Updated July 2026
What Is Minimum Coverage Car Insurance Insurance?
Minimum coverage in Maine means you carry exactly what state law requires: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident in bodily injury liability, plus $25,000 in property damage liability. This pays for injuries and damage you cause to other people and their property. It does not pay for your own medical bills, your own vehicle repairs, or damage caused by an uninsured driver who hits you.
- You cause an accident. The other driver has $8,000 in vehicle damage and $15,000 in medical bills. Your minimum liability coverage pays both amounts in full. Your own vehicle damage — $4,500 to replace your front bumper and radiator — is not covered. You pay that repair bill yourself or drive the damaged car.
- You cause a three-car accident. Two people require hospitalization. Total medical bills reach $180,000. Your policy pays the $100,000 per-accident limit. You are personally liable for the remaining $80,000. The injured parties can sue you, garnish wages, or place liens on your property to collect the difference.
- An uninsured driver runs a red light and totals your car. You have $12,000 in vehicle damage and $6,000 in medical bills. Minimum coverage does not include uninsured motorist protection. You pay all costs yourself unless you sue the at-fault driver and successfully collect — a process that can take years and often recovers nothing.
Who Needs Minimum Coverage Car Insurance Insurance?
Minimum coverage makes sense if you drive an older vehicle worth less than $3,000, have no assets a lawsuit could target, and can afford to replace your car out of pocket after an accident. It meets Maine's legal requirement to register and drive, and costs significantly less than full coverage.
Compare your vehicle's value to six months of collision and comprehensive premiums. If your car is worth less than that amount, minimum coverage often makes financial sense. If you have assets worth protecting or your vehicle is worth more than $5,000, the cost of adding collision, comprehensive, and higher liability limits is usually justified by the protection.
How Much Does Minimum Coverage Car Insurance Insurance Cost?
Minimum coverage in Maine typically costs $45 to $85 per month, or $540 to $1,020 annually, depending on your driving record, age, and location within the state.
- Your violation history — a DUI or at-fault accident in the past three years can double minimum coverage premiums.
- Your age and years licensed — drivers under 25 or newly licensed pay 40 to 60 percent more than experienced drivers with clean records.
- Your county — Portland and Bangor drivers pay higher rates than rural Maine counties due to accident frequency and theft rates.
- Your credit-based insurance score — Maine allows insurers to use credit history, and poor credit can increase premiums by 30 to 50 percent.
- The vehicle you drive — higher-value vehicles cost more to insure even under liability-only policies because insurers assume greater lawsuit risk.