What the Maine certificate has to cover
An SR-22 is a certificate from your insurer telling the Bureau of Motor Vehicles you are covered. Maine sets a high bar for that policy. Title 29-A, section 1605 sets injury limits of $50,000 for one person and $100,000 for one accident. Property damage needs $25,000, medical payments $2,000, and towing and storage $500.
The Bureau of Insurance says a $125,000 combined single limit also meets the liability floor. Uninsured motorist cover must match it: $50,000 for one person and $100,000 for one accident.
Maine holds you to three years after the license comes back
Under section 1603, the clock runs after reinstatement. Once you are convicted and your license and registration return, you keep proof for at least 3 years. The Secretary of State may waive the demand 3 years after the date it was made.
Driving without that proof while you are required to keep it is a Class D crime under section 1605. The same section lets the Secretary of State issue a restricted license while proof stays in place. The Bureau of Insurance FAQ lets an insurer cancel over a household driver's suspension. That covers a suspension during the policy term or within 180 days of the last renewal.
OUI and the 10-year look-back
Maine says OUI, operating under the influence. Section 2487 bars reinstatement for anyone with an OUI conviction within the 10-year period until the section 1605 filing is met. Section 1603 adds that a repeat OUI within 10 years keeps the suspension at least as long as the original one.
The OUI unit handles administrative alcohol suspensions, interlock and work-restricted licenses. Questions about an SR-22 ordered by a court go to the financial responsibility desk instead, at 207-624-9000, ext. 52108.
Uninsured crashes and unpaid judgments
The Bureau of Insurance says the SR-22 usually follows an accident with no insurance, or a conviction for a serious violation. After a crash, section 1603 lets the Secretary of State suspend you until you give proof for a period it sets.
A court judgment from a crash suspends both license and registration right away. For a crash that was not reported, the trigger is injury, death or at least $1,000 in property damage on a public way.
The $50 fee, electronic filing, and a cash deposit option
Most suspensions, OUI included, end only after a $50 reinstatement fee under section 2486. You can pay at a branch office, by phone or online, but not at a mobile unit. Online payments carry a $5 processing fee. The online payment service warns that paying does not restore your privilege; written notice from the Secretary of State does.
Section 1605 tells the state to run a system for electronic filings. The BMV financial responsibility page asks insurers to file through Tyler Insurance Filings for faster acceptance. A copy of your requirement letter costs $5.
There is also a route without an insurer. You can deposit money or approved securities with the Treasurer of State equal to the policy amounts. The state then issues a certificate of compliance good for up to one year. The Treasurer keeps the deposit at least 6 years after you cancel it.