To obtain a driver's license in Maine you do not have to show proof of insurance. If you do not own a car you are not required to carry auto insurance on yourself however when driving other people's cars you will need to make sure their insurance extends to you so that you can show proof of insurance if requested by law enforcement.

Maine Revised Statutes Title 29A Section 1601 states that an operator or owner of a vehicle registered in this State or required to be registered in this State shall maintain the amounts of motor vehicle financial responsibility specified in section 1605 (these requirements are listed at the bottom). This law goes on to say that:

When a law enforcement officer stops an operator for a moving violation or the operator is involved in an accident that must be reported under ME law the officer shall request the operator to produce evidence of liability insurance or financial responsibility.

If a person fails to produce evidence of liability insurance or financial responsibility, this failure is prima facie evidence that the person is uninsured and in violation of this section.

A person served with a Violations Summons and Complaint charging a violation of this section may have the complaint dismissed if that person shows satisfactory evidence of liability insurance or financial responsibility that was in effect at the time of the alleged violation.

Violation of this section is a traffic infraction, for which a forfeiture of not less than $100 and not more than $500 may be assessed.

Thirty days after the receipt of an abstract of an adjudication of a violation of this section, the Secretary of State shall suspend:

A. The license of that person,

B. The registration of a vehicle owned by that person; or

C. the right to apply for a driver's license or vehicle registration.

Maine law requires that you buy liability insurance, uninsured motorists, and medical payments coverage if you own and register a vehicle.

To satisfy the financial responsibility law in Maine, you must buy a minimum of:

• $50,000 for the injury to or death of any one person;
• $100,000 for one accident resulting in injury to or death of more than one person; and
• $25,000 for property damage.

These amounts are usually shown as $50/100/25, or a combined single limit (for bodily injury and property damage liability) of $125,000 on your insurance policy.

There is also a mandatory $2,000 medical payments coverage that is required. You cannot register your vehicle unless you show proof that you have this minimum amount of insurance.

There are cases of when you do not own a car but would be required to get insurance to keep your license. For example if you drive someone else's vehicle that is uninsured and fail to produce evidence of insurance when required it can result in a charge of uninsured operation and a suspension of license and registration privileges.

If you are adjudicated of failure to produce evidence of insurance (or other certain laws in Maine), you will be required to file proof of financial responsibility through an SR-22 insurance certificate or face suspension of your license and registration privileges. So if you are required to carry a SR-22 then even if you do not own a car you could be required to carry insurance, this would be in the form of a non-owner's policy.

So remember while to obtain a Maine driver's license you are not required to show proof of auto insurance, when you are driving vehicles you will want to make sure that the vehicle is insured by the car owner and that you are covered by that insurance if you were to be in an accident. 

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