How Much over the Speed limit is a Felony in Maine?

Maine does not classify speeding alone as a felony, regardless of how far over the limit a driver travels. However, exceeding the speed limit by 30+ MPH is a criminal offense, a Class E misdemeanor, under Maine law.

Specifically, per Title 29-A Section 2074(3) of Maine Revised Statutes, operating a motor vehicle at a speed exceeding the maximum 30 miles per hour constitutes a Class E crime. For instance, driving 55 MPH in a 25 MPH residential zone.

The penalties for criminal speeding in Maine typically carry severe consequences, including jail time up to six months and fines up to $1,000. In addition, criminal speeding may include penalties such as a license suspension of up to 30 days.

Is Speeding a Felony in Maine?

In Maine, most speeding violations are not felonies. They are typically treated as civil traffic infractions, which means that offenders may receive a ticket and pay a fine, but the infraction will not result in a criminal record or jail time.

Although speeding is usually not a criminal offense, certain behaviors and actions related to driving may lead to criminal charges. Where the driving may be classified as reckless conduct and puts others at serious risk, the driver may be charged with a felony (17-A M.R.S. § 211) or Driving to Endanger (29-A M.R.S. § 2413). If a driver speeding is also guilty of drunk driving, resulting in a fatal crash, the charges may also escalate into a felony.

Can a Speeding Ticket Become a Felony in Maine?

Yes, a speeding ticket in Maine may become a felony under certain aggravating circumstances. When speeding becomes a felony, it is not just about the speed itself, but also about the harm caused to others by the driver's actions.

Speeding may become a felony when:

• The driver speeds at 100 MPH or more, which is considered criminal speeding. This may result in a crash or endanger others.
• There is excessive speeding in areas with vulnerable people, like children or road workers, leading to a fatality or injury to persons.
• The speeding leads to a serious crash, the state may charge the drivers with felonies such as Aggravated Driving to Endanger or Manslaughter (17-A M.R.S § 203).
• A driver takes part in street racing, which may lead to charges such as eluding an officer and reckless conduct
• The actions of a driver with repeat offenses or with a suspended license lead to grave harm to others or show disregard for public safety

Types of Speeding Tickets in Maine: Infraction, Misdemeanor, or Felony

Below is a clear breakdown of the kinds of spending tickets under Maine law:

Penalties for Felony Speeding Tickets in Maine

Penalties for felony-level speeding offenses in Maine include:

• Jail or Prison Time:
  • Driving to endanger, causing serious bodily injury to another, is classified as a Class C felony with up to 5 years in prison.
  • Vehicular manslaughter, which is classified as a Class B or Class C felony, may lead to up to 30 years in prison.
• Fines:
  • Driving to endanger gets a fine of between $575 and $5,000.
  • Manslaughter or aggravated DUI may have a fine that exceeds $10,000.
• License Suspension or Revocation:
  • Driving to endanger gets a license suspended for 180 days to two years.
  • Standard DTE receives a suspension of 30 - 180 days.
  • Manslaughter or habitual offender gets an automatic revocation for at least one year.
• Points on Driver's License:
  • Serious offenses generally result in 6 to 8 points of demerits, contributing to the driver being rated as a habitual offender.
• Permanent Criminal Record:
  • Felony convictions remain on record and may affect the driver's employment, professional licensing, insurance premiums, and housing.

How Long Does a Speeding Ticket Stay on Your Record in Maine?

Maine's Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) retains records of traffic convictions indefinitely as part of a driver's official records. Still, different parts of the records have specific look-back periods or retention periods. For example, all convictions may be disclosed on comprehensive driving history requests. Three-year or ten-year driving records are obtainable from the Maine Secretary of State's Office for $5 and $10, respectively.

Maine uses a demerit point system, and the driver's points for a speeding conviction will expire one year after the violation date. As these points drop off, they no longer count toward suspension thresholds.

In Maine, most insurers only consider a three-year driving history when setting rates, even though convictions are permanent. Therefore, a speeding ticket older than three years does not factor into insurers' premium calculations.

Legal statutes do not automatically purge convictions and remain on file permanently. However, administrative actions, such as demerit points, are removed after their set periods. Persons interested in accessing their Maine traffic history records may do so at Maine Traffic Court Records.

Can a Speeding Ticket Be Expunged from Your Record in Maine?

Under current Maine law, no provision exists to completely expunge a speeding ticket or any traffic violation from a driving record (Title 15 M.R.S. c. 313). All traffic infractions remain on record for disclosure purposes. However, criminal convictions, such as Class E criminal speeding, may be sealed in minimal cases but not expunged. Class E misdemeanor convictions may be sealed under the following conditions:

• The driver was between 18 and 20 at the time of the offense
• The conviction was the only one
• Driver petitions the Secretary of State after turning 21 under LD 549 (2024 law)

Sealing ensures the records are hidden from public searches, but law enforcement agencies may still access them.

Maine does not generally provide ticket dismissal programs to remove convictions from a driver's record. A gubernatorial pardon is a last resort to expunge a speeding record in Maine, after which the person involved may file petitions to seal the record. However, pardons are very rare.