Behind the Wheel in Maine: Lessons, Practice Hours and the Log

During the course: what the 10 instructor hours look like

Chapter 9 of the Secretary of State's rules sets the in-car portion of driver education at 10 hours. Your teen cannot drive more than two hours on a calendar day. When a session lasts the full two hours, a 10 minute rest has to be offered at the halfway point, and it becomes mandatory if your teen looks worn out or anxious. The normal lesson window is 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; anything outside it needs special permission from the state.

The training car has been inspected and approved by the Secretary of State and has a dual-control brake, a mirror for the instructor, a school sign and a student driver sign. One small surprise: schools are not allowed to practice in parking spaces marked Reserved for Road Testing, so parallel parking practice happens somewhere else.

Who the instructors are

The Secretary of State licenses every driving instructor. A Class A instructor teaches in the classroom and in the car, while a Class B instructor teaches driving only. Instructors are 22 or older, have passed knowledge, vision and road tests given by the state itself, and hold current first aid training.

Class B driving schools may only give lessons to people who already have a permit or license. That makes them useful in two situations: an adult who wants paid lessons without a full course, or a teen who wants a few extra sessions before the road test.

Your role as a parent while the course runs

Courses for students under 18 include a parental involvement requirement. The adult who does it can be you, a stepparent, a foster parent, a legal guardian or a grandparent living in the household. There are four routes: a one hour orientation session, two or more hours sitting in on class, an hour or more in the car during a lesson, or a one hour video watched with your teen followed by a worksheet you hand in.

Students who turn 18 before the course ends are exempt, and emancipated minors can have it waived. Anything beyond those two cases needs the Secretary of State's sign-off.

After the permit arrives: the 70 hours

The rule sits in section 1304 of Title 29-A. Before an applicant under 21 can ask for a license, two conditions must both be true: the permit is at least six months old, and the log shows 70 or more hours, with 10 or more at night. Hours count only once the permit exists, and the adult beside your teen can be a parent, a guardian or any licensed driver 20 or older.

Here is a workable plan. If the permit arrives on September 1, aim for about three hours a week through February. Use the early dark of November and December to get the 10 night hours done, and you can mail the log in early March.

• Total: 70 hours
• Night: at least 10 of them
• Count only after the permit is issued
• Hold the permit six months before applying
• Signed by a parent, stepparent or guardian

Who can supervise, and who signs

Plenty of people can share the passenger seat duty. They need to be at least 20, licensed for two years or more, sitting right beside your teen, and licensed for the kind of vehicle in use. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and older siblings who meet those rules all qualify, as do parents. The supervisor must also follow the conditions on their own license; if theirs says corrective lenses, they wear them.

The signature normally comes from you as parent, stepparent or guardian; sometimes an employer or spouse can certify. Signing for drives you did not ride on is allowed, but you then name the main supervisor and give their address. An 18 to 20 year old with no parent, guardian, spouse or employer to sign can have the state certify the log, based on the main supervisor's name and address.

Paper log or app

Form MVE-21, the official log, can be printed from the BMV's page on license ages. If you prefer your phone, the BMV points to Road Ready, an app made by The Parent's Supervised Driving Program.

Be aware that during 2026 the app's makers announced trouble syncing their database and said instructions would follow by email. Whatever you use, keep a backup, either a paper copy or a screenshot of each entry, so a glitch does not cost you months of hours.

On to the road test

There is a road test request card printed on the back of the permit, but under 21 you ignore it. The signed log is your request. Address it to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, 29 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0029, and the test gets booked at whichever site is closest to home.

On test day the examiner watches how your teen controls the car going forward and backward, keeps lane position, turns, and responds to traffic, signs and pedestrians. Parallel parking and straight-line backing are included. Do not bring a car with antique registration. Pass, and your teen drives home on a temporary license. Fail, and the examiner explains what went wrong and hands over a receipt used to book another attempt.