Maine DMV Practice Test 2026

1. False
2. True

Correct answer: True. Whether Maine has an extra, stricter phone rule specifically for drivers under 18 is: True.

1. at least 100 feet before the turn
2. at least 300 feet before the turn
3. at least 75 feet before the turn
4. at least 150 feet before the turn

Correct answer: at least 100 feet before the turn. Signaling early gives other drivers time to react; in Maine the minimum distance before a turn is 100 feet, unless the intersection is closer than that.

1. A train may come from either direction on any track, closer and faster than it looks, so always obey the gates and lights
2. It is only a general suggestion drivers can choose to follow, not a real traffic rule
3. Gates at a crossing are only ever lowered for scheduled maintenance work on the tracks themselves, never for an approaching train
4. It is fine to cross as long as you drive through the crossing quickly and confidently

Correct answer: A train may come from either direction on any track, closer and faster than it looks, so always obey the gates and lights. Trains can run on any track, in either direction, at any time, and are closer and faster-moving than they appear. Never drive around a lowered gate or cross while lights are flashing.

Source: New York Driver Handbook, Ch10 Railroad Crossings, p.60: "never drive around lowered gates"

1. A lane on the street below is closed for construction work
2. The one-way direction of travel on the street below
3. A two-way left-turn lane begins
4. A speed limit change ahead

Correct answer: The one-way direction of travel on the street below. This is the elongated version of the One Way sign, commonly mounted overhead, showing the single legal direction of travel on the street.

Source: MUTCD 2009 Sec. 2B.40

1. The lane's direction changes depending on time of day
2. The lane is permanently closed after the morning ends
3. The lane is reserved only for emergency vehicle use
4. The overhead signals are broken and can be ignored

Correct answer: The lane's direction changes depending on time of day. This describes a reversible lane, whose direction of travel is controlled by overhead signals and changes at set times of day.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, PDF p.54, Reversible Lanes: direction of traffic is normally reversed at set times

1. Any vehicle at all, regardless of time of day
2. Only large commercial trucks and delivery vans
3. Only vehicles traveling at the posted maximum speed
4. Only vehicles carrying enough occupants, as posted

Correct answer: Only vehicles carrying enough occupants, as posted. HOV lanes are reserved for vehicles meeting a minimum occupancy requirement (or other qualifying condition), as posted on nearby signs.

Source: Texas Driver Handbook, Ch6 Turning p.39 (HOV Preferential Lane)

1. It stays exactly the same at any speed at all.
2. It becomes shorter, since highways have longer lanes.
3. It only changes noticeably if it happens to be raining.
4. It becomes much longer, growing faster than speed.

Correct answer: It becomes much longer, growing faster than speed.. Stopping distance grows faster than speed itself, so at highway speed your total stopping distance is noticeably longer than it would be at a slower in-town speed.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, Ch7 Braking Distance p.68 (doubling speed = 4x)

1. Other drivers may not be able to see your vehicle in time to react
2. U-turns are only allowed on flat, straight roads for fuel efficiency
3. It voids your vehicle's insurance
4. Hills and curves have no posted speed limit

Correct answer: Other drivers may not be able to see your vehicle in time to react. Limited visibility means an approaching driver may not see a car making a U-turn until it's too late to stop safely.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Turns-Illegal U-Turns p.62-67

1. 12 hours
2. 10 hours
3. 8 hours
4. 5 hours

Correct answer: 10 hours. Out of the total supervised practice hours, Maine requires 10 of them to be completed at night, when driving is harder.

1. Stop and carefully back up to the exit lane
2. Make a full U-turn in the middle of the roundabout
3. Cut across several lanes to reach the exit
4. Keep circling until you reach your exit again

Correct answer: Keep circling until you reach your exit again. If you miss your exit in a roundabout, keep circling around until you come back to it; do not stop, reverse, or cut across lanes.

Source: California Driver Handbook, PDF p.48, if you miss your exit, continue around

1. A regulatory rule that you are required to follow
2. Direction and distance information, such as exits
3. A hazard located directly ahead
4. Available services such as gas or food

Correct answer: Direction and distance information, such as exits. Green signs give guide information such as directions, exits, and distances to help you navigate; they are not enforceable rules.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, PDF p.54, Green: guide or directional information

1. Three months
2. Six months
3. Twelve months
4. One month

Correct answer: Six months. An applicant under 21 must hold the learner's permit for six months before applying for the road test.

Source: Maine Driver Handbook, p.1-3, Required Noncommercial License Tests

1. Because it's simply a tradition with no safety purpose
2. Because school buses always outrank emergency vehicles
3. Because children may be crossing in front of or behind it
4. Because the bus driver controls all nearby traffic lights

Correct answer: Because children may be crossing in front of or behind it. Children boarding or leaving a bus can be hidden from an approaching driver's view directly in front of or behind the bus. Stopping protects them from being struck while crossing.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, Ch3/Sharing the Road-School Buses, p.97

1. Oil and dust built up on the road have not yet washed away, creating a slick film
2. The rain permanently washes away the road surface texture that gives tires their grip
3. Rainwater itself is naturally more slippery than any other liquid a tire can roll through
4. Tires quietly lose some of their air pressure the moment it starts to rain outside

Correct answer: Oil and dust built up on the road have not yet washed away, creating a slick film. Oil and dust accumulate on dry pavement over time. When rain first falls, this residue rises to the surface and makes the road unusually slippery until it is washed away.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Driving Hazards-Slippery Roads, p.97 (2020 handbook PDF)

1. A road test given by an examiner
2. A vehicle inspection form
3. A written knowledge examination
4. A defensive driving video quiz

Correct answer: A written knowledge examination. The applicant must successfully complete a written knowledge examination before the permit is issued.

Source: Maine Driver Handbook, p.1-2, Acquiring a Maine Driver's License

1. Nothing - crash reports are optional paperwork
2. They automatically lose their vehicle registration for life
3. Their driving privilege can be suspended
4. It only affects their insurance rate, never their license

Correct answer: Their driving privilege can be suspended. Failing to file a required crash report is not just a paperwork issue - most states treat it as grounds for suspending the driver's license or registration.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Financial Responsibility p.120 - failure to report a reportable collision can lead to suspension of driving privilege.

1. Making the vehicle stop faster than it normally would
2. Keeping them from being ejected and keeping them behind the wheel in control
3. Preventing the airbag from deploying at all
4. Reducing the vehicle's speed before impact

Correct answer: Keeping them from being ejected and keeping them behind the wheel in control. A seat belt keeps an occupant from being thrown from the vehicle, from being thrown against the interior or other passengers, and keeps the driver positioned to maintain control of the vehicle.

Source: Texas Driver Handbook, Ch14 Safety Belts, p.70

1. Vehicles entering from a side road ahead will merge directly into your lane
2. The lane you are in ends ahead and you must move into another lane
3. The lane shown on the sign (right or left) ends ahead
4. A new lane is being added to the roadway ahead, so merging is not required

Correct answer: A new lane is being added to the roadway ahead, so merging is not required. Seeing this sign means a new lane is being added to the roadway ahead, so merging is not required. Drivers should reduce speed and stay alert for this condition.

Source: MUTCD 2009 Sec. 2C (Warning Signs)

1. Slow down, but you do not need to come to a stop
2. The same as a stop sign: stop, then go when it is safe
3. Proceed with extra caution, no stop required here
4. The signal is broken and can safely be ignored

Correct answer: The same as a stop sign: stop, then go when it is safe. A flashing red signal means the same thing as a stop sign: come to a complete stop, then proceed only when it is safe and the right-of-way is clear.

Source: California Driver Handbook, PDF p.42, Flashing Red: STOP, then proceed when safe

1. Motorcycles are not equipped with brake lights
2. It means the motorcyclist is actually speeding up, not slowing
3. The rider may be slowing by downshifting, and the brake light is also easy to miss
4. State law does not require motorcycle brake lights to work

Correct answer: The rider may be slowing by downshifting, and the brake light is also easy to miss. A motorcyclist can slow down by downshifting or rolling off the throttle without the brake light ever coming on, and because motorcycle tail lights are smaller, even a lit brake light can be easy to miss. A driver should not assume a motorcycle isn't slowing just because no brake light is visible.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, Motorcycles and Mopeds-Rules for Motorists, p.95

1. It is only required to signal at night.
2. Signaling has no real safety value at all.
3. It replaces the need to check for oncoming traffic entirely.
4. It warns others of the sudden change in direction.

Correct answer: It warns others of the sudden change in direction.. Signaling gives nearby drivers and pedestrians advance warning of a sudden reversal in direction, even on streets that seem quiet.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Turns p.62

1. That the bicyclist is about to turn left without warning
2. That the bicyclist will pull over and stop
3. That the bicyclist's intention cannot be predicted at all
4. That the bicyclist is going straight through the intersection

Correct answer: That the bicyclist is going straight through the intersection. At intersections, a driver should assume a bicyclist is traveling straight unless the bicyclist signals otherwise, and should yield to the bicyclist just as they would to any other vehicle.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, Ch10 Bicyclists-Rules for Motorists #3, p.89

1. Nothing; it is legal whenever the road looks totally clear
2. Double solid yellow lines ban passing in either direction
3. It is only illegal to do this after dark at night
4. It is only illegal to do this near an intersection

Correct answer: Double solid yellow lines ban passing in either direction. Two solid yellow lines mean passing is prohibited for traffic moving in either direction, regardless of how clear the road appears at that moment.

Source: California Driver Handbook, PDF p.41, two solid yellow lines indicate no passing

1. Nothing wrong; this is a safe and very common practice
2. Only your own light turning green means you may go
3. This is required in order to prevent a traffic jam
4. This is only allowed when using a navigation app

Correct answer: Only your own light turning green means you may go. A driver must wait for their own signal to turn green; the cross traffic's light turning yellow does not give you permission to move.

Source: California Driver Handbook, PDF p.41-42, Traffic Signal Lights

1. 1 second
2. 5 seconds
3. 4 seconds
4. 8 seconds

Correct answer: 4 seconds. In Maine, the handbook recommends counting at least 4 seconds between when the vehicle ahead passes a fixed point and when you reach the same point.