The ME licensing action explained
After a OUI arrest in Maine, the Maine Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles (maine.gov) opens its own case against your driving privilege. It is administrative, it moves faster than the criminal case, and it is decided regardless of what the court later does with the charge.
Hearing requests, suspension notices, reinstatement fees and interlock paperwork.
Deadlines, forms and how the hearing is conducted.
How the ME agency runs the licence case
- The BMV administers OUI suspensions under Title 29-A, including the Ignition Interlock Device Program for early reinstatement.
- The reinstatement fee for an OUI or refusal suspension is $50 under 29-A M.R.S. § 2486(1-A).
- Fees may be paid at a branch office, by phone or online, with a small processing fee for phone and online payment.
- Ignition interlock petitions are mailed to the BMV's OUI section in Augusta.
Published reinstatement fee: $50. Confirm the current amount on maine.gov before you pay.
Maine licence facts
Maine OUI law at a glance
Sourced from the Maine code and state agency sites. Verify current text before relying on it.
- Offense name
- OUI (Maine)
- Controlling statute
- 29-A M.R.S. § 2411
- Implied consent
- 29-A M.R.S. § 2521
- Per se BAC limit
- 0.08 (0.04 CDL, 0.02 or lower under 21)
- Prior-offense lookback
- 10 years
- First-offense fine
- at least $500
- Licence suspension
- 5 months
- Trial court
- the District Court
- High-risk filing
- SR-22 for 3 years
A first offense carries a minimum fine and a licence suspension.
Getting the licence back
- Serve the full suspension or hard-suspension period the agency sets.
- Complete any ordered assessment, education or treatment programme.
- Install an ignition interlock device if the court or agency orders one.
- Maine requires a SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility for 3 years before a licence is reinstated after a OUI conviction.
- Pay the reinstatement fee and any licence-issuance fee in full.
Fees and processing times change; confirm the current amounts on maine.gov before you travel to an office.
Maine ZIP codes covered
These Maine ZIP-code pages carry the local court, filing and licensing detail for the area, and each one links back to this resource page.
Counties and cities using these Maine resources
Counties
Other Maine official resources
Frequently asked questions
- How long is a first-offense suspension in Maine?
- A first OUI offense generally carries a 5 months suspension in Maine. Reinstatement conditions, fees and any interlock requirement are set by the licensing agency.