The Maine State Police adopt the federal driver qualification rules for every carrier hauling in Maine, interstate or not, then carve out a lighter file for short-haul in-state work. Here is where that line falls and what each side of it needs.
Source: FMCSA Company Census File, September 2026
State rules
16-222 CMR ch. 4 § 2
Maine's motor carrier safety rule applies to any interstate or intrastate common, contract or private carrier moving passengers or property in Maine. Staying in the state changes which parts apply, not whether the rule does.
16-222 CMR ch. 4 § 4(C)(1)
Intrastate drivers who work within 100 air miles of their regular place of business are subject to only part of Part 391: the disqualification rules, the driving record check at hire, the annual review and the controlled-substance standard in § 391.41(b)(12)(i). The employment application, road test and medical certificate sections are not on that list. Keep the driving record checks for two years.
16-222 CMR ch. 4 § 4(C)(2)
Intrastate drivers who go more than 100 air miles from base fall under the full Part 391 with Maine's amendments, the main one being a minimum age of 18 instead of 21. Crossing into New Hampshire makes the trip interstate, where the federal rules apply without Maine's changes.
16-222 CMR ch. 4 § 4(A)
None of Maine's intrastate carve-outs apply to a carrier, vehicle or driver hauling hazardous materials in a placarded quantity. Those drivers need the full federal file regardless of distance.
The checklist
| Document | Rule | When | Maine note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment application | §391.21 | At hire | Not required for short-haul intrastate drivers (within 100 air miles); required for everyone else |
| Driving record from each licensing state | §391.23 | Within 30 days of hire | Maine BMV record; required for short-haul intrastate drivers too, kept two years |
| Previous employers' safety history | §391.23 | Within 30 days of hire | Not required for short-haul intrastate drivers |
| Road test certificate, or a CDL in its place | §391.31 · §391.33 | At hire | Not required for short-haul intrastate drivers |
| Medical examiner's certificate | §391.43 | Up to every 24 months | Not on Maine's short-haul intrastate list; required for everyone else |
| Annual driving record review | §391.25 | Every 12 months | Required for every covered driver, short-haul included; keep two years |
Keep each file for as long as the driver works for you, plus three years (§391.51).
Questions
No. Under 16-222 CMR ch. 4 § 4(C)(1), intrastate carriers and drivers operating within 100 air miles of their regular place of business are subject only to the Part 391 disqualification rules, the driving record check at hire, the annual review and the controlled-substance standard in § 391.41(b)(12)(i). Those records must be kept for two years.
The full Part 391 file applies, with Maine's amendments: most notably, the minimum age is 18 instead of 21 (16-222 CMR ch. 4 § 4(C)(2)). A trip across the state line is interstate commerce, where the federal rules apply without Maine's changes.
No. The Maine rule gives no exemptions to carriers, vehicles or drivers transporting hazardous materials in a quantity that requires placarding (16-222 CMR ch. 4 § 4(A)). Those drivers need the full federal file.
From the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles for a Maine-licensed driver. Even a short-haul intrastate driver needs the check at hire and the annual review, and Maine requires you to keep those records for two years.
Bring one real driver file to a 20-minute walkthrough. You'll leave with its score and the exact list of what's missing, whether you sign up or not.