Does Maine have a Default Speed Limit When There’s No Sign Posted?

There's one solid reason I love GPS.

There are tons of back roads all through Maine. I suppose there are in literally every state. But in Maine, it seems there's always at least three ways to get wherever you're going. When I head to camp, I have four different choices to get there depending on my mood/tolerance level for tourist traffic.

One thing I've noticed is a lot of these roads have the speed limit posted on either end, but that's about it. It leaves you travelling for miles sometimes, wondering if you're remotely in the zip code for proper speed. That's why I love GPS. It always tells you what the speed is on the road you're on. It's a handy tool. But what if you don't have GPS going?

Does Maine have default travel speeds when there are no signs present?

As a matter of fact, we do! Even better, it's even fairly east to remember, should you be wondering what speed you should be going. According to Maine.gov, it breaks down like this:

• 15 m.p.h. in a school zone at specific times of the day.
• 25 m.p.h. in a business or residential area or built up portion, unless otherwise posted.
• 45 m.p.h. on all other public ways, unless otherwise posted.
• However, the noted 25 and 45 mph limits are usually unenforceable if they do not have MaineDOT approval

Now, that's not an excuse for trying to recognize the speed wherever you are. I seriously doubt you'll convince a cop in your hometown that you had no idea what the speed limit is. But it seems if you're following the basic rules above, you should be ok.

I'm no life coach, and have no desire to be. But my hope is that if you don't know what the speed is, you'd likely default to a slower speed. No one needs someone flying through a tight little neighborhood at 55mph, saying they thought it was 45mph. Don't be that guy. Or girl...

This should make you feel pretty old...