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Maine Hired and Non-Owned Auto Coverage

Maine makes a person in the business of renting vehicles jointly and severally liable with the renter for damage caused by the renter’s negligence and for damage caused by a person driving with the renter’s permission. The rule applies to a rental for use on a public way, but excludes rentals made as part of a bona fide vehicle sale, does not give a passenger a right of action against the owner, and preserves contributory negligence as a defense. Maine separately requires the rental vehicle’s owner to procure insurance or a bond covering operation before the vehicle can be registered or operated for rent, lease, hire, or livery. Neither statute decides what an employer’s policy covers. 1,2

What Is Hired And Non-Owned Auto?

Hired and non-owned auto (HNOA) liability protects the business when rented cars or employees’ own cars are used for work. It does not pay for damage to those vehicles, and it is not a substitute for commercial auto on vehicles the business owns. Read the national Hired and non-owned auto guide.

Maine Requirements

RequirementDetails
Rental owner has a vehicle-specific dutyFor vehicles registered or operated for rent, lease, hire, or livery, Maine requires the owner to procure insurance or a bond covering operation of that vehicle under § 1611. That duty concerns the rental owner and does not establish coverage for the employer or employee’s other policies. 2

What to Watch for in Maine

  • A rental can expose both owner and renter

    Under 29-A M.R.S. § 1652, a commercial rental owner is jointly and severally liable with the renter for damage caused by the renter’s negligent operation on a public way, and for damage caused by a person operating with the renter’s permission. The statutory rule addresses legal responsibility; it does not specify that an employer’s HNOA policy responds. 1

  • The Maine rental rule has stated boundaries

    Section 1652 does not apply to a rental made as part of a bona fide sale transaction; it gives a passenger in the rented vehicle no right of action against the owner; and it does not remove contributory negligence as a defense. Preserve these limits when evaluating a rental-related claim. 1

  • Rental-car owner security and employer protection are separate

    Maine § 1611 requires the owner of a vehicle offered for rent, lease, hire, or livery to procure insurance or a bond covering operation before registration or public-way use. Ask the rental company for the required vehicle evidence and ask the employer’s broker separately about HNOA liability, contractual obligations, and damage to the rental car. 2

Who Regulates Insurance in Maine

Maine Bureau of Insurance

The Maine Bureau of Insurance licenses producers and companies, enforces Maine insurance laws, and investigates property and casualty complaints including commercial coverage complaints. You can use its state lookup or complaint service to check a license or raise an insurance issue. 3,4,5

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 3% of gross direct premium when Maine is the insured's home state Maine charges 3% of gross direct premium when it is the insured's home state; your broker handles the tax and may include it with the premium. Surplus-lines policies are outside Maine guaranty-association protection. Maine generally requires a diligent search, with an exempt-commercial-purchaser exception requiring broker disclosure and the purchaser's written request. 6,7,8

Providers With Documented State Licenses

These providers publish a national listing for Hired and non-owned auto; the state records document licenses for the entities and roles shown below. Some records rely on company-reported information rather than independent regulator verification. A national listing does not confirm the product is available in Maine. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.

  • CorgiCorgi Insurance Services, Inc.Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28Corgi’s company producer-license table lists 50 jurisdictions: 49 states and the District of Columbia, including DC license 3003091619. New Mexico does not appear in the table and is not included here; the omission does not establish that Corgi is unlicensed there. The company-reported table has no stated as-of date and does not establish product availability. 11

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Maine

  1. Is the vehicle rented by a business for use on a Maine public way, and is there written proof of the vehicle’s required insurance or bond?
  2. Was the damage allegedly caused by the renter’s negligence or by a person operating with the renter’s permission?
  3. Does the claim involve a passenger in the rented vehicle, a bona fide sale transaction, or contributory negligence—limits preserved by § 1652?

Hired And Non-Owned Auto in Maine: FAQ

Can a Maine rental owner share liability for an employee’s negligent driving? 1

If the owner is in the business of renting motor vehicles for public-way use, 29-A M.R.S. § 1652 makes the owner jointly and severally liable with the renter for damage caused by the renter’s negligence and for damage caused by a person driving with the renter’s permission. The section has stated exceptions and limits, and it does not decide insurance coverage. 1

Who must provide insurance for a Maine rental vehicle? 2

Under 29-A M.R.S. § 1611, the rental vehicle’s owner must procure insurance or a bond covering operation before the vehicle may be registered or operated for rent, lease, hire, or livery. That owner requirement is separate from an employer’s policy for work-related use. 2

Hired And Non-Owned Auto in Other States

Other Coverage in Maine

Sources

  1. Maine Revised Statutes Title 29-A § 1652: Owner and Renter Jointly and Severally Liable. Maine Legislature; § 1652(1)–(4): rental owner liability for renter/permissive driver negligence; bona fide sale exception; passenger limitation; contributory negligence. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. Maine Revised Statutes Title 29-A § 1611: Insurance, Bond or Self-Insurance Required. Maine Legislature; 2025 codification, current through October 1, 2025, § 1611(1), (2)(F), (3), (5)–(6): rental/hire/livery vehicle owner must procure insurance or bond covering operation, maintain it during registration, minimum rental coverage cross-reference, owner-liability purpose, and government vehicle exemption. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Maine Bureau of Insurance. Maine Bureau of Insurance; Homepage and commercial insurance resources. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Insurance License Lookup. Maine Bureau of Insurance; State-designated producer/company search. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. File an Insurance Complaint. Maine Bureau of Insurance; State complaint process and contact. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. 36 M.R.S. §2531. Maine Legislature; 36 M.R.S. §2531(1)-(2), current page: home-state basis; 3% tax; producer pays on chapter 19 surplus lines. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. 24-A M.R.S. §4433. Maine Legislature; Surplus-lines contracts excluded from guaranty association. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. 24-A M.R.S. §2002-A. Maine Legislature; ECP disclosure and written-request procedure. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  10. Licenses and Carriers. Coalition; Licenses and Carriers, re-read 22 September 2026: Insurance Licenses table for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., national producer number 18419475, with producer and surplus-lines numbers for all 50 states and DC including California 0L76155, Georgia 196479, Texas 2199630 and 2205589, Pennsylvania 815731 and 817452, Colorado 539028 and Wisconsin 3000108852. Insurance Carriers table naming, with NAIC numbers, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company 36420, Arch Specialty Insurance Company 21199, Ascot Specialty Insurance Company 45055, Ascot Insurance Company 23752, Aspen Specialty Insurance Company 10717, Chaucer Insurance Company DAC, Coalition Insurance Company 29530, Fireman's Fund Indemnity Corporation 11380, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company 16823, Lloyd's of London, MSIG Specialty Insurance USA Inc. 34886, MS Transverse Specialty Insurance Company 41807, Steadfast Insurance Company 26387, Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company 16275 and Zurich American Insurance Company 16535. Accessed 2026-09-22.
  11. Insurance Producer Licenses. Corgi Insurance; Current complete Insurance Producer Licenses table for Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; 50 rows covering 49 states and DC (DC 3003091619); no New Mexico row; no NPN or as-of date shown. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  12. About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  13. Licenses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current entity-by-state license table reopened 28 September 2026: 50 rows under Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., including Washington, DC; New York rows instead list Next Insurance Services PC-1423070 and AP Intego BR-1198885. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  14. Insurance Licenses by State. TechInsurance; Current state table; identifies TechInsurance as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC d/b/a SPG Insurance Solutions; lists DC 3000041536 and labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses,” without an agency license number. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  15. Licenses. Vouch; Effective 16 January 2025: Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC, NPN 19926463; P&C table (50 states and DC); surplus-lines table includes Idaho 870820; footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses; Idaho retained as producer-only due to conflict. Accessed 2026-09-15.

Updated .

This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with a supporting source.

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