Maine Driver's Licence (Belfast: sale, loan, houses)

[moughie]

Originally Posted by Bydand

Every state I have ever lived in you were required to have a drivers license in that state and your private non-commercial vehicle registered in the State when you declared residency in that State. As for the insurance you have to have the minimum required for the state you are a resident of in every one I have been in as well.

Just visiting, going to school, or a member of the military then you can leave everything in your "home" state.

Agreed, the residency is key. At least that is how we always understood the law in the 5 states we lived in.

I believe you could add short term resident or summer visitor to the list of those allowed to leave everything in the name of the home state.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by maine4.us

That sounds weird.....The requirement to get a Maine drivers license after 30 days doesn't make a lot of sense unless you are required to get a tag and insurance in Maine. Mainers, correct me if I am wrong here. Okay, so I elect to spend 60 days in Maine. I have a valid out of state license, and a valid out of state registration and tag. So, I get a Maine DL, officially establishing myself as a Maine resident. Okay, so what about the insurance on my vehicle. I am no longer a resident of my home state, therefore the insurance I carry, while sufficient while visiting another state, can become null and void when I become a resident of another state unless I secure a policy issued in that state. in this case Maine. That would seem to cause a nightmare. The rates would be different because of the inherent coverage required by the new temporary home state. Some states are no fault, some are not. Example, in Florida, all you have to carry is property damage. I know this because when the guy pulled out in front of me, the only thing I was paid for was the vehicle. My auto insurance had to pay our medical bills. He was charged with the accident. It would seem less complicated to simply secure insurance, tags and drivers license at the same time. Please correct me if I made something simple into something complicated.

It does become bizarre.

I have moved around a bit during my career.

No LEO has ever told me that my DL was no longer any good based upon what state I was in.

Among the military we are told to maintain a 'tri-state' rule of thumb. The state your vehicle is registered in, the state that your DL is from, and the state that you are driving in; should never reach three.

I could go to Virginia and using my California DL, buy a local car and drive it in Va, and I am fine. But if I were to drive that car outside of Va, then I need to first 'synchronize' something. Either get a Va DL so that I match the car, or put Ca tags on the car so that it matches me. If I used my Ca DL and drove a Va car into Georgia, I could get ticketed.

Over the years, I have maintained a Ca DL, a Va DL, a Wa DL, and a CT DL. As none of those states cared about your 'residency'. In that manner, I could be in any of those states and drive a local vehicle without issue. Those states were where I spent the most of my time stateside. I just renewed each one whenever I was next in that appropriate state [if they expired]. My Ca DL never expires so long as I stay in the military.

Now since the 'Patriot Act' it has changed.

Snow-birds, or anyone who maintains multiple homes in multiple states now have great difficulty.

When I came to Maine, I camped out on our property while beginning the work on our future home. However my wife and children stayed in Ct. I was pulled over three times by Old Town LEO, because they did not recognize me. Eventually I was told by one that I needed to get a Maine DL and to transfer my vehicle registration. As I had been here 30 days.

Which I did.

I returned to Ct a month later, a vehicle that we had down there had both my name and my DW's name on the registration needed to be re-registered down there. [For years we put both of our names on our cars, so that if I were under-water my DW could still re-register our vehicles.]

However now after the Patriot Act things have changed, and all DMVs are inter-connected by some degree.

Ct's DMV views that a vehicle registration with two names on it requires both people to be present at their DMV to register the vehicle. So we both had to go there, both having Ct DLs.

The Ct DMV knew that I had a new Maine DL, and would not allow me to discuss registering a vehicle in Ct without first having a new Ct DL. To 're-establish' myself as a Ct driver.

So I paid my $75 and got a new Ct DL, so we could handle the paperwork in Ct.

I returned to Maine, and eventually my DW made the move as well. when she did we needed to register her car in Maine and we both got new Maine DLs.

What a pain.

We still have a property in Ct. If we were moving back and forth between our two properties, say spending summers in Me and winters in Ct, we would today need to pay for a brand new DL and brand new vehicle tags and registration with each move. Twice each year.

Folks with a home in Florida and another in NH are getting screwed.

Folks with a home in Az and another in Wa are getting screwed.

[Bydand]

Actually if you declare residency in another state, you don't have to have a Maine registration or DL to operate in the State even if longer than 30 days. If you live here over half the year, you have to declare Maine residency, if less than 6 months you do not.

[starwalker]

"Now since the 'Patriot Act' it has changed."

I think you have a BIG point there. Not that I am in favor of terrorists.. but I am concerned about our liberties. I could easily become a radical if pushed (heck there are some who would say I was already! LOL I don't LIKE folks knowing my business, period...

As far as noting that folks are "from away" (or "from off" as they say here... ) I expect that whether it is a negative thing, or simply a noting -- as someone has said in another thread -- that you were not someone they went to high school with, depends on attitude. Here they call folks who move in and stay "dingbatters" and while those who fit in may be noted as being "from off" but when it is brought up, folk say things like "you are the kind of dingbatter we WANT here!" I take that to mean fitting in with the flow...

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

You're out of luck. It is online.

When you future Maine folks move here be SURE the state you left behind cancels your driver's license when you get a Maine license. Minnesota didn't cancel my daughter's license. It caused problems for her when she went in to renew her Maine license when it was due. Minnesota hadn't canceled her license so Maine wouldn't issue her a renewal. It took a few phone calls and a very nice man in MN BMV to get it straightened out.

Well fry my legs and call them drum-sticks! Looking at the Maine BMV site was one of the first things that I did once the internet was hooked up. I never thought to look under the link regarding the study guide as I assumed that I would pass. I'd think that they would post this info up-front and not make you dig for it. I guess that I can't claim ignorance now

The officer told me that if I wanted to contest it that the court date more then likely would be a couple of months out, so at least I have the time to save up! Bt the way, the reason why I got pulled over in the first place; no vehicle inspection sticker. Actually, there was a NY inspection sticker, but it expired. Thanks to everyone who warned me in another thread regarding this, but I guess that it took a $130 fine (on top of the other fine) for it to sink in One of these days I'll stop being so thick-headed, maybe.

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

Well fry my legs and call them drum-sticks! Looking at the Maine BMV site was one of the first things that I did once the internet was hooked up. I never thought to look under the link regarding the study guide as I assumed that I would pass. I'd think that they would post this info up-front and not make you dig for it. I guess that I can't claim ignorance now

The officer told me that if I wanted to contest it that the court date more then likely would be a couple of months out, so at least I have the time to save up! Bt the way, the reason why I got pulled over in the first place; no vehicle inspection sticker. Actually, there was a NY inspection sticker, but it expired. Thanks to everyone who warned me in another thread regarding this, but I guess that it took a $130 fine (on top of the other fine) for it to sink in One of these days I'll stop being so thick-headed, maybe.

I wonder if they do the thing in Maine that is typical in NC... if you GO to court.. actually show up.. you have a very good chance of getting your fine knocked WAY down, especially if you have rectified the issue (if it is something that can be fixed) and act humble and respectful .. which here amounts to not showing up in court in shorts, grubbies or flip-flop sandals and not copping an attitude?

[K-Luv]

Oh, Maine Writer,

My Minnesota DL is not canceled, not by me at least. They keep sending me letters to renew a vehicle that I once owned in MPLS, a vehicle that the state now owns themselves. Wonder if they will do the same for the license?

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by starwalker

I wonder if they do the thing in Maine that is typical in NC... if you GO to court.. actually show up.. you have a very good chance of getting your fine knocked WAY down, especially if you have rectified the issue (if it is something that can be fixed) and act humble and respectful .. which here amounts to not showing up in court in shorts, grubbies or flip-flop sandals and not copping an attitude?

My experience elsewhere has been that if you contest a ticket, and the issuing officer does not show up to tell his side of the story, then the entire case gets dropped. Most people do not contest traffic violations, and most officers do not take time out to show up in court. I know that I cannot contest the lack of inspection sticker for obvious reasons, but the other, maybe. Knocking it down would be cool.

I once got pulled over in Northern California for something related to registration that turned out to be a felony. The officer reduced it to a couple of misdemeanors because I was being honest and up front with him. Went to court, got a $700 fine, didn't pay it. Went back to court to explain why I didn't pay it-to which I basically just shrugged my shoulders-and the judge reduced it to $300. Go figure.

[bignhfamily]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Folks with a home in Florida and another in NH are getting screwed.

Folks with a home in Az and another in Wa are getting screwed.

Hmm, never heard about anybody getting screwed.

I know many "snowbirds". They have NH licenses and cars registered in NH. They go to Florida for several months and then come home. No problem. Some of them keep cars in Florida and register them there as well.

While I was in the Army, I too had a CA drivers license, I drove a truck registered in NH and was based in GA, AL, OK, TX, and WA. Never had any problem.

I am currently licensed and registered in 1 State only, just to keep things simple.

When we move to ME we will register all our vehicles there except my work truck which will stayed registered in NH as it is owned by my Incorporated business which will continue to operate out of NH.

[island mermaid]

I was able to keep my Maine license when I went to the DMV here for my Florida license. My Florida license is only good in Florida though. If I get pulled over in any other state I would need to show my Maine license.
So far, so good, I haven't been pulled over down here. Better knock on wood though, I'm due.