Inspection standards — Maine Permit Test

To pass a Maine inspection, a vehicle's horn must be loud enough to hear from 200 feet away.

A weak horn is no use if the person you are warning can't hear it.

Horn - Must be loud enough to hear from 200 feet away.

To pass a Maine inspection, the foot brake must be able to stop the vehicle within 30 feet from 20 miles per hour.

Brakes that need much more room than that will not stop you before a child who runs out.

The foot brake must be able to stop the vehicle within 30 feet when the vehicle is going 20 miles per hour.

Maine's inspection standard requires both a foot brake and a parking brake, and the parking brake must be able to hold the vehicle on a hill.

A parking brake that slips lets a parked car roll into the street with nobody in it.

Brakes - Your vehicle must have a foot brake and a parking brake.

To pass a Maine inspection, a passenger car's tires must have at least 2/32 of an inch of tread and be free of cuts, tears or other dangerous conditions.

Bald tires can't push water aside, so the car slides on a wet road.

Tires - Must have 2/32 of an inch tread and be free of cuts, tears, or other dangerous conditions.

For a Maine inspection, the defroster fan must work and the defroster must blow heated air on the windshield.

A windshield that fogs or ices over on a winter morning leaves you driving blind.

Defroster - Fan must work and defroster must blow heated air on the windshield.

For a Maine inspection, all issued registration plates must be attached to the vehicle and easy to read.

A plate in the back window or under the dirt can't be read by a witness after a hit-and-run.

Registration Plates - All issued plates must be attached to the vehicle and easy to read.

To pass a Maine inspection, from how far away must the horn be heard?

200 feet. A weak horn is no use if the person you are warning can't hear it. Maine Driver’s License Manual, p.20: “Horn - Must be loud enough to hear from 200 feet away.”