What Maine Actually Requires
Maine requires three separate coverage components to register and legally drive a vehicle. You cannot satisfy the state's minimum with liability coverage alone. The Secretary of State will not accept proof of insurance that omits personal injury protection or uninsured motorist coverage, even if your liability limits meet the statutory floor.
The state's minimum liability limits are $50,000 per person for bodily injury, $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. On top of those limits, Maine mandates personal injury protection and uninsured motorist coverage at matching levels. A policy that carries only the liability component is not legal minimum coverage in this state.
Compare car insurance rates in your state
Get quotes from licensed carriers — no obligation, no spam, results in minutes.
Get Your Free QuoteMaine Minimum Liability Limits
$50,000 / $100,000 / $25,000
These are the floor amounts for bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident, and property damage per accident. Every registered vehicle in Maine must carry at least these limits, plus the two mandatory first-party coverages.
Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The Two Mandatory First-Party Coverages
Personal injury protection pays your medical expenses and lost wages after an accident, regardless of who caused it. Maine requires PIP on every auto policy. You cannot waive it, and your carrier cannot sell you a policy without it. The coverage applies to you, household members driving your vehicle, and passengers injured in your car.
Uninsured motorist coverage protects you when another driver causes an accident and carries no insurance or insufficient limits to cover your injuries. Maine mandates uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage at the same limits as your liability policy. If you carry $50,000/$100,000 liability, your uninsured motorist coverage must match those amounts.
These two coverages add cost beyond the liability premium. When you compare quotes labeled "minimum coverage," verify that the quote includes PIP and uninsured motorist protection. A quote that prices only the liability component is not a legal Maine policy and will not satisfy registration requirements.
A liability-only quote from an out-of-state comparison tool will not meet Maine's registration requirements. The state mandates PIP and uninsured motorist coverage on every policy.
How the Three-Component Requirement Works
Liability coverage pays the other party's injuries and property damage when you cause an accident. The $50,000/$100,000/$25,000 limits represent the maximum your carrier will pay per person, per accident, and for property damage in a single incident. If the other driver's medical bills exceed $50,000, you pay the difference out of pocket unless you carry higher limits.
Personal injury protection and uninsured motorist coverage protect you and your passengers. PIP pays your medical expenses and lost wages up to your policy limit, regardless of fault. Uninsured motorist coverage pays your injury costs when the at-fault driver has no insurance or inadequate limits. Together, these coverages close the gap liability insurance leaves: your own injuries and the risk that the other driver cannot pay.
Related Articles
What Happens When You Register Without All Three
The Bureau of Motor Vehicles verifies insurance electronically when you register a vehicle. If your policy omits PIP or uninsured motorist coverage, the system flags the gap and the registration is denied. You cannot complete the transaction until you provide proof of a compliant policy.
If you register successfully but later drop one of the mandatory coverages, the carrier notifies the state. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles suspends your registration and sends a notice to your address. Driving on a suspended registration is a traffic violation that carries fines and potential license suspension.
Some drivers attempt to satisfy the requirement by purchasing the cheapest liability-only policy they can find, then adding the mandatory coverages after registration. This creates a lapse. The moment you drop PIP or uninsured motorist coverage, your policy is no longer compliant, and the state treats it as uninsured operation.
Maine Uninsured Motorist Rate
5.7%
Roughly one in eighteen drivers on Maine roads carries no insurance. Uninsured motorist coverage protects you when one of those drivers causes an accident and cannot pay for your injuries.
Insurance Research Council, 2023
Carriers That Write Minimum Coverage in Maine
Fifteen carriers write auto insurance in Maine and offer policies that meet the state's three-component minimum. State Farm, Geico, Progressive, Allstate, and Nationwide all write compliant minimum-coverage policies. Non-standard carriers including Dairyland, Bristol West, The General, and National General write policies for drivers with violations or lapses who need state-minimum coverage to reinstate a license or register a vehicle.
When you request a quote, confirm that the premium includes all three mandatory components. Some online quote tools display only the liability portion and add PIP and uninsured motorist coverage at checkout. The final premium you pay must reflect the full three-part policy, not just the liability base.
Compare Carriers That Write Your Coverage Needs
Maine's mandatory PIP and uninsured motorist requirements mean that every compliant policy costs more than a liability-only policy in a state that does not mandate those coverages. The best way to control cost is to compare quotes from multiple carriers that write all three components. Rates vary significantly by carrier, and the cheapest option for one driver is rarely the cheapest for another. Use the site's comparison tool to request quotes from carriers licensed in Maine, and verify that each quote includes the state's full minimum coverage before you commit.