Boat Insurance for Maine
Maine boat insurance for boaters who know the water.
From Moosehead Lake and Sebago Lake to Casco Bay off Portland, Roamly works with carriers who understand how Mainers actually boat.
Maine at a Glance
Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
Insurance requirement | Not required by state law for private recreational boats. Lenders and marinas often require coverage. |
Boater education | Since January 1, 2024, anyone born on or after January 1, 1999 needs a boater safety and education course to operate a motorboat over 25 hp on inland or coastal waters. PWC operators born in 1999 or later must also be 16 or older. |
Boating under the influence | Operating under the influence (0.08 BAC, or any alcohol under 21) is a Class D crime with a minimum $400 fine for a first offense, plus jail time if your BAC was 0.15 or higher or you refused a test. |
Registration | Motorboats register every year with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, with fees set by horsepower. As of October 2026, a boat with 51 to 115 hp is $51 for inland waters or $26 for tidal waters only (plus a $1 agent fee), along with your town's boat excise tax. |
Requirements and regulations may change. Verify with the Maine Bureau of Insurance and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for the most current information.
What you need to know about Boat Insurance in Maine
Maine doesn't require boat insurance, but it charges different registration fees for inland and tidal waters, collects an annual boat excise tax through your town, and raised its child life jacket age in 2026. Here's what actually shapes your policy.
Maine's Boat Insurance Rules
No Maine law requires insurance on a private recreational boat or personal watercraft. You can still be held responsible for damage or injuries you cause on the water, and marinas and lenders set their own coverage rules. We'll help you figure out what makes sense for how you boat.
Agreed Value for Your Boat
Your Downeast cruiser with a repower, new electronics, and an upgraded hardtop isn't a stock boat. Roamly works with carriers who may value the work you've put in, not some database guess.
Electronics and Gear Coverage
Chartplotters, radar, VHF radios, rods, and tackle add up fast. Roamly works with carriers who may offer coverage options for marine electronics and the personal gear you bring aboard.
Coverage Lenders and Marinas Ask For
If you finance your boat, your lender will likely require coverage for the boat itself, and many marinas ask for proof of liability coverage before you can rent a slip on Casco Bay or store your boat for the winter. Roamly works with carriers who may help you meet those requirements, and we'll help you get the paperwork in order.
Protection Beyond Basics
Type | Details |
|---|---|
Mechanical Breakdown Coverage | Engines fail at the worst times — like far up Moosehead Lake, the largest lake in Maine. Through Roamly's carrier partners, coverage may be available to help with sudden mechanical breakdowns beyond warranty. |
Guest Medical Coverage | Summer weekends on Sebago Lake mean friends and family aboard and plenty of time in and out of the water. Roamly works with carriers who may offer medical payments options for guests hurt on your boat. |
Docking Mishaps | Big tides and crowded harbors along the coast lead to bumps and scrapes. Through Roamly's carrier partners, coverage may be available for damage from docking mishaps. |
Protect the Gear You Bring Aboard
A day on Sebago Lake or a run across Casco Bay means a lot of gear on board — rods and reels, tackle, tubes, coolers, and electronics at the helm. Many basic policies limit coverage for personal property, so check yours before your next trip. Roamly works with carriers who may offer coverage options for marine electronics and personal effects like fishing and water sports equipment, which may help you replace what's lost or damaged.
What Maine Actually Requires
Maine doesn't require insurance on a private recreational boat. What the state does require: a boater safety and education course for anyone born on or after January 1, 1999 who operates a motorboat over 25 hp; annual registration with the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and payment of your town's boat excise tax; a Lake and River Protection sticker on motorized boats used on inland waters; a life jacket on every child 12 and under while underway; and drain plugs pulled before you trailer away from an inland launch. Accidents involving a death, a disappearance, or an injury needing medical treatment must be reported within 24 hours, and damage of $2,000 or more within 72 hours. Going without coverage may be legal, but one collision can mean damage to another boat, a dock, or someone you hurt — and liability alone doesn't pay to fix or replace your own boat. We'll help you figure out what makes sense for your situation.
Real Value for Upgraded Boats
You set up your boat the way you wanted it: a repower, new electronics, an upgraded hardtop, and a better trailer. Book value doesn't account for the upgrades you've added. Roamly works with carriers who offer Agreed Value coverage options — we'll help document your boat so it may be insured for an agreed amount that reflects your upgrades, which may help if you ever need to file a claim.
LEGAL DISCLAIMERS
Roamly is a licensed insurance agency. Insurance policies referenced are offered through Roamly and underwritten by third-party carriers including Progressive, National General, Foremost, Liberty Mutual, American Modern, Ahoy Insurance, and Spinnaker Insurance Company, among others. Not all products or coverages are available in every state. Coverage terms, conditions, limits, deductibles, exclusions, and availability vary by state, carrier, and policy. This page is provided for general information and is not a contract of insurance. See the actual policy for a full description of coverages, terms, and conditions. Maine law references current as of October 2026 — confirm current requirements with the Maine Bureau of Insurance and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Why Roamly?
True replacement value
Your boat isn't just worth the Blue Book numbers. We'll find you a policy that insures it for what it's actually worth – including your upgraded electronics.
Real-world coverage
From shallow water prop strikes to dock collisions, we cover the stuff that actually happens to recreational boaters.
Insurance by boaters, for boaters
Our marine specialists actually spend their weekends on the water. They speak your language because they boat too.
No. Maine law doesn't require insurance on a private recreational boat or personal watercraft. If you finance your boat or keep it at a marina, your lender or marina will likely require coverage. Even without a mandate, you can be held responsible for damage or injuries you cause on the water. Requirements may change — verify with the Maine Bureau of Insurance.
If you were born on or after January 1, 1999, yes — since January 1, 2024, you need a boater safety and education course to operate a motorboat over 25 horsepower on inland lakes and rivers or coastal waters. PWC operators born in 1999 or later must also be at least 16 and certified. Anyone under 12 needs a supervisor 16 or older aboard to run a boat over 10 hp, and renters can take a rental agent's temporary course. As of October 2026, approved online courses range from free to about $50.
It depends on your boat's type, size, value, and horsepower, where you keep and use it, your boating experience, and the coverage you pick. Whether you boat on inland lakes or tidal waters, how you store it over the winter, and adding physical damage coverage or coverage for electronics and gear will change the price. Get a personalized quote to find out your rate.
Roamly is a brokerage — we work with carriers who may offer coverage options for marine electronics like chartplotters and radar, plus personal effects like fishing gear and water sports equipment. Limits and eligibility depend on the carrier, so it's worth asking before you buy. Coverage terms, conditions, and availability vary by state and policy.
Roamly works with carriers who offer Agreed Value coverage options. We may help document your boat and its upgrades up front so it can be insured for an agreed amount, not a depreciated book value. If it's totaled, the agreed value — less any deductible — is what the policy is built around. Coverage terms, conditions, and availability vary by state and policy.
Maine doesn't require either one. Liability pays for damage you cause to other people and their property — another boat, a dock, or someone hurt in a collision. "Full coverage" usually means adding physical damage coverage, which helps pay to repair or replace your own boat after a collision, theft, vandalism, or storm damage. If you're financing, your lender will likely require it.
Maine bans operating a watercraft under the influence, at 0.08 BAC or higher for adults, or with any alcohol at all if you're under 21. A first offense is a Class D crime with a minimum fine of $400, and at least 48 hours in jail if your BAC was 0.15 or higher, you failed to stop for an officer, or you refused a test. Anyone operating a watercraft has a duty to submit to testing when there's probable cause. If a violation is on your record, Roamly works with carriers that may still be able to help you find coverage. Coverage terms, conditions, and availability vary by state and policy.
It can. Maine's credit law expressly covers boat and personal watercraft policies: insurers can't deny, cancel, or non-renew solely on credit or base renewal rates solely on credit, and the credit information they use must be from the last 90 days. Your boating experience, your boat, and where you keep it are also major rating factors, and how much each one counts varies by carrier.
Yes. Maine boat owners pay an annual watercraft excise tax to the town where they live, separate from their state registration, and you'll need proof it's paid before you can register. The tax is based on the boat's length, with an added motor-horsepower amount for boats between 13 and 23 feet, and it drops once the boat is more than 10 years old.
Still have questions?
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Maine Boat Insurance Quotes in Minutes
Maine boat insurance for boaters who know the water.
* Roamly is an insurance agency, not a carrier. Coverage, limits, and availability vary by carrier and by state, and are subject to underwriting approval.
Roamly Insurance Group, LLC ("Roamly") is a licensed general agent for affiliated and non-affiliated insurance companies. Roamly is licensed as an agency in all states in which products are offered. Roamly license numbers. Availability and qualification for coverage, terms, rates, and discounts may vary by jurisdiction. We do not in any way imply that the materials on the site or products are available in jurisdictions in which we are not licensed to do business or that we are soliciting business in any such jurisdiction. Coverage under your insurance policy is subject to the terms and conditions of that policy and is ultimately the decision of the buyer.
Policies provided by Roamly are underwritten by Spinnaker Insurance Company, Progressive Insurance Company, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Foremost Insurance Company, National General Insurance, and others.
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