What are the DUI insurance laws in Maine?

The DUI penalties for drivers in Maine are heavy. To find out more about the specific penalties in Maine, read on!

Be sure to enter your ZIP code into the FREE comparison tool above to find affordable rates for car insurance.

First Guilty DUI Verdict

The first time someone is found guilty of driving under the influence in Maine, they will have a one month jail sentence with a $500 fine.

They will also lose their licenses to suspension for three months.

Read More: Best Car Insurance for Drivers With a DUI

It’s dangerous to take medication that causes people to feel drowsy prior to getting in a car and driving. The truth of this fact can be seen from one man in Maine who drove right into a house after taking a prescription medication.

These medications often give the warning that people shouldn’t operate heavy machinery until after they know how the drug will affect them, and in this case, heavy machinery equals a car.

The fact that it was a prescription drug didn’t keep the described above from being charged with Operating Under the Influence (OUI). If people are impaired in their driving ability, they will be arrested and charged with OUI.

In Maine, the same penalties that apply to someone operating under the influence of drugs also will be given to those operating under the influence of alcohol.

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After a Second Guilty Verdict

If Maine drivers are arrested and found guilty of DUI a second time, they are facing a six-month jail sentence and a $1,000 fine. Their licenses will be suspended for three months and they will have to have the Ignition Interlock Device (IID) installed in their vehicles before they will be able to drive again.

Penalties for a Third Guilty Verdict

Their third arrest and conviction of OUI will give them a nine month and one-day jail sentence. Their fines will be at least $1,000, maybe more, and their licenses will be suspended for six years. After three years, they will have the possibility of driving again if they agree to install the IID in their cars.

Sentences for a Fourth Guilty Verdict

Maine drivers who succeed in receiving their fourth OUI conviction will be sent to jail for two years. The fine will be at least $1,000 and their licenses will be suspended for six years. These drivers aren’t eligible to drive again until the six-year suspension has been completed and in order to have their licenses returned, they will need the IID.

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Aggravating Factors

Aggravating factors are what will make the above-described penalties worse for Maine drivers who are convicted of OUI.

These aggravating factors may include:

• Having a BAC of .15 or higher
• Driving speed at the time of their apprehension was 30 miles per hour or more over the speed limit
• Running from law enforcement officers
• Passengers under 21 were in the vehicle at the time of the OUI arrest

Penalties with Aggravating Factors

Aggravating factors will add at least two days to the first offenders jail sentence.

Those who didn’t give their blood, breath, or urine for the BAC test will have:

• An increased jail sentence of 96 hours
• A fine of $500
• A suspended license for 275 days

To Be Arrested for an OUI in Maine

In order to be arrested for an OUI, a driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) will be .08 or above. They may also have drugs in their system.

Law enforcement officers don’t have a test to perform in the field to determine whether or not someone is under the influence of drugs, but they are trained on how to discern that someone has taken drugs.

Main law enforcement officers have been given permission to present their observations in court as evidence that someone was driving under the influence of drugs. Further evidence used in court will be the blood test that drivers are given to determine their BACs and the presence of any drugs.

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Maine Drivers Have Consented To a Chemical Test

Law enforcement officers will have blood evidence of drugs within a person’s system because drivers are required to give their bodily fluids when stopped for an OUI. If the driver is arrested, they may give their blood, breath, or urine to be tested.

The BAC test evidence will only be admissible in court if the blood was drawn by a doctor who is licensed, a registered nurse, or a phlebotomist properly qualified to perform these duties.

After the test results are returned to the police station, they will be required to present the accused and their attorneys with a copy in the event that they ask for the results.

Refusing To Give Bodily Fluids for Testing

If Maine drivers don’t allow their bodily fluids to be taken for the BAC test, they will be charged with a felony which means that they will receive more jail time than the sentences listed above. Their fines will also be higher and their licenses will be suspended longer than if they were convicted of OUI with the BAC test.

A DUI affects car insurance rates so make sure you are never driving while under the influence!

If a driver is under 21 because of the zero tolerance laws, those who refuse the BAC test lose their licenses for one year and a half.

180 days will be added to this suspension if the under-21 driver who refused the BAC test had a passenger who was also under 21.

When arresting officers ask for blood, breath, or urine in Maine, they must inform the drivers of what the consequences will be for refusing the test. The driver must be advised of the fact that their refusal to submit to the test will be used against them in court.

Stricter Laws for Others

The drinking age in Maine is 21. The law does not tolerate anyone under this age with any alcohol within their system, even if they are walking down the street. If they decide to drink and then drive, their licenses will be suspended for one year, if not longer.

People who drive their vehicles for work who appear to be impaired while they are driving can be arrested for OUI with a BAC of .04 or above.

If you have received a DUI, compare car insurance for after a DUI and find the best rates for your needs!

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Auto Insurance for Two Separate Groups

Driving in Maine means people can prove they can pay for any damages they cause if they run into someone.

When stopped by law enforcement officers, a driver will have to provide proof that they have purchased liability coverage for bodily injuries and property damage. Otherwise, they are breaking Maine’s auto insurance laws.

OUI offenders are in a separate group. They also need to purchase the liability coverage that all drivers have to buy, but they are no longer allowed to prove to the DMV they have complied with the law.

An OUI offender instead presents a certificate of insurance, called an SR22 form, from their insurance company.

Maine SR22 Insurance

An SR22 form is something only the auto insurance company can file with the DMV. When drivers are purchasing their new DUI insurance coverage, they need to inform the insurance company that they will need to have this form filled out for them.

Insurance companies that have been licensed in the state of Maine for this purpose can do this for those with an OUI, and they will all charge their own fees for this filing.

Is DUI Insurance Much More Expensive?

The DUI policy that OUI offenders will be required to purchase will cost much more than a policy would for a driver who doesn’t have an OUI on their records.

In Maine, a DUI insurance policy includes:

• $50,000 in the event of injury or death to one person
• $100,000 in the event that they cause death or injury to at least two people
• $25,000 to cover repair bills for damage done to vehicle, city property, livestock, buildings, and landscaping

The fact that these offenders will need to have the SR22 filing for three years in Maine means that these higher OUI rates will be in effect all that time.

Although a DUI car insurance policy and the SR22 filing will make liability coverage in Maine highly expensive, offenders who seek several quotes from more than one insurance company will be able to find one of the many auto insurance companies that sell DUI insurance at a price they can afford.

OUI offenders would ordinarily be turned down several times before they would be able to find an insurance company that can sell them a policy. Although by using our comparison tool, they don’t have to have this happen to them.

Our ZIP code search will quickly find the right OUI insurance companies, and drivers convicted of an OUI in Maine will be back on the roads again before they know it.

By entering your ZIP code below, you might find relatively cheap car insurance!

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