State service guide

Maine car insurance: 50/100/25 minimums, mandatory UM and MedPay, and SR-22 suspension fallout

Maine's car-insurance rules are broader than a simple liability-minimum checklist. To register and legally operate a Maine vehicle, the state expects proof of a policy that meets Maine's financial-responsibility law, including $50,000/$100,000 bodily injury liability, $25,000 property damage liability, at least $2,000 in medical payments coverage, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Maine also ties insurance closely to registration and enforcement: proof is required for registration and renewal, officers can demand it during a moving stop or reportable crash, and an uninsured adjudication can lead to license and registration suspension until proof of financial responsibility is filed.

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Liability minimums $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident, and $25,000 property damage, or a $125,000 combined single limit
Extra required coverages At least $2,000 medical payments and UM/UIM of at least $50,000/$100,000
Registration proof rule Proof of insurance is required to register and renew a passenger vehicle
Uninsured enforcement An uninsured violation can bring a $100 to $500 forfeiture plus suspension until proof of financial responsibility is filed

Overview

What this page helps you verify

A good Maine insurance page should not read like a generic 25/50/25 article. Maine requires more than basic liability, builds uninsured-motorist protection into every auto policy unless higher equal limits are rejected in writing, and still checks proof of coverage at the registration counter. The practical Maine issues are whether the policy actually meets the state's full minimum package, whether you can prove coverage in paper or electronic form, and whether a lapse or uninsured citation has pushed the case into Maine's financial-responsibility and SR-22 system.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-22. This page was manually upgraded against service-specific official sources, but requirements can still change quickly.

Usually needed

Documents and information to prepare

  • A Maine insurance identification card in paper or electronic form
  • Or a letter from the insurer or agent showing the vehicle is covered by a liability policy
  • Or an insurance binder or policy summary showing the insured vehicle, insured name, coverage amount, coverage type, and effective and expiration dates
  • Your registration or renewal paperwork if you are proving coverage to a town office or BMV office
  • If BMV has imposed a financial-responsibility requirement, the BMV notice details and any SR-22 filing from a Maine-licensed insurer

Typical flow

What the process often looks like

  1. Buy or keep a Maine-compliant auto policy that satisfies the state's full financial-responsibility package, not just bodily injury and property damage liability.
  2. Carry proof of insurance in the vehicle or on a portable device so you can show it at registration, renewal, a moving stop, or a reportable crash.
  3. Bring proof of insurance when registering a newly purchased vehicle, renewing registration, or converting an out-of-state registration after becoming a Maine resident.
  4. If you receive an uninsured citation or a BMV financial-responsibility notice, confirm whether the policy was active on the incident date and clear the case through BMV before assuming new insurance alone fixes the problem.
  5. If Maine requires proof of financial responsibility for reinstatement, have the insurer file the needed SR-22 or other proof and keep it in force for the period BMV requires.

State minimum package

Maine requires more than bare liability coverage

This is the most common place generic insurance guides undershoot Maine law.

  • Maine's minimum liability requirement is $50,000 for bodily injury to one person, $100,000 for one accident, and $25,000 for property damage, or a $125,000 combined single limit.
  • Maine also requires at least $2,000 per person in medical payments coverage.
  • Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is mandatory at at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident.
  • Under Maine's financial-responsibility statute, a qualifying policy must also provide up to $500 per accident for reasonable towing and storage charges when the insured vehicle is towed at a law enforcement officer's request after an accident.

UM and UIM

Maine builds uninsured-motorist protection into the policy unless you sign down higher limits

That is more protective than what drivers expect from many other states.

  • Every Maine auto liability policy for a vehicle registered or principally garaged in Maine must include uninsured, underinsured, or hit-and-run bodily injury protection.
  • If you buy bodily injury liability limits above the state minimum, Maine generally requires UM coverage to match those higher limits unless you expressly reject the equal amount in writing on the insurer's form.
  • Maine law treats an underinsured vehicle as one with coverage below Maine's bodily injury minimums or below the injured person's UM coverage limits.

Proof and verification

Maine still verifies insurance the old-fashioned way: at registration, renewal, and when an officer asks

The state does not make this a registration-only issue.

  • You must show proof of insurance to register a passenger vehicle in Maine, including first registration, many transfer situations, and renewal.
  • Acceptable proof includes an insurance card, insurer or agent letter, binder, or policy summary, and Maine expressly allows electronic proof on a portable device.
  • When an officer stops you for a moving violation or you are involved in a reportable accident, the officer must request proof of liability insurance or financial responsibility.
  • Showing proof on a phone does not authorize the officer to search the rest of the device.
  • If a person is explicitly excluded by endorsement from the policy, Maine requires that exclusion to be shown on the proof of insurance or financial-responsibility document.

Penalties and SR-22

An uninsured case in Maine can become a suspension and proof-filing case quickly

The problem is not limited to a ticket amount.

  • Failing to produce proof of insurance is prima facie evidence that the operator is uninsured.
  • A citation for operating without required insurance can be dismissed if you show satisfactory proof that coverage was actually in effect on the date of the alleged violation.
  • The forfeiture for violating Maine's required-maintenance rule is $100 to $500.
  • Thirty days after BMV receives an abstract of an adjudication for that violation, the Secretary of State must suspend the person's license, the registration of a vehicle owned by that person, or the person's right to apply, and the suspension continues until proof of financial responsibility is filed.
  • Maine's handbook says that if you are adjudicated for failing to produce evidence of insurance, you will be required to file proof of financial responsibility through an SR-22 certificate or face suspension of license and registration privileges.
  • OUI-related reinstatement can also trigger a financial-responsibility filing requirement, and Maine's general suspension statute keeps proof requirements in place for at least three years after reinstatement in standard post-conviction cases.

Registration edge cases

Several Maine registration details matter more here than on a generic insurance page

These are the state-specific traps and exceptions worth keeping visible.

  • New Maine residents generally have 30 days after establishing residency to convert vehicle registrations and titles, and proof of insurance is part of that registration process.
  • Trailers and semitrailers are exempt from Maine's insurance-before-registration rule, and separate proof of financial responsibility is not required for certain trailers and similar units already covered under a qualifying policy on a registered vehicle.
  • The insurance-before-registration rule also does not apply to government vehicles, dealer-controlled vehicles, or vehicles registered as vehicles for hire, because those categories follow different statutory treatment.
  • If your town office does not issue registrations, that does not remove the insurance-proof requirement; you still bring proof of insurance to BMV after paying excise tax locally.

Accuracy notes

Where people get tripped up

  • Maine insurance content should not stop at 50/100/25. Medical payments coverage and UM/UIM are compulsory parts of the baseline policy.
  • Proof-of-insurance rules belong on the page because Maine ties coverage directly to registration, renewal, moving-stop verification, and crash reporting.
  • SR-22 discussion should be framed as a financial-responsibility and reinstatement issue after qualifying violations, not as a routine requirement for every Maine driver.
  • The towing-and-storage coverage requirement is a real Maine statutory detail that many generic summaries miss.

FAQ

Common questions

  • What is the minimum car insurance required in Maine?

    Maine requires at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury liability, $25,000 for property damage liability, at least $2,000 in medical payments coverage, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage of at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident. A $125,000 combined single limit also satisfies the liability minimum.

  • Do I need proof of insurance to register or renew a car in Maine?

    Yes. Maine requires proof of insurance for passenger-vehicle registration transactions, including registration and renewal, whether you complete the process through a participating town office or BMV.

  • Can I show my Maine insurance card on my phone?

    Yes. Maine allows proof of insurance in electronic form, including an image displayed on a portable electronic device, both for registration purposes and when an officer requests proof.

  • What happens if I am ticketed for not having proof of insurance in Maine?

    Failure to produce proof is prima facie evidence that you were uninsured, but the case can be dismissed if you show satisfactory evidence that coverage was actually in effect on the incident date. If the violation is adjudicated, Maine can suspend your license, registration, or application privilege until proof of financial responsibility is filed.

  • Does Maine require uninsured-motorist coverage?

    Yes. Maine requires uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage on auto liability policies, and if you buy higher bodily injury liability limits, Maine generally requires matching UM limits unless you reject the higher UM amount in writing.

  • When does SR-22 matter in Maine insurance cases?

    SR-22 matters when BMV imposes a proof-of-financial-responsibility requirement after an uninsured adjudication, certain court actions, or some reinstatement cases such as qualifying OUI matters. In those cases, Maine treats the insurance problem as a restoration issue, not just a need to buy a new policy.

Sources

Official references used for this page

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