Maine car insurance: higher required limits, MedPay, UM and costs

What a Maine policy must include

Maine requires three coverages, not just liability. The state minimums tool shows how its limits compare with other states.

Instead of split liability limits, you can carry a combined single limit of $125,000 for injuries and property damage together.

There is one more rule. If you buy liability limits above the minimum, your uninsured motorist limits must match them unless you reject the higher UM limit in writing. For example, if you raise liability to $100,000 per person, your UM coverage rises to $100,000 per person too, unless you sign to keep it at the minimum.

Medical payments coverage: Maine's built-in first aid

Medical payments coverage pays medical bills after a crash, for you and your passengers, regardless of fault. Maine makes every policy carry at least $2,000 per person. That is a small amount next to a hospital stay, but it can help with costs such as a health plan deductible.

Maine is still an at-fault state, not a no-fault one. It does not require personal injury protection, and drivers keep the right to sue the person who caused a crash. MedPay simply gives everyone in the car a little immediate help.

Maine's uninsured rate is far below the national average

The Insurance Research Council estimates that only 5.7% of Maine drivers were uninsured in 2023, compared with 15.4% nationally. UM coverage is still required. In Maine, it also pays when the other driver's limits are lower than your UM limit, which makes it underinsured coverage as well. The location index shows how every state compares.

Driving uninsured in Maine: forfeiture and suspension

Failing to keep the required coverage is a traffic infraction in Maine, with a forfeiture of $100 to $500. The bigger consequence comes after: 30 days after the court reports the violation, the Secretary of State suspends your license, your vehicle registration or your right to apply for either. The suspension lasts until you file proof of financial responsibility, so you may need an insurer filing such as an SR-22.

You can show proof of insurance on paper or on a phone. Showing it on a phone does not give the officer permission to look at anything else on the device. If you were insured but could not show proof at the stop, the charge can be dismissed once you produce proof that the policy was in effect.

Maine's below-average premiums

Both Maine figures are below the national averages. Your own quote still depends on where you live and drive, your record and your car. See premium factors and discounts.

Rural roads, winter and wildlife

Maine's crash data look different from the national picture. IIHS counted 177 traffic deaths in 2024, and 80% of them were on rural roads, against 41% nationally. The rate per person, 12.6 per 100,000 people, was above the US 11.5 per 100,000 people, while the rate per mile driven, 1.17 per 100 million miles, was slightly below the US 1.19 per 100 million miles.

Long rural drives bring risks that liability does not cover, from icy roads to animals on the highway. Collisions with animals usually fall under comprehensive coverage. Read hitting a deer and winter driving and car insurance.

Moving from next door? New Hampshire works very differently: it does not require drivers to buy insurance at all, but it holds them financially responsible after an at-fault crash. A Maine registration needs a Maine-compliant policy; see our new residents guide.