Maine Car Insurance Requirements: Minimums, Fault Rules & Penalties

Minimum liability requirements

Maine sets some of the highest mandatory minimums in the country. Every registered vehicle must carry at least:

Coverage	Minimum limit
Bodily injury per person	$50,000
Bodily injury per accident	$100,000
Property damage per accident	$25,000
Uninsured motorist — per person	$50,000
Uninsured motorist — per accident	$100,000
Underinsured motorist	Required (matching UM limits)

Maine is unusual in requiring not just liability coverage but also mandatory uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage. These must be carried at a minimum of 50/100 and must mirror or exceed your UM limits for UIM. This requirement gives Maine drivers stronger baseline protection than most states provide.

The higher minimums reflect a policy choice: minimum insurance should actually be capable of covering a realistic serious accident, not just a token amount. Maine's bodily injury floor of $50,000 per person stands in sharp contrast to states like Louisiana ($15,000) or Florida (no mandatory BI at all for most drivers).

Fault system

Maine is an at-fault state applying modified comparative fault with a 50% bar. You may recover damages from an at-fault driver as long as you are found less than 50% responsible for the accident. If your share of fault reaches 50% or more, you are barred from recovering any damages.

When your fault falls below the 50% threshold, your recovery is reduced proportionally. For instance, if you are 20% at fault and total damages are $50,000, you can recover $40,000 from the other party.

Maine does not require Personal Injury Protection (PIP). Drivers who want first-party medical coverage after an accident typically carry Medical Payments (MedPay) or rely on health insurance. MedPay covers reasonable medical costs for you and your passengers regardless of fault, and it pays regardless of whether the other driver is insured or even identified.

SR-22 requirements

An SR-22 is a financial responsibility certificate your insurer files with the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) to confirm you meet the state's minimum insurance requirements. Maine requires an SR-22 after:

• A DUI or OUI (Operating Under the Influence) conviction
• A reckless driving conviction
• Being involved in an accident while uninsured
• Certain license suspension events tied to serious violations

The mandatory filing period is 3 years from the reinstatement date. Your insurer is required to notify the BMV if your policy lapses at any point during that window, which will typically trigger a renewed suspension. Maintaining uninterrupted coverage throughout the SR-22 period is the only way to satisfy the requirement and eventually return to standard market rates.

Penalties for driving without insurance

Maine ties insurance compliance directly to vehicle registration — you cannot register a vehicle without current proof of insurance, and a coverage lapse can trigger both license and registration consequences.

First offense:

• Fine of $100 to $500
• Driver's license suspended until proof of current insurance is provided
• Vehicle cannot be re-registered without proof of coverage

Subsequent offenses:

• Escalating fines
• Longer suspension periods
• Possible SR-22 requirement

Maine's approach creates a compounding effect: an uninsured driver who cannot immediately provide proof of coverage faces both the cost of the fine and the inability to legally register the vehicle again. Reinstatement typically requires a fee paid to the BMV, proof of current insurance, and — for SR-22 cases — confirmation that the 3-year filing period has been satisfied.

Given Maine's mandatory UM/UIM requirements, most Maine drivers are already better protected than drivers in states with weaker minimums. Still, the required limits may not be sufficient for serious multi-vehicle accidents, and higher limits are worth considering for drivers who carry significant assets.