Maine Road Signs Cheat Sheet.
The night-before summary, built like the exam.

The Numbers to Remember

• 30 questions on the test, 24 correct needed to pass (80%).
• Minimum permit age: 15 years old.
• Permit fee: $35. Permit validity: 2 years before it expires and you'd need to reapply and retest.
• Supervised driving required before a road test: 70 hours, including 10 hours after dark.
• Supervising driver must be 20+ years old with 2+ years licensed, seated next to you in the vehicle.
• Reschedule your test up to 48 hours ahead with no penalty fee — later than that, expect a fee.
• Report an address or name change to the BMV within 30 days — it's a legal requirement, not just good practice.

Sign Shapes at a Glance

• Red octagon = stop (the only sign that shape — nothing else uses it).
• Red/white triangle = yield.
• Yellow diamond = general warning about upcoming road conditions.
• Yellow pentagon = school zone/crossing.
• Yellow round (circle) = railroad crossing ahead.
• White rectangle = regulatory (speed limits, turn restrictions, one-way).
• Green rectangle = guide/direction (exits, distances, place names).
• Orange = construction/work zone, regardless of shape.

Right-of-Way in One Breath

• No signs at an intersection: first vehicle to arrive goes first; if you arrive together, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
• Pedestrians in a crosswalk, marked or unmarked, generally have the right-of-way over vehicles.
• Vehicles already inside an intersection or roundabout go before vehicles entering it.
• Merging or lane-changing traffic yields to traffic already established in the lane.
• Emergency vehicles running lights and siren always get the right-of-way — pull to the right and stop until they pass.
• At a four-way stop, the same first-arrival and left-yields-to-right logic applies once everyone has come to a full stop.

Top Traps

• Posted speed limits are a maximum under ideal conditions — you're still expected to slow down further in rain, snow, ice, or fog, even if no sign says so.
• A yield sign doesn't always mean a full stop, only giving way when traffic is actually present.
• OUI rules can cover certain prescription and over-the-counter drugs, not just alcohol — impairment is impairment.
• Cyclists have the same right-of-way as vehicles on the road; drivers must give them safe passing distance.
• The exam explicitly covers rules of the road, sign meaning, pedestrian/bicycle safety, OUI laws, and distracted driving — don't skip any single topic area while studying, since each is fair game.
• If braking on wet pavement causes hydroplaning, ease off the accelerator rather than slamming the brakes.