Maine Defensive Driving

Last Updated: July 31, 2023 |
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Maine offers drivers the opportunity to improve their driving skills with a defensive driving course. Taking this course will allow you to dismiss a traffic ticket, remove points from your driver’s license, or get a discount on your auto insurance rates.

Defensive Driving Courses in Maine

In Maine, drivers are assigned demerit points for traffic violation convictions. They range from two points for minor violations to eight points for more serious violations. If you accumulate 12 demerit points within a one year period, your license may be suspended for up to 15 days. Undergo this suspension three times within a three year period, and you may be subject to a further suspension of 120 days.

Points can be removed from your license by simply waiting, as points are erased when they become one year old. You can also earn violation-free credits, as each Maine driver without any violations for a calendar year will earn a violation free credit. Up to four violation-free credits can be earned, and credits may be used to offset demerit points.

Another option is completing Maine’s defensive driving course, often referred to as Maine Driving Dynamics. If you complete this course, you’ll earn a three-point credit on your driver’s license, which can offset demerit points earned. The credit can only be earned once in a 12 month period, and the points will be erased after a year.

Additionally, Maine drivers may be eligible to dismiss traffic tickets by enrolling in defensive driving.

View the Maine Driving Dynamics Schedule for All Ages from Maine.gov

Maine Driving Dynamics Course Eligibility

Traffic violators seeking dismissal of traffic tickets will need to ask the court for permission to do so. The traffic court will ultimately determine your eligibility. However, you can expect to follow these general guidelines for Maine Driving Dynamics Course Eligibility:

If you’d like to use defensive driving to dismiss your traffic ticket, you’ll need to work with the court to get started. The traffic court will be able to determine your eligibility and grant permission for you to dismiss your traffic ticket by taking the course. Don’t forget to check with the court before enrolling, as getting started with defensive driving without court approval can cause you to not get credit for completing the course. In this situation, you may not have the ticket dismissed, and will have to pay the fine — and may also experience higher insurance rates with the ticket on your driving record.

Maine Traffic Ticket Dismissal with Driving Dynamics

Once the court permits you to dismiss your traffic ticket with driving dynamics, you will receive specific instructions for completing the requirements. You’ll receive a deadline for completing the course as well as for instructions for how you can return your completion certificate to the court.

When you receive your instructions, be sure to follow them carefully. You’ll need to meet all of the requirements and deadlines to get credit for completing the course. If you don’t meet the requirements, you may be at risk of not getting credit for completing the course, resulting in having the traffic ticket added to your record, paying the fine, and even experiencing higher insurance rates.

Defensive Driving Courses Available in Maine

Taking Maine’s defensive driving course means you’ll learn how to be a safer driver. The course is designed to improve your driving abilities and awareness, and ultimately, help you reduce the risk of accidents and traffic tickets.

Maine’s Driving Dynamics course is five hours long, and it can be offered in the classroom or online. Many schools will give you the option to complete your course in multiple sessions, especially online. Online schools typically allow you to log in and log out of the course as often as you need until you’ve completed the material.

While each school will develop its own curriculum, making every course unique, you can expect to learn about the same basic topics in all of Maine’s defensive driving courses. Defensive driving course curriculum usually includes:

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Defensive Driving for Car Insurance Discounts in Maine

In addition to defensive driving for traffic tickets and points reduction, Maine offers drivers the opportunity to enroll in defensive driving for general education. This is a smart idea for drivers interested in improving their driving skills for better safety on the road. This course also comes with a bonus: many insurance companies will offer a policy rate discount to drivers who voluntarily complete defensive driving courses.

Maine Defensive Driving Insurance Discounts

Like most other states, Maine drivers may be eligible to earn a discount on monthly auto insurance premiums by completing a defensive driving course. Show proof of completing a defensive driving course to your auto insurance company, and you could earn a discount on your liability premiums of between 5% and 20%. Most drivers will get a discount of about 10% and may save hundreds annually.  Most will offer you free insurance quotes if you’re not a customer yet.

Maine Defensive Driving Insurance Discount Eligibility

Maine places no restrictions on which drivers can be eligible to earn defensive driving discounts. Of course, not all insurance companies will allow every driver to earn a discount. While some make all policyholders eligible, others will only extend the discount to certain drivers. If restrictions exist, they are typically limited to mature drivers, new drivers, or drivers who have maintained a clean driving record.

Before you enroll in a defensive driving course, you should check with your auto insurance company directly to determine your eligibility. By verifying your eligibility, you’ll ensure that you will earn the discount upon completion, and you’ll also be able to see how much you can save year month or year.

Please don’t skip the step of verifying your eligibility with the insurance company, as it is important. Enrolling in defensive driving when you’re not eligible may be educational. Still, if your insurance company doesn’t offer the discount to you, you will not earn it — and no refunds will be offered by the defensive driving school in this situation. If your insurance company doesn’t currently offer discounts for defensive driving, shop around to see if you can get a better rate with a company that does honor defensive driving discounts.

Insurance Defensive Driving Courses Available in Maine

Maine’s insurance rate reduction defensive driving course is the same higher education course traffic violators will enroll in. In this course, you will improve your driving skills as you develop essential driving awareness. The course will teach you how to become a safer driver, helping you to avoid collisions, traffic tickets, and other incidents on the road.

Each defensive driving school will design its own curriculum, making each course unique, but you can expect to learn about the same general topics in each of Maine’s defensive driving courses. These topics include:

Enroll in a Maine Defensive Driving Course

Reduce points, dismiss a ticket, reduce your insurance rates, or learn how to become a safer driver with a Maine defensive driving course. Choose from a state qualified defensive driving school in our directory today!