documents you'll need to submit.

You should contact the traffic court handling your ticket or the Maine BMV for more information.

If you take defensive driving voluntarily, your course requirements will usually be determined by your program provider.

For a list of some of the available defensive driving dynamics courses, please visit the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety (BHS) website.

Maine Defensive Driving Traffic Ticket Dismissal

Depending on the circumstances of your traffic offense, you may be able to complete a defensive driving course to dismiss your traffic ticket and avoid accumulating points on your driving record.

Typically, only minor traffic offenses can be dismissed with a traffic school program.

You'll need to check with the court handling your citation for details.

Maine Traffic School Driving Record Point Reduction

Taking a defensive driving course voluntarily can earn you a point reduction on your DMV driving record.

If you successfully complete an approved program, you can deduct 3 points from your Maine BMV driving record.

A defensive driving point reduction can make all the difference in preventing a suspended driver's license and receiving additional BMV fines.

If you are unsure about your eligibly to earn a driving point credit, please contact the Maine BMV.

For more information about checking your Maine driving record and reinstating a suspended driver's license, please visit our pages on the following topics:

Auto Insurance Discounts

You may be able to complete an accident prevention traffic school course to earn a safe driving discount on your car insurance.

If you are 55 years old or older, completing defensive driving can earn you a discount on your car insurance premium for up to 3 years.

Your insurance provider may reward a defensive driving discount to drivers of all ages.

Please contact your car insurance agent for more information.

Maine Defensive Driving Course Length & Requirements

Maine traffic school courses will generally cover topics including:

  • Maine traffic laws, violations, and penalties.
  • Defensive driving techniques.
  • Responsible and safe driving behaviors.
  • Sharing the road with other drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
  • Alcohol/drug abuse and its effects on your driving ability.

Both classroom and online defensive driving courses in Maine generally follow the same structure and curriculum, but you'll be able to complete an online course at your own pace.

Your program will last at least 5 1/2 hours.

Generally, you'll need to pass a final exam at the end of your course. After passing the test, you'll likely receive a driver improvement completion certificate.

Depending on your reason for taking Maine defensive driving/traffic school, you may need to submit your completion certificate to:

  • The traffic court handling your traffic ticket.
  • The Maine BMV.
  • Your car insurance provider.
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