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Saving money on car insurance doesn’t have to mean scouring the web for weeks, only to save a measly $0.10 per month. The truth is, you have a lot of options, from cheap car insurance that covers the basics to multi-car options. We’ve reviewed the best car insurance companies in Maine to help you decide on auto insurance with confidence.
Best Car Insurance In Maine:
- State Farm: Best Premium Insurance
- USAA: Best for Military
Maine Car Insurance Overview
Car insurance costs can vary considerably and depend on several factors, and you can actually influence these factors. The better your credit score and driving record, for example, the lower of a perceived risk you are to insurance companies. Since insurance companies focus on lessening risk, you’ll pay less if you’re financially reliable and responsible behind the wheel. You’ll save money on your insurance if you can improve:
- Your insurance credit score: Your insurance credit score is a record of your financial responsibility. You can improve your credit score by paying your bills on time, living within your means and saving more than you spend. Plus, watch out for those credit card bills. Pay them off and avoid maxing them out.
- Your driving record: Avoid reckless driving situations, like driving drunk or speeding. Reckless driving only causes your insurance premium to go up. Accidents do happen, but if an accident isn’t your fault, your insurance carrier will not surcharge you for that accident like they would if it was an at fault accident.
- The year make and model of the car you drive: Just because your car is new does not mean you will pay more or less for insurance compared to your previous car. It’s always important to your insurance agent for a quote before purchasing.
You cannot change other factors:
- Your age: Teenage drivers and senior citizens are statistically more likely to cause accidents and pay more in insurance premiums.
- Your gender: Men are statistically more likely to cause accidents than women, so women tend to save around 4% on their insurance premiums.
Every insurance company takes these factors into consideration and uses its own formula to calculate these rates. This ultimately affects the rate you pay. Even then, there are steps you can take to lower the amount you pay — improve your credit score and driving record.
It’s important to know the state minimum car insurance for Maine so you can be sure you’re getting plenty of coverage. Maine’s state minimums for car insurance include bodily injury, property damage liability, uninsured motorist bodily injury and medical payments coverage.
Maine Insurance Minimum Explained
Maine contains the lowest percentage of uninsured drivers in the country but it still pays to be cautious. The last thing you want is to have an accident and then learn that the person who hit you either has no insurance or is underinsured. The minimum coverages you’ll need to cover involve bodily injury, property damage liability, uninsured motorist bodily injury and medical payments coverage.
Bodily injury refers to the injuries sustained by the other person in an accident you cause and you’re required to have:
- $50,000 per person: This is the total amount paid for the other party’s medical expenses if they were injured in an accident.
- $100,000 per accident: This is the total amount paid overall to the other party for their medical expenses if they were injured in an accident
Property damage refers to any damage done to property as a result of an accident you cause. This includes the other person’s vehicle (but not your vehicle — that’s typically covered by collision insurance) as well as any property damaged in the vicinity, like mailboxes or fences.
- $25,000 per accident: This is the total that would be paid to help restore property. For example, if someone hits a tree and it crashes into a person’s home, $25,000 is the maximum that insurance would pay to repair the damage.
Uninsured motorist bodily injury is coverage that protects if you’re involved in an accident and the other person doesn’t have liability insurance (or doesn’t have enough of it).
- $50,000 per person: This is the total coverage that helps pay for a person’s medical costs in case the other person doesn’t have auto insurance.
- $100,000 per accident: This is the total coverage amount paid for medical expenses from the accident as a whole.
Medical payments coverage takes care of the medical care of people in your car when you’re at fault for an accident. It does not apply if you cause an accident while under the effects of drugs or alcohol. You’ll be required to have coverage for $2,000 per accident.
Maine Driving Laws
One of the best ways to keep your auto insurance prices low is to have a spotless driving record. The most common driving infractions that can blemish your record include cellphone use while driving, not wearing your seatbelt, or worse, driving while intoxicated.
Cellphone Use. It’s illegal to drive while holding or using an electronic device of any kind in Maine. The first time you’re cited for this offense, you can attend an approved distracted driving course and have your first time fine waived. The rule applies not just to cellphones, but also tablets, GPS devices or laptops.
Seatbelt use. Children under the age of 2 need to be placed in a rear-facing child seat and all children under 8 who weigh less than 40 pounds need to be secured in an appropriate child safety seat.
Maine law doesn’t specifically stipulate that children need to be in the back seats of vehicles. Seat belt use is mandatory for everyone over the age of 18 in a motor vehicle, whether you’re a driver or passenger.
Drinking and Driving. Alcohol, inhalants, cannabis or controlled substances are prohibited while driving by Maine law. A blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or more can count as a DUI and fines depend on the offense. For example, you’ll spend 48 hours in jail if it’s your first offense or do 80 hours to 1 year of community service. Penalties are harsher for higher offenses.
Theft and DUI charges (a Class C felony) results in having your license revoked and you could pay a fine that ranges anywhere from $1,000 to $125,000, depending on the severity of the offense.
Insurance Rates per Vehicle
You may pay higher insurance rates for your vehicle — it depends on the type of vehicle you drive as well as the type of insurance coverage you want. Certain makes and models are more expensive to insure.
On the hunt for cheap car insurance? Remember, you get what you pay for, so it’s a good idea to look for car insurance in Maine that’s a good balance of the amounts you need for coverage beyond the minimum.
What Makes a Specific Car Expensive to Insure?
Foreign models may be harder to insure because it’s harder to get parts to fix them when they’re damaged. Beyond that, special editions (like GT or SE models) can be more expensive to insure because they have some additional features or differences that the base models don’t have.
Insurance Rates by Insurance Credit Score in Maine
Your insurance credit score affects how much you pay for your car insurance, so one of the best things you can do to lower your rates is to raise your credit score. This might include paying bills on time, paying more than the minimum on your credit card bills per month and spending within your means.
Here are some basic rates from insurance companies in Maine for state minimum insurance based on your credit score:
| Credit Score | Cheapest Provider | Rate for State Minimum Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Poor 300–579 | GEICO | $1,877 |
| Fair 580–669 | American Family | $1,565 |
| Good 670–739 | GEICO | $1,221 |
| Excellent 740+ | GEICO | $975 |
Insurance in Maine for Drivers with a Clean Record
You’ll pay much lower rates for car insurance if you don’t have any infractions or strikes against your license. Here are the approximate costs for minimums, standard coverage and full coverage among the best companies for car insurance in Maine.
| Insurance Agency | State Minimum Insurance | Standard Coverage | Full Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allstate | $784 | $1,288 | $2,271 |
| Farmers | $957 | $1,380 | $2,152 |
| GEICO | $717 | $1,472 | $2,345 |
| Progressive | $855 | $1,759 | $2,485 |
| Allied | $913 | $1,345 | $2,889 |
Car Insurance with Driving Infractions in Maine
You can still take steps to learn how to lower your car insurance even if you have driving infractions. The amount you pay for insurance depends on not just the insurance company, but the type of driving infraction and severity.
| Insurance Agency | At-Fault Accident | Speed Violation | DUI |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Family | $2,699 | $1,381 | $6,806 |
| State Farm | $2,038 | $1,468 | $6,523 |
| Country Financial | $2,892 | $1,508 | $4,675 |
| Allied | $2,876 | $1,746 | $6,599 |
| Progressive | $3,376 | $1,513 | $5,335 |
Best Insurance Providers in Maine
Benzinga researched all options for car insurance in Maine to help you save as much money as possible without sacrificing coverage. Whether you need to insure multiple cars or you’re looking for the cheapest car insurance in Maine, the companies we’ve profiled below stand out for excellent service and fast claims processing.
- Rideshare drivers
1. Best Premium Car Insurance in Maine: State Farm
State Farm is a leader for a reason and the company also insures sports cars and other premium luxury vehicles. Replacement parts can also be expensive on these vehicles.
Fortunately, State Farm offers options to help make your luxury car insurance more affordable.
Since you probably don’t drive your sports car every day, you’ll pay less than a typical insurance policy would cost and still enjoy the same protections.
2. Best Car Insurance for Military Families: USAA
USAA is a solid choice for military families who want affordable car insurance in Maine.
- Active military members
USAA markets itself as serving active and former military members but has also widened its eligibility requirements to include immediate family members of service members as well.
Choosing the Right Car Insurance in Maine
Since there is no one-size-fits-all car insurance option in Maine, it’s a good idea to take the time to get individualized quotes from each of these websites. Depending on your credit score and driving record, you may save even more than the prices presented here. Be sure to ask each insurer about specific discounts you may qualify for, including bundling multiple policies.
Frequently Asked Questions
By law, what types of car insurance do I have to have?
(almost all — not NH) All states require you to carry liability insurance on your vehicle. Your state may require additional auto insurance coverage. Limits are expressed: Amount for injuries per person/amount for injuries total per accident/amount for property damage per accident
Should I have just the minimum amount of car insurance required by my state?
It’s a good idea to purchase more than the state minimum of any type of insurance. State minimums are set relatively low to keep insurance affordable, but in the case of an accident, you can deplete your minimums quickly with expensive medical and property damage costs. Once your bills extend past the minimums, you’ll personally be liable for additional costs and damage. Get the coverage that makes sense for you here.
Is there any way I can lower my insurance premiums?
You can often get a lower premium by maintaining coverage without any gaps in coverage. You can also lower your premium with discounts like bundling your policies with one carrier. Get a customized quote to see if you can lower your premiums.
*Quotes were obtained using the following profile: base 2015 Toyota Camry, male, 40-years-old. Policies reflect state minimum coverage options. We make every effort to provide the most accurate quotes based on the profile above. Due to the many combined variables involved in insurance quotes, the only way to get an accurate quote is to enter your own information through our partners' secure websites