An Act Regarding Exceptions for Persons Learning to Drive Who
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1480
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: MASTRACCIO
Amends: 20-A MRSA §8702, 29-A MRSA §1304, 29-A MRSA §1351

Legislative Document
No. 1480
H.P. 972
House of Representatives, April 3, 2025
An Act Regarding Exceptions for Persons Learning to Drive Who 
Have Not Yet Completed a Driver Education Course
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MASTRACCIO of Sanford.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §8702, as amended by PL 1995, c. 402, Pt. A, §47; repealed 
and replaced by PL 1995, c. 505, §5 and affected by §22; and amended by PL 2003, c. 545, 
§4, is further amended to read:
§8702.  Curriculum
A driver education course offered in accordance with section 8701 must meet the 
curriculum requirements prescribed by the Secretary of State,; include both classroom 
instruction and practice driving, except that an adult education program may offer a driver 
education course that includes only classroom instruction for the purpose of issuing a 
learner's permit under Title 29-A, section 1304, subsection 1-C; and be approved by the 
Secretary of State.  Any state subsidy, state reimbursement for expenditures on adult 
education programs or state reimbursement for adult career and technical education 
programs may not be paid with respect to any driver education course that has not been 
approved by the Secretary of State.
Sec. 2.  29-A MRSA §1304, sub-§1, ¶A-1 is enacted to read:
A-1.  Notwithstanding paragraph A, a person who is 15 1/2 years of age or older, has 
not attained 18 years of age, has not completed a course in driver education and has 
successfully passed all parts of an examination other than the driving test may apply 
for a learner's permit pursuant to subsection 1-B.
Sec. 3.  29-A MRSA §1304, sub-§1, ¶J is enacted to read:
J.  A person who is at least 18 years of age may apply for a learner's permit or be issued 
a learner's permit through an adult education program pursuant to subsection 1-C.
Sec. 4.  29-A MRSA §1304, sub-§1-B is enacted to read:
1-B.  Learner's permit; exception to driver education for issuance.  
Notwithstanding subsection 1, paragraphs A, B and E, a person who is 15 1/2 years of age 
or older, has not attained 18 years of age, has successfully passed all parts of an examination 
other than the driving test and has not completed a course in driver education may apply 
for a learner's permit for the purposes of learning how to drive as long as the requirements 
of this subsection are met.
A. Unless the permittee is operating a motorcycle or moped, the learner's permit 
requires the permittee to be accompanied by a licensed operator who:
(1)  Is a parent or guardian of the permittee or another responsible adult;
(2) Has held a valid license for at least 2 years;
(3)  Is at least 25 years of age;
(4)  Is occupying a seat beside the driver; and
(5)  Is licensed to operate the class vehicle operated by the permittee.
The accompanying operator must adhere to all restrictions applied to the license when 
functioning as the permittee's accompanying operator.
B. The licensed operator accompanying the permittee pursuant to paragraph A is liable 
for any violation of this Title by the permittee.
Sec. 5.  29-A MRSA §1304, sub-§1-C is enacted to read:
1-C.  Learner's permit; exception to driver education for issuance to adults.  A 
person who is at least 18 years of age may apply for a learner's permit for the purposes of 
learning how to drive if:
A. The person has successfully passed all parts of an examination other than the driving 
test; or
B. The person has successfully completed a driver education course that includes only 
classroom instruction through an adult education program and has been issued a 
completion certificate under section 1351, subsection 3.
Notwithstanding paragraph B, a driver education course that includes only classroom 
instruction through an adult education program may issue a learner's permit pursuant to 
subsection 1-A, paragraph D if the person being issued the learner's permit is at least 18 
years of age and has successfully completed the course.
Sec. 6.  29-A MRSA §1351, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1997, c. 393, Pt. A, §35 
and affected by §37 and amended by PL 2003, c. 545, §5, is further amended to read:
2.  Approved course.  An approved driver education course is a course given by a:
A.  Public A public secondary school;
B.  Private A private secondary school approved for attendance purposes by the 
Commissioner of Education;
C.  Career A career and technical education center or a career and technical education 
region; or
C-1.  An adult education program; or
D.  Person A person licensed by the Secretary of State.
SUMMARY
This bill creates an exception to the law that a learner's permit applicant must complete 
a course in driver education prior to being issued a learner's permit. The bill allows a person 
who is 15 1/2 years of age, has not attained 18 years of age, has not completed a driver 
education course and has successfully passed all parts of an examination other than the 
driving test to apply for a learner's permit. A learner's permit issued to a person who is 15 
1/2 years of age under the bill requires a permittee to be accompanied by the permittee's 
parent or guardian or another responsible adult who is licensed to operate the class of 
vehicle operated by the permittee, has held a license for at least 2 years and is at least 25 
years of age. The accompanying operator must be seated beside the driver and is 
responsible for any violation of motor vehicle and traffic laws by the permittee. The bill 
also allows a person who is at least 18 years of age and who takes a driver education course 
that includes only classroom instruction through an adult education program to apply for 
or be issued a learner's permit upon successful completion of the course.