To check if your license is suspended in Maine, use the Bureau of Motor Vehicles’ online Driver Record Check Service for an immediate answer, or request your record by mail, phone, or in person at a BMV branch. Confirming your status before you get behind the wheel matters: driving on a suspended license in Maine is a criminal offense in most situations, with mandatory fines starting at $600 for OUI-related suspensions and jail time that cannot be waived.
Check Your Status Online
The BMV’s Driver Record Check Service pulls your status directly from the state database and returns results immediately. You need either your license number or your full name and date of birth, plus a Visa, Mastercard, or Discover card.1Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Driver’s Record Check Service
A three-year record costs $7 online. A ten-year record costs $12. Those prices are slightly higher than the mail rates because the online portal includes a processing surcharge, and the electronic record you receive is not certified.1Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Driver’s Record Check Service If you need a certified copy, call the BMV at 207-624-9000, ext. 52116.
Check Your Status by Mail
Mail is the cheapest option. A three-year record is $5 and a ten-year record is $10. Add $1 for a certified copy, or $2 plus a fax number if you want it faxed. Your written request should include your full name as it appears on your license, your Maine driver license number if you know it, your date of birth, and your current address. Make the check or money order payable to the Secretary of State.2Maine Secretary of State. Get a Driving Record
Send it to:
Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Driver License Services Division
29 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0029
Expect several days to a few weeks for processing.
Check Your Status by Phone
Call the BMV at 207-624-9000 with questions about your license status, active suspensions, or what you need to do to reinstate. TTY users can call Maine Relay at 711. If you want a copy of a suspension or revocation letter, the BMV charges $10; include the effective date of the action in your request.3Maine Secretary of State. License Suspensions and Revocations
Check Your Status in Person
Any BMV branch office can look up your status on the spot. Bring a valid photo ID and your license number. Branches are open Monday through Friday starting at 8 a.m., with varying closing times.4Maine Secretary of State. Find Your Local Branch
Wait times at some branches can exceed three hours during peak periods, and some locations close early at 4:00 p.m. due to Real ID demand. The BMV strongly encourages scheduling an appointment. Slots are released daily at all locations, so check back if nothing shows up right away.5Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Reading Your Driving Record
Your record will show one of several statuses. “Active” means you are authorized to drive. “Expired” means your license simply passed its renewal date.
The two statuses that cause real trouble are suspension and revocation, and the difference matters. A suspension is a temporary withdrawal of your driving privilege by the BMV or a court. Once you resolve the underlying issue and pay the reinstatement fee, you get your license back. A revocation is a termination. A revoked license cannot be restored or renewed; you have to apply for an entirely new license from scratch.3Maine Secretary of State. License Suspensions and Revocations
Why Confirming Matters Before You Drive
Under Maine law, driving while your license is suspended or revoked is generally a Class E crime, carrying up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. It is a strict liability offense, so not knowing your license was suspended is not a defense.6Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 29-A 2412-A – Operating While License Suspended or Revoked That last point is why running the check is worth the $7.
OUI-Related Suspensions
Penalties climb sharply if the underlying suspension was for an OUI. A first offense of driving on an OUI-related suspension carries a mandatory minimum $600 fine, seven consecutive days in jail, and an additional one to three years of suspension on top of the original. Those minimums cannot be waived. Repeat offenses within ten years escalate:6Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 29-A 2412-A – Operating While License Suspended or Revoked
- One prior conviction: minimum $1,000 fine, 30 consecutive days in jail, and one to three additional years of suspension.
- Two prior convictions: minimum $2,000 fine, 60 consecutive days in jail, and one to three additional years of suspension.
- Three or more prior convictions: minimum $3,000 fine, six months in jail, one to three additional years of suspension, and the offense escalates to a Class C crime.
Administrative Suspensions
Maine treats some suspension causes more leniently. If your license was suspended solely for failure to pay a fine, failure to pay a reinstatement fee, a bounced check to the BMV, failure to show proof of insurance, failure to pay child support, or failure to appear in court, then driving on that suspension is a traffic infraction rather than a crime.6Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 29-A 2412-A – Operating While License Suspended or Revoked An infraction carries fines but no jail time and no criminal record. You will still want to fix the underlying problem before driving.
If Your Check Shows a Suspension
Reinstatement requires clearing whatever caused the suspension and paying a $50 reinstatement fee to the Secretary of State. That fee applies to both OUI-related and non-OUI suspensions. If you have multiple court-ordered suspensions active at once, the total reinstatement fee is capped at $50 for all of them combined.7Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 29-A 2486 – Reinstatement Fee
You can pay at any BMV branch, by phone with a credit card, or online. Online payments include a $5 processing fee. All outstanding fines and court fees must be paid first. Medical suspensions are the one exception where no reinstatement fee applies.3Maine Secretary of State. License Suspensions and Revocations
Some suspensions also require proof of financial responsibility before reinstatement. Your insurance company files an SR-22 certificate with the BMV confirming you carry at least the state’s minimum liability coverage. This applies most often after OUI convictions, at-fault accidents, and certain traffic law violations.8Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 29-A 1603 – Suspension For specifics on your case, call the BMV’s financial responsibility unit at 207-624-9000, ext. 52108.9Maine Secretary of State. Financial Responsibility
A Maine Suspension Follows You Out of State
Getting a license in another state will not clear the problem. Maine belongs to the Driver License Compact, an agreement that operates on the principle of one driver, one license, one record.10AAMVA. Driver License Compact Non-Resident Violator Compact On top of that, the National Driver Register’s Problem Driver Pointer System flags anyone whose license has been suspended, revoked, or canceled in any state, and other states check it when you apply.11National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. National Driver Register Resolving the suspension in Maine is the only real path forward.