The Insurance Requirement
29-A M.R.S. § 1601 — proof on paper or a phone, and a dismissal for coverage that was in force
The owner or operator of a vehicle registered in Maine, or required to be, keeps the required motor vehicle liability insurance or other financial responsibility. An officer asks for proof at a stop for a moving violation and after a reportable crash, and it may be shown electronically, on a phone, without that being consent to look at anything else on the phone.
Who handles this in Maine: Maine Bureau of Insurance; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Maine directory.
- Not producing proof is prima facie evidence of being uninsured, and showing a policy no longer in effect is a violation too.
- The charge is dismissed when the person files the summons with the Violations Bureau, before the answer is due, with proof of insurance that was in effect at the time, or brings that proof to trial.
A violation is a traffic infraction with a forfeiture of $100 to $500. Thirty days after the adjudication, the Secretary of State suspends the license or registration until proof of financial responsibility is filed.
Sources for this section (1)
- 29-A M.R.S. § 1601 — Required maintenance of financial responsibility
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maine attorney.