Maine Business Insurance Guide 2026

Who must carry it: Any private employer with employees; no minimum headcount (Maine Revised Statutes, Title 39-A § 401 (Maine Legislature)).

Exemptions and exclusions

Exemptions cover domestic service employees; seasonal or casual agricultural or aquacultural laborers when the employer carries $25,000 of employers' liability and $5,000 of medical payments coverage; employers of six or fewer agricultural or aquacultural laborers with qualifying employers' liability coverage; sole proprietors without employees; LLC owners; and corporate owners of 20% or more who waive coverage (Maine Bureau of Insurance: An Employer's Guide to Workers' Compensation Insurance; 39-A M.R.S. § 401).

The agency to ask is the Maine Workers' Compensation Board. Our workers' compensation guide explains the coverage, and the workers' comp calculator checks the payroll arithmetic in a proposal.

Maine's minimum auto liability limits:

• Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident
• Property damage liability: $25,000 per accident
• Start date: not stated in the source; confirmed in force on October 3, 2026
• Source: 29-A M.R.S. § 1605, Proof of financial responsibility (Maine Legislature)

Maine also requires $2,000 of medical payments coverage and $500 of coverage for towing and storage charges (29-A M.R.S. § 1605, Proof of financial responsibility (Maine Legislature)). Ask your insurer whether these also apply to your commercial and fleet policies.

If your business runs commercial or for-hire vehicles, they can face different or higher federal or state requirements, so check any lease or client contract too; the commercial auto guide can help.

Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) offers eligible workers up to 12 weeks of paid leave in a benefit year, with benefits paid for time out of work on or after May 1, 2026 (Maine Paid Leave); contributions began in January 2025 (Maine Paid Leave for employers). For calendar years 2025 through 2027, employers with 15 or more employees contribute 1% of wages, up to half of which may be deducted from employees; employers with fewer than 15 contribute 0.5%, which may be fully deducted from employees (Maine PFML employer FAQ).

For calendar years 2025-2027, the joint contribution rate for employers and employees is set at either 0.5 or 1 percent of wages based on the size of the employer.

Source: Maine Department of Labor, PFML Frequently Asked Questions for Employers (July 2026)

What employers do: Register in the Maine Paid Leave Portal, report wage data each quarter, remit contributions (unless an approved private plan substitution is in place) and keep employees informed of their rights (Maine Paid Leave for employers).

Contracts and licenses can add their own conditions: a Maine license, a lease or a client agreement can name general liability limits or certificate wording. The certificate of insurance checklist tracks them, and the requirements-by-state guide covers other states.

• Workers' compensation: Maine Workers' Compensation Board
• Auto liability minimums: 29-A M.R.S. § 1605, Proof of financial responsibility (Maine Legislature)
• Paid leave and disability insurance: Maine Department of Labor, Paid Family and Medical Leave Program

Bring the questions from our state requirements checklist when you contact them. If you want PolicyBenchmark to follow up on your Maine business, request coverage help.