Maine Motorcycle Insurance Requirements

Maine motorcycle insurance is easy to misread because the headline liability limits are only part of the legal minimum. A street-legal bike registered for public-road use in Maine is not just a 50/100/25 state. The law also pulls in medical payments coverage, uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage, and a narrow towing-and-storage requirement that many generic quote summaries still gloss over. If you publish a Maine guide that only says “50/100/25,” you are leaving out real statutory requirements.^{[1, 2, 5]}

That matters because Maine riders deal with a very Maine mix of risk. MaineDOT counted 6,044 deer crashes and 217 moose crashes statewide in 2024. MaineDOT’s motorcycle-crash report counted 581 motorcycle crashes in calendar year 2024, and the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety reported 35 motorcyclist fatalities in its FFY2024 annual report. This is not a state where “bare minimum and hope for the best” is a strong strategy, especially if you ride outside the Portland metro, spend time north of Bangor, or keep a financed bike in the garage over winter.^{[11, 13, 12]}

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What Maine actually requires on a street bike

Maine’s minimum coverage rules for motorcycles live primarily in 29-A M.R.S. § 1605, backed by the Maine Bureau of Insurance’s consumer guidance. The familiar piece is liability: at least $50,000 for bodily injury to one person, $100,000 for bodily injury to two or more people in one crash, and $25,000 for property damage. Maine also accepts a $125,000 combined single limit as an alternative way to satisfy the liability requirement. But that is not the whole package. Maine also requires at least $2,000 per person in medical payments coverage and requires uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage with at least $50,000/$100,000 limits. On top of that, Maine now requires at least $500 per accident for reasonable towing and storage charges when the insured vehicle is towed at the request of a law enforcement officer.^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}

Required coverage	Maine minimum	What it pays for
Bodily injury liability	$50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident	Injuries you cause to other people when you are legally at fault.
Property damage liability	$25,000 per accident	Damage you cause to someone else’s vehicle or other property.
Medical payments	$2,000 per person	Limited medical expenses for you and your passenger, subject to Maine’s rule on expenses incurred within one year of the injury.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury	$50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident minimum	Your injury claim when the at-fault driver has no insurance, not enough insurance, or is a hit-and-run driver.
Towing and storage	$500 per accident	Reasonable towing and storage charges if law enforcement orders the tow of the insured bike.

One more quirk matters for quote comparison. If you buy higher bodily injury liability limits, Maine generally requires the insurer to offer matching UM/UIM bodily injury limits unless you reject the higher amount in writing. That is a useful rule for riders because it nudges the policy toward symmetry instead of leaving you with big liability limits and a thin uninsured-driver backstop.^[5]

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Proof of insurance, roadside enforcement, and what officers can ask for

In day-to-day riding, Maine lets you prove insurance the normal modern way: paper or electronic. Under 29-A M.R.S. § 1601, after a stop for a moving violation or after a reportable crash, the officer must request evidence of liability insurance or financial responsibility. Maine expressly allows an image of that proof on a portable electronic device. The same statute also says that showing your proof on a device does not by itself authorize the officer to examine any other content on that device.^[6]

Maine also separates “I didn’t have the card handy” from “I was actually uninsured.” Failure to produce proof at the stop is prima facie evidence that you were uninsured, but the charge must be dismissed if you later produce satisfactory evidence showing the required policy or bond was already in force at the time of the stop. For a rider, that distinction matters. A dead phone battery or a forgotten card is still a problem, but it is not the same legal situation as riding with no policy at all.^[6]

Maine’s reportable-crash threshold is another practical detail worth knowing. Under 29-A M.R.S. § 2251, a crash must be reported immediately when it involves bodily injury or death or when apparent property damage is $2,000 or more. After a crash involving death or personal injury, 29-A M.R.S. § 2252 requires the operator to stop, provide identifying information, and provide evidence of liability insurance or financial responsibility on request. That matters for riders because a motorcycle crash can cross the $2,000 threshold very quickly once fairings, forks, luggage, or another vehicle’s front-end parts are involved.^{[9, 10]}

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What happens if you ride uninsured in Maine

Maine’s uninsured-driving penalty starts as a traffic infraction, but the state’s real leverage is suspension and proof-of-financial-responsibility requirements. Under § 1601, operating without the required liability insurance or financial responsibility carries a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $500. Then, 30 days after the Secretary of State receives the court abstract showing the adjudication, the state suspends your license, the registration of any vehicle you own, or your right to apply for a license or registration. That suspension stays in place until you provide proof of financial responsibility.^[6]

That is the first hit. The second is longer-lasting. Under 29-A M.R.S. § 1603, a person convicted or adjudicated of the uninsured-vehicle violation must maintain proof of financial responsibility for at least three years after reinstatement. In plain English, Maine can put you into an SR-22-type filing situation for years, even though the statute itself talks in terms of proof of financial responsibility rather than marketing the process with the SR-22 label. The BMV’s own page tells insurers to file the form electronically through the state’s online system, which is the fastest way to clear a financial-responsibility hold.^{[7, 8]}

Maine escalates again if you ignore that requirement. Section 1605 provides that a person who is required to maintain proof of financial responsibility and, without authorization and without that proof, operates a vehicle on a public way commits a Class D crime. That is a much more serious posture than the initial traffic-infraction fine and one more reason not to treat an uninsured suspension as a paperwork annoyance.^[2]

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What the Maine minimum policy actually does, and what it leaves exposed

Run a realistic Maine example. You are riding through Portland, South Portland, Bangor, or Auburn. A driver turns left across your lane, you hit the front corner, and the driver and a passenger both claim neck, shoulder, or knee injuries. Your legal-minimum policy can pay their bodily injury claims up to $50,000 per person and $100,000 total, plus up to $25,000 for their property damage. If your limits are exhausted, the remaining exposure is yours.^{[1, 2]}

Now look at your side of that same crash. The minimum liability limits do not repair your bike. They do not replace your helmet, armored jacket, boots, or hard bags. They do not pay your lost wages. They do not cover custom lights, heated grips, navigation gear, a new seat, or luggage unless you bought the right first-party or accessory coverage. Maine’s required medical-payments layer helps, but only up to $2,000 per person and only for qualifying expenses incurred within one year of the injury. That is a thin cushion in any hospital-based crash scenario.^{[3, 15]}

The second scenario is even more Maine-specific: animal strikes. A dusk ride on Route 1, Route 9, Route 2, or any rural corridor north of Bangor can go bad fast. MaineDOT’s 2024 data shows 6,044 deer crashes and 217 moose crashes statewide. Liability coverage does nothing for a deer strike when no one else is legally at fault. Comprehensive is the coverage that usually matters there, and minimum liability alone will not buy you a new bike after a total-loss animal collision.^[11]

Maine’s low uninsured-driver rate can also mislead riders into buying too little coverage. The Bureau of Insurance said Maine’s uninsured-driver rate was 5.7% based on 2023 data, far below the national average. That is genuinely good news. But it does not mean the average at-fault driver has enough liability insurance to cover a severe rider injury, a passenger claim, or a surgery-heavy loss. In Maine, the larger problem for many injured riders is not “the other person had zero insurance.” It is “the other person’s limits were nowhere close to enough.”^{[29, 5]}

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Coverage worth adding if you ride in Maine

Higher liability limits

A realistic step up for many Maine riders is 100/300/100, and riders with assets or higher incomes should consider more. The state minimum satisfies the law, but it does not give you much room once two people are injured or a newer vehicle is damaged. Because Maine generally requires the insurer to offer matching UM/UIM limits when you buy higher bodily injury limits, stepping up liability often improves your protection on both the liability and uninsured-driver sides of the policy.^[5]

Collision

Collision pays for your motorcycle when you hit another vehicle, a guardrail, pavement, or an object in the road. Maine does not require it by statute, but the Bureau of Insurance reminds consumers that physical-damage coverage may be required by a lienholder or lessor. If you finance a bike, quoting only the legal minimum is often a fake comparison because the lender may force broader coverage anyway.^[27]

Comprehensive

In Maine, comprehensive is not a luxury add-on. It is the coverage that usually matters for deer and moose strikes, theft, vandalism, fire, falling objects, and many storage-season losses. Given the state’s 2024 animal-crash numbers, comprehensive is one of the easiest “why this matters here” coverages to justify. If you ever ride at dawn, dusk, or after dark outside dense urban areas, the Maine-specific case for comp is strong.^[11]

UM/UIM above the floor

Maine already makes UM/UIM part of the legal minimum, which is better than what riders get in some states. But the floor is still only 50/100. Raising UM/UIM matters in a state where the uninsured rate is low but not zero and where an underinsured driver can still leave a badly injured rider with a large uncompensated loss. Maine’s statute is especially rider-friendly here because it generally requires the insurer to offer UM/UIM at the same level as your bodily injury liability unless you reject that higher amount in writing.^{[5, 29]}

More medical-payments coverage

Maine forces at least some MedPay onto the policy, but $2,000 is not much. It will not go far once imaging, an emergency department visit, orthopedics, or follow-up care enters the picture. If your carrier offers higher MedPay limits for a modest premium, this is one of the simpler ways to make a minimum-compliant Maine policy less brittle.^[3]

Custom parts, accessories, and riding gear coverage

Maine riders often bolt on useful equipment rather than purely cosmetic parts: heated grips, hand guards, auxiliary lighting, hard panniers, taller windscreens, GPS mounts, engine guards, and better seats. Minimum liability does nothing for those items. If your carrier offers accessory or safety-apparel coverage, ask whether it covers aftermarket luggage, helmets, riding gear, electronics, and permanently attached upgrades at actual cash value or replacement cost.^[27]

Motorcycle-specific roadside assistance

The state-mandated $500 towing-and-storage provision is not true roadside assistance. It is limited to reasonable towing and storage charges when law enforcement orders the tow. That is useful, but it does not necessarily cover breakdown assistance, battery service, flatbed transport from a non-police tow, or the kind of long recovery a rider may need on a rural Maine road. Ask specifically whether the carrier’s roadside program is written for motorcycles, not just adapted from an auto package.^[4]

Trip interruption

This coverage is more relevant in Maine than it sounds on first read. A deer strike, a breakdown, or a weather-related issue can leave you a long way from home, especially on a ride through Downeast Maine, western Maine, or north of Bangor. Trip-interruption coverage can help with hotels, meals, and transportation after a covered loss, which is more valuable in a state with long distances and a shorter riding season than in a dense urban market.^[11]

Gap coverage

Gap matters when your loan payoff is higher than the bike’s actual cash value after a total loss. That is common with newer touring bikes, adventure bikes, or long-term financing. Because Maine lenders may require collision and comprehensive in the first place, gap is a natural follow-up question whenever the bike is financed or leased.^[27]

Laid-up or storage-season coverage

For many Maine riders, the bike spends a meaningful part of the year parked because winter weather, road salt, and freezing temperatures shorten the practical season. A laid-up or storage option can reduce certain coverages while keeping protection that still matters during the off-season, especially comprehensive for theft, fire, vandalism, or weather damage. The right answer is not “drop the policy.” It is “trim the riding-season coverages without exposing a stored bike to uncompensated loss.”^[27]

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Maine’s helmet law is partial, not universal

Maine does not require every adult rider to wear a helmet in every situation. The rule is conditional. Under 29-A M.R.S. § 2083, protective headgear is required for operators under 18, passengers under 18, operators riding on a learner’s permit, operators within one year after successfully completing the driving test, and passengers riding with an operator who is required to wear a helmet. The statute requires the headgear to meet ANSI Z90.1 or Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218. The law also says the helmet rule does not apply to the operation of an autocycle.^[14]

The insurance angle is subtler than in a no-fault state because Maine does not sell PIP as part of standard auto policies. So there is no Michigan-style helmet/PIP condition to navigate. But that does not mean helmet choice is irrelevant. Even where riding without a helmet is legal, head injuries can create causation and damages fights in a bodily-injury claim. Maine also uses modified comparative negligence, so the facts of how the crash happened and how severe the injuries became still matter in settlement and litigation.^{[15, 26]}

For pricing, insurers may look at rider profile, claims history, vehicle type, and other rating factors, but Maine’s public consumer materials do not advertise a simple statewide “no helmet equals higher premium” rule. That is usually a carrier-level underwriting question, not a separate Maine surcharge published in statute.^[27]

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Lane splitting is illegal in Maine, and several other rules trip riders up

Maine is not a lane-splitting state. Under 29-A M.R.S. § 2062, a motorcycle may not be operated between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles. The same section also says a motorcycle other than a moped is entitled to full use of a lane and that no more than two motorcycles may ride abreast in a single lane. For practical purposes, that means lane splitting and lane filtering are both off the table under Maine’s current rules.^[16]

• Headlight: A motorcycle’s headlight must be on when the bike is being operated on a public way.^[16]
• Handlebars: Maine prohibits handlebars with handgrips higher than the operator’s shoulder level.^[16]
• Passengers: A motorcycle may not carry more than two people on the motorcycle itself, and a passenger may ride only on permanent seating. A motorcycle learner’s permit holder may not carry a passenger.^{[16, 22]}
• Signals: If other traffic may be affected, a rider must signal before turning or moving right or left, and the signal must continue during at least the last 100 feet before the turn.^[18]
• Mirror: A motorcycle must have a rear-view mirror adjusted to provide a clear view of the highway at least 200 feet to the rear.^[17]
• Inspection: Registered motorcycles are subject to Maine’s annual inspection law, and lights, directional signals, mirrors, brakes, tires, and the exhaust system all matter at inspection time. The standard inspection fee is capped at $12.50.^[19]
• Wheelies on public ways: Intentionally or knowingly raising the front wheel of a motorcycle off the surface on a public way is prohibited.^[16]

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Licensing details that affect insurance eligibility and price

Maine requires a motorcycle endorsement rather than a separate standalone “Class M” license structure in the way some states do. To get a motorcycle or moped learner’s permit under 29-A M.R.S. § 1304, the rider must be at least 16, pass a vision test and motorcycle/moped knowledge test, and complete the required rider-education course. Maine law separately requires successful completion of an approved motorcycle rider education course before issuance of a motorcycle learner’s permit, license, or endorsement. The Maine Motorist Handbook adds two practical insurance-adjacent details: the Basic Rider Course is the only course accepted for waiver of the motorcycle road test, and if you obtain the endorsement through the waiver route you may not carry a passenger for 60 days. The current fee page lists the written motorcycle-permit test at $35 and each endorsement at $20.^{[22, 23, 24, 25]}

On discounts, Maine law clearly requires an approved-course discount for drivers age 55 and older under the Bureau of Insurance’s published consumer guidance, including motorcycles for which that person is the principal operator, subject to the statute’s conditions. Maine does not publish a universal across-the-board basic rider course discount for every rider, so younger riders should treat that as a carrier-by-carrier question rather than a guaranteed statewide break.^[27]

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Motorcycle, moped, motorized scooter, or e-bike? Maine draws real lines here

In Maine, the sales label does not control. Engine size, wheel diameter, and electric-motor output do. That means a vehicle marketed as a “scooter” can still be a motorcycle under Maine law if it has 10-inch-or-larger wheels and more than 50cc, or an electric motor of 1,500 watts or more. Maine also expressly excludes electric bicycles from Title 29-A rules on financial responsibility, driver’s licenses, registration, and license plates.^{[21, 32]}

Vehicle type	Maine definition	Insurance required?	License required?
Motorcycle	2 or 3 wheels, each wheel 10 inches or more in diameter, with a motor over 50cc or an electric motor of 1,500 watts or more.	Yes, if registered or required to be registered for public-road use.	Yes. Any class of operator’s license with motorcycle endorsement.
Moped	2 or 3 wheels, each wheel 10 inches or more in diameter, with a motor not exceeding 50cc or an electric motor under 1,500 watts.	Generally yes for public-road use, because Maine says it may be used on a public way if registered as a moped and Maine’s financial-responsibility rules attach to vehicles registered or required to be registered.	Yes. Any class of operator’s license.
Motorized scooter / motorized bicycle	Small-wheel or low-power class including vehicles with wheels under 10 inches and other low-power criteria described by the BMV; these cannot be registered.	Generally not under the registration-based financial-responsibility rule cited here.	Yes. Any class of operator’s license, instruction permit, or endorsement, depending on the vehicle and use.
Electric bicycle	Bicycle with operable pedals and an electric motor under 750 watts.	No under Maine’s express electric-bicycle exemption from Title 29-A financial-responsibility rules.	No Title 29-A driver’s-license requirement.

The inspection side is different by vehicle class too. The BMV says motorcycles require inspection, mopeds do not, and motorized scooters/motorized bicycles cannot be registered and are not inspection vehicles in the same way. That distinction matters for site content because many buyers assume every two-wheeler gets treated the same way by insurance and registration rules. In Maine, it absolutely does not.^{[21, 20]}

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How Maine’s insurance system changes a motorcycle claim

Maine is an at-fault state, not a no-fault state. In practical terms, that means the driver who caused the crash is the first place an injury or property-damage claim usually points. The Bureau of Insurance’s glossary is explicit that PIP is not part of auto insurance policies issued in Maine, so riders are not operating inside a broad no-fault benefit system. When a Maine motorcyclist is hurt, the claim usually turns on the at-fault driver’s liability coverage, the rider’s own UM/UIM protection if the other driver is uninsured or underinsured, and whatever first-party collision, comprehensive, or MedPay coverage the rider purchased.^{[15, 5]}

Maine also uses modified comparative negligence with a 50% bar. Under 14 M.R.S. § 156, a claimant’s damages are reduced to reflect the claimant’s share of fault, and a claimant who is found equally at fault may not recover. For riders, this has real bite. Speed, following distance, conspicuity, lane position, and reaction time can all become part of the liability argument, and any assigned percentage of fault directly reduces the payout.^[26]

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What drives motorcycle insurance cost in Maine

Maine’s overall auto-insurance market looks relatively consumer-friendly on paper. The Bureau of Insurance said the state had the nation’s lowest average auto insurance premiums based on the 2023 NAIC report, and the uninsured-driver rate was only 5.7%. That does not mean every motorcycle quote will be cheap. Motorcycle pricing is still built around risk characteristics that can vary sharply from rider to rider and bike to bike.^[29]

• Rider age and riding experience: Newer and younger riders generally pay more.^[27]
• Bike type, displacement, and repair cost: A small commuter and a large touring or sport machine do not price the same.^[27]
• Driving record: Moving violations and at-fault crashes matter.^[27]
• Claims history: Prior losses can push rates up or restrict carrier appetite.^[27]
• Garaging location and territory: Where the bike sleeps in Maine affects theft, vandalism, and crash exposure.^[27]
• Annual mileage and use: Occasional pleasure riding is different from high-mileage commuting.^[27]
• Prior insurance history: A lapse in coverage can hurt pricing and eligibility.^[27]
• Other licensed drivers in the household: Insurers may consider everyone who affects the risk profile.^[27]
• Credit information: Maine allows credit-related pricing, but the state’s availability report says insurers may not use credit information as the sole factor for renewal rates.^[28]
• Coverage choices and deductibles: Liability limits, UM/UIM limits, collision, comprehensive, and deductible levels all change the price.^[1]
• Discount structure: Multi-policy, paid-in-full, low-mileage, and anti-theft discounts are all worth asking about.^[27]
• Mature-driver course discount: Maine requires a discount for certain drivers age 55 and older who complete an approved accident-prevention course, subject to the statutory conditions listed in the Bureau’s guide.^[27]

Maine-specific loss patterns should shape how you read the price. A quote can look cheap because it stripped collision, lowballed UM/UIM, or left out accessory coverage, not because the carrier found some magic way around deer, moose, rural tows, and winter storage risk. In Maine, price discipline matters, but coverage discipline matters more.^{[11, 13]}

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How to compare motorcycle insurance quotes in Maine without fooling yourself

1. Price two coverage tiers, not one. Run a quote at Maine’s legal minimum and a second quote at something more realistic such as 100/300/100 with stronger UM/UIM. The gap is often modest.^{[1, 5]}
2. Hold deductibles constant. A carrier does not “beat” another carrier if it quietly moved collision or comprehensive from a $500 deductible to $1,000.^[27]
3. Confirm the Maine-specific required coverages are actually there. A compliant street-bike quote should not stop at 50/100/25. Make sure the quote reflects Maine’s MedPay, UM/UIM, and towing/storage requirements.^{[2, 4]}
4. Ask how OEM parts, aftermarket parts, luggage, and riding gear are handled. Maine riders commonly add useful equipment for distance and cold-weather comfort, and not every policy treats those items generously after a loss.^[27]
5. Ask about seasonal storage options. Maine’s riding calendar is not Florida’s. A carrier with flexible lay-up options can be more valuable than a slightly lower annual premium on paper.^[27]
6. Check whether roadside assistance is truly motorcycle-specific. The state-required law-enforcement tow benefit is not enough by itself for many Maine riders who travel rural routes.^[4]
7. Check the carrier’s complaint history and financial strength. The Maine Bureau of Insurance publishes a Consumer Guides page with a complaint-comparison tool and an Insurance Company Ratings page that points consumers to financial-strength resources.^{[30, 31]}
8. Ask about paid-in-full, multi-policy, and age/course discounts. These do not fix weak coverage, but they can make a stronger Maine policy cost less than you expect.^[27]

The complaint-comparison data on the Bureau’s site is personal-auto oriented rather than motorcycle-specific, so use it as a screening tool, not a perfect ranking system. It is still more useful than buying blind from a price-comparison widget that tells you nothing about service quality after a claim.^[30]

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Frequently asked questions about Maine motorcycle insurance

Do I need motorcycle insurance in Maine?

Yes, for a street-legal motorcycle registered in Maine and used on public roads. The legal package is broader than simple liability and includes 50/100/25 liability, $2,000 MedPay, required UM/UIM bodily injury coverage, and the law-enforcement tow/storage requirement in the situations covered by statute.^{[2, 5]}

Is the Maine minimum enough?

Usually not. It keeps you legal, but it does not repair your bike, replace your gear, or give you more than a small MedPay cushion. In a state with thousands of deer crashes, meaningful rural exposure, and a recent 35-fatality year for motorcyclists, many riders are better served by higher liability, stronger UM/UIM, and physical-damage coverage.^{[11, 12]}

Does Maine’s no-fault or PIP system apply to motorcycles?

Maine is not a no-fault/PIP state in the usual sense. The Bureau of Insurance says PIP is not part of auto insurance policies issued in Maine, so motorcycle claims in Maine are generally handled through fault-based liability rules, UM/UIM, MedPay, and any collision or comprehensive coverage you bought.^{[15, 5]}

What happens if I ride without insurance in Maine?

You face a $100 to $500 fine, and after the court abstract reaches the Secretary of State the state can suspend your license, your vehicle registration, or your right to apply for either until you provide proof of financial responsibility. After reinstatement, Maine can require you to maintain that proof for at least three years, and ignoring that requirement can escalate to a Class D crime.^{[6, 7, 2]}

Do mopeds and scooters need insurance in Maine?

It depends on what the machine legally is. A moped that must be registered for public-road use should generally be treated as needing insurance because Maine’s financial-responsibility rule ties to vehicles registered or required to be registered. A true motorized scooter or motorized bicycle that cannot be registered is treated differently, and an electric bicycle is expressly exempt from Maine’s financial-responsibility rules. Many 125cc “scooters” are legally motorcycles in Maine, not mopeds.^{[21, 32]}

Does a motorcycle safety course lower my insurance rate in Maine?

Sometimes, but do not treat it as an automatic statewide discount for every rider. Maine clearly requires rider education for licensing, and the Bureau of Insurance clearly describes a course-based discount for eligible drivers age 55 and older under its published guidance. Outside that framework, a safety-course discount is usually a carrier-specific underwriting feature.^{[23, 27]}

What if my bike is financed or leased?

Then the state minimum is almost never enough. Maine’s consumer insurance guidance says physical-damage coverage may be required by a lienholder or lessor, which means collision and comprehensive are usually part of the real quote even though the state does not require them by statute. Gap coverage may also be worth pricing if the loan payoff could exceed the bike’s actual cash value after a total loss.^[27]

Does Maine require uninsured motorist coverage on motorcycle policies?

Yes. Maine requires UM/UIM bodily injury coverage, and the minimum floor is 50/100. If your bodily injury liability limits are higher, the insurer generally must offer matching UM/UIM limits unless you reject the higher amount in writing.^[5]

Is lane splitting legal in Maine?

No. Maine specifically prohibits operating a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles, so both lane splitting and stoplight filtering are outside the current rule set.^[16]

Do I have to wear a helmet in Maine if I am over 18?

Not always, but many adult riders still fall into a required-helmet category. If you are riding on a learner’s permit or you are within one year after successfully completing the driving test, Maine still requires the helmet even if you are over 18. Passengers riding with an operator who is required to wear a helmet must wear one too.^[14]

Does Maine require annual motorcycle inspection?

Yes, for registered motorcycles. Maine’s annual inspection law applies to motor vehicles required to be registered, and the inspection standard covers items such as brakes, tires, lights, mirrors, and the exhaust system. The ordinary inspection fee may not exceed $12.50. Mopeds are treated differently and are exempt from inspection.^{[19, 20]}

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