Maine Auto Insurance

The state of Maine requires all motorists to carry uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance.  Uninsured and underinsured coverage provides protections against drivers who do not carry the mandatory liability auto insurance demanded by the state.  Underinsured and uninsured coverage is mandatory in the state of Maine.  However you are not required to carry comprehensive and collision but the insurance company should offer you this coverage.

You or your insurance company may exclude members of your household from coverage on your insurance policy.  If the individual is not listed on your policy, the insurance company does not have to provide coverage for that person.  Any exclusion will be listed in the exclusion section of your insurance policy along with other details which will release the insurance company from responsibility for payment of claims.  If your policy lapses or cancels you can be cited for driving without the required insurance so you must pay the premium to reinstate the policy.  If the policy is cancelled, then you must find a new auto insurance policy right away. 

Maine insurance companies can use your credit history to accept applicants and set insurance rates.  They may also use your credit score to determine your risk factors however many other factors are used to determine your rates such as the age of the drivers on the policy, the car you drive, your driving record, where you live and your marital status.  Since Maine is a Torte state, any individual who is found to be at fault in an accident can be sued for pain, suffering, lost wages, and medical expenses.  For this reason, insurance companies advise policy holders to buy more than the minimum liability auto insurance.  The average insurance premium in Maine as of 2006 is approximately $634.00 and the state is ranked as the 42nd most expensive for insurance premiums in the nation.

Driving without a registration or inspection sticker is a Class E crime and the penalties are severe.  You could be ordered to appear in court and if the lapse in the registration is more than 150 days, you could serve jail time of 6 months.  The lack of an inspection sticker will result in a minimum of $25.00 to $500.00 fine, jail time of 30 days or both.

There are 9 officially accepted insurance companies listed in Maine.  They include Allstate, Dairyland Insurance Company, GEICO, MMG Insurance Company, Patriot Mutual Insurance Company, Patrons Oxford, Peerless, State Farm Mutual Insurance Company, and The Concord Group.  Below you will find a table comparing the premium estimates for various age groups in the North Aroostook, Madawaska, and Fort Kent area.  The estimates are from 2005 for a six month period.  The lowest premiums are offered to the 70 year old age group while the most expensive premiums are given to the couple with the 16 year old son.  The lowest premium is offered to the mature driver at $418.00 by State Farm Mutual Insurance Company while the highest premium is offered to the married couple with the teenage driver for $6,875.00 by Dairyland Insurance Company.  The company with the highest premiums across the board is Dairyland Insurance Company.

Gender Couple Female Male Mature
Male Son
Age 48/48/16           41 23 70
Driving Record           Clean Clean 1 Accident           Clean
Allstate           $2,271.00             $814.00           $2,462.00             $511.00
Dairyland Ins. Co.           $6,875.00           $2,160.00           $4,860.00           $1,620.00
GEICO           $1,803.00             $722.00           $1,120.00             $393.00
MMG Ins. Co.           $3,097.00             $851.00           $2,391.00             $945.00
Patriot Mutual
Insurance Co.           $2,277.00             $813.00           $2,223.00             $557.00
Patrons Oxford           $2,395.00             $766.00           $2,336.00             $714.00
Peerless Ins. Co.           $2,544.00             $906.00           $2,710.00             $726.00
State Farm Mutual
Insurance Co.           $1,900.00             $602.00           $1,138.00             $418.00
The Concord Group           $2,992.00           $1,108.00           $3,821.00           $1,018.00

One of the methods you can use to reduce the cost of your auto insurance premiums is to purchase more than one type of insurance policy with the same company.  You will also get discounts for a clean driving record and possibly for renewing you policy with the same company repeatedly.  Making sure you insurance never lapses will sometimes reduce your premiums as well as belonging to a particular professional group such as engineers, teachers, or doctors.  Younger drivers can get discounts for maintaining good grades, and completing a driver safety course approved by the state.  Insuring multiple vehicles will also reduce your premiums.  Anti theft devices and safety mechanisms such as airbags and seat belts will contribute to the reduction of your auto insurance premiums.  It may also be useful to know which cars are frequently targeted by thieves.  The list of the top ten most often stolen cars in the state of Maine are listed below.

1. 1999 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
2. 1986 Chevrolet C/K 1500 Pickup (full size)
3. 1993 Ford Escort
4. 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
5. 1997 Ford F150
6. 1994GMC C/K 1500 Pickup (full size)
7. 1997 Ford Taurus
8. 1996 Dodge Caravan
9. 1995 Saturn SL
10. 1999 Bombardier Ski Doo (Snowmobile)