Maryland Auto Insurance Fund (MAIF): Who It Serves, What It Covers and How to Apply

Maryland Auto Insurance, legally the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund or MAIF, is an independent state agency that insures Maryland residents who can't get auto insurance in the private market. You're generally eligible if you live in Maryland, own a Maryland-registered car or hold a valid Maryland driver's license, owe Maryland Auto no unpaid premium, and either were canceled or nonrenewed by a standard insurer for a reason other than nonpayment or were refused by two standard insurers, according to the Maryland Auto FAQ (opens in a new tab). Policies include liability, uninsured motorist and PIP coverage, with collision, comprehensive, rental and towing available. You can start online, but an authorized producer services the policy.

What is MAIF, and is it the same as Maryland Auto Insurance?

Yes, they're the same organization. Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund remains the legal name, and Maryland Auto Insurance is the name it uses with the public, according to Maryland Auto's explanation of the name change (opens in a new tab).

The legislature created the Fund in 1972, and it began operating on January 1, 1973, according to Maryland Auto (opens in a new tab). Its purpose is to provide auto liability insurance to Maryland residents who can't obtain it privately, which reduces the number of uninsured drivers on the road. It's an independent agency of the State of Maryland, governed by a nine-member Board of Trustees appointed by the Governor with the Senate's advice and consent for five-year terms. An Executive Director runs daily operations and serves at the Board's pleasure.

Maryland Auto receives no state funds and operates on premiums, revenues, investments and other receipts provided by law, according to its About page (opens in a new tab). The Fund's statutory provisions sit in Title 20 of the Insurance Article. Insurance §20-501 (opens in a new tab) defines a covered vehicle to include a motor vehicle required to be registered under Transportation Article Title 13, a moped and a motor scooter.

Who is eligible for MAIF?

Maryland Auto's FAQ (opens in a new tab) lists four conditions:

• You are a Maryland resident.
• You own an automobile registered in Maryland or have a valid Maryland driver's license.
• A standard insurer canceled or nonrenewed your policy for a reason other than nonpayment of premium, or two standard insurers refused you.
• You don't owe Maryland Auto any unpaid premium.

The nonpayment condition matters. If your last policy was canceled because a payment was missed, that cancellation alone doesn't meet the condition, so you would need the two-refusal route instead. If you owe Maryland Auto premium from an earlier policy, that debt has to be resolved first.

MAIF isn't only for drivers with bad records. Its policyholders include drivers with clean records, and people end up there after coverage lapses, credit issues, cancellations or private-market rejections, according to the Maryland Auto FAQ (opens in a new tab).

What proof should you gather before applying?

Keep the actual paperwork from the private market: the cancellation or nonrenewal notice, or the refusal from each of the two standard insurers. Then gather:

• Your Maryland driver's license information.
• Your Maryland vehicle registration or vehicle details, including the vehicle identification number and how you use the car.
• Prior insurance information.
• Lender information, if the car is financed.
• The coverages and limits you want.

The application may ask for more than this, so confirm what it requires for your situation. If you need coverage to keep your registration in good standing, act quickly. Maryland raised its penalties for uninsured drivers effective July 1, 2024, according to Maryland Auto's resources for uninsured Marylanders (opens in a new tab). Our article on the Maryland insurance lapse rules covers what happens with the MVA when coverage drops.

What does MAIF insurance cover?

Every policy starts with three coverages, according to Maryland Auto's coverage page (opens in a new tab):

• Liability of at least $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $15,000 per accident for property damage. This pays for injuries and damage you cause to others.
• Uninsured motorist coverage with minimum limits of 30/60/15, for bodily injury and property damage caused by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver. See do I need uninsured motorist coverage for how this works generally.
• Personal injury protection (PIP), which pays medical expenses and lost income for covered persons up to $2,500 per person, regardless of fault. That amount matches the statutory PIP minimum in Insurance §19-505 (opens in a new tab). Maryland allows PIP to be waived under the conditions in Insurance §19-506 (opens in a new tab), so ask whether your quote shows full, limited or waived PIP.

These line up with the state's minimum requirements, which are covered in more detail in Maryland car insurance requirements.

Collision, comprehensive, rental and towing

Physical damage to your own car is a separate choice. Collision pays for damage when your car strikes another vehicle or object. Comprehensive pays for damage from other causes, including theft, fire, hail and animals. If your car is financed, your lender may require both, according to Maryland Auto (opens in a new tab), so check your loan paperwork before you choose liability-only coverage. Our comprehensive vs collision insurance article goes through the difference in more depth.

Two smaller add-ons are also available. Rental reimbursement pays up to $35 per day and $1,050 per claim, and the towing and roadside program includes towing up to 15 miles at no charge.

Commercial vehicles

Maryland Auto also writes commercial auto. Commercial liability options run from $30,000/$60,000/$15,000 up to $100,000/$300,000/$100,000, plus combined single limits of $500,000, $750,000 and $1 million for eligible vehicles, according to its commercial auto page (opens in a new tab). Maryland Auto's Insured Division provides personal and commercial auto insurance, and its Uninsured Division helps eligible residents injured by uninsured drivers, according to its 2025 audit request for proposals (opens in a new tab). If you're looking for homeowners or another non-auto policy, ask Maryland Auto or an authorized provider directly before counting on one.

How do you apply for MAIF?

You can begin a quote online or go straight to an authorized producer. Maryland Auto sells through a producer network, and an online purchase is assigned to a provider in that network, who becomes your contact for servicing the policy, according to its online quote page (opens in a new tab). The network includes more than 1,400 authorized providers across Maryland, and a producer can help with quotes, binding, vehicle and coverage changes, and renewals.

A quote is not coverage. Before you drive, get the effective date in writing from the issued policy, a binder or other written confirmation, and keep your ID card with you.

You can check any producer's license through the Maryland Insurance Administration's producer search (opens in a new tab). Search the producer's exact name or firm name, confirm an active Maryland license, and compare the listed contact information with the person offering coverage. The MIA's company and producer search (opens in a new tab) is updated weekly, and its producer firm search (opens in a new tab) shows license number, status, address, phone and any MIA disciplinary orders. For general advice on picking someone to work with, see how to choose an insurance agent.

How does MAIF payment work?

Maryland Auto offers three ways to pay, according to its FAQ (opens in a new tab):

• Pay the full premium at purchase.
• Use an interest-free installment plan through a third party.
• Use extended payment financing through a third party, which adds interest.

The installment option requires an 18% down payment, with the remaining premium paid in nine equal installments over the policy term without interest, according to Maryland Auto's finance page (opens in a new tab). Ask your producer which arrangement your quote uses and get the installment amounts and due dates in writing, because the interest-free plan and premium financing are different products.

What happens if you miss a MAIF payment?

Paying less than the next payment amount may bring a late fee, and the policy may cancel if the rest of the next payment isn't paid before the cancellation date, according to the Maryland Auto payment portal (opens in a new tab). If you receive a Notice of Intent to Cancel, read it for the amount due and the cancellation date, then contact your producer or Maryland Auto before that date. Cancellation and reinstatement terms depend on your policy and the notice, so ask your producer what applies to you rather than assuming a grace period.

How do you file a claim?

Call Maryland Auto at 800-492-7120 and select option 3, according to its claims FAQ (opens in a new tab). A claims representative will contact you by the next business day. Have ready your name and address, the accident date, your phone and email, policy and vehicle information, the location, the other driver's information, police report details, and a description of injuries or damage.

Maryland Auto can arrange an estimate at an Estimate Center or send an appraiser if your car isn't drivable, and you can use the repair shop of your choice. Rental reimbursement depends on whether you bought it and its limits. You can also request an FR-19 proof-of-insurance form through Maryland Auto. If you replace or add a vehicle and want physical damage coverage transferred, notify Maryland Auto within 30 days. Our guide on how to file a car insurance claim covers the general steps.

Can you move back to a private insurer?

Maryland Auto describes its coverage as a transitional solution until you're eligible for the standard market. Customers who stay in good standing can sometimes move to standard policies in as little as a few months, though the timing isn't guaranteed, according to Maryland Auto's producer page (opens in a new tab).

At each renewal, ask your producer whether your eligibility for the standard market has changed and get the answer in writing. If you do switch, get written confirmation that the new policy is active before canceling your Maryland Auto policy, so there's no gap. How to switch car insurance walks through the timing.

Is MAIF a good insurance company?

Whether it fits depends on your situation, but a few facts help you judge it. Maryland Auto is a state agency overseen by a governor-appointed board, and its annual financial statements are independently audited. For 2024, its Insured Division reported admitted assets of $167.3 million and net earned premium of $122.7 million, according to its 2025 audit request for proposals (opens in a new tab). Those are organizational figures, not a measure of what you would pay.

The Maryland Insurance Administration doesn't rank insurers, according to its company search instructions (opens in a new tab), but the same search tool shows licensing, enforcement and examination information. If you have a service or regulatory problem with Maryland Auto or a producer, you can file a complaint through the MIA complaint page (opens in a new tab), and property and casualty complaint contacts are on the MIA contacts page (opens in a new tab).

Questions to ask before you buy

• Do I qualify based on my residence, license, registration and private-market history, and which document proves it?
• Is this a personal or commercial auto application?
• What liability, uninsured motorist and PIP limits are in the quote, and is PIP full, limited or waived?
• Are collision, comprehensive, rental reimbursement and towing included, and does my lender require physical damage coverage?
• What's the exact effective date, and when can I legally drive?
• Who is my assigned producer?
• What is the down payment, and is the plan interest-free or premium financing?
• What happens if a payment is late?
• When should we review whether I can move to the standard market?

Riskado's directory lists insurance agencies across the US, including Maryland, by city and by category. To find out whether a listed agency is an authorized Maryland Auto provider, ask the agency directly and check its license through the MIA. If you're comparing agency types, independent vs captive insurance agent explains the difference.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get MAIF if my insurance was canceled for nonpayment?

A cancellation for nonpayment doesn't meet the cancellation condition on its own. You could still qualify if two standard insurers refuse you and you meet the other conditions, according to the Maryland Auto FAQ (opens in a new tab).

Does MAIF use my tax dollars?

No. Maryland Auto receives no state funds and runs on premiums, revenues, investments and other receipts provided by law, according to its About page (opens in a new tab).

Does MAIF insure mopeds and scooters?

The Fund's statutory definition of a covered vehicle includes mopeds and motor scooters as well as registered motor vehicles, under Insurance §20-501 (opens in a new tab). Ask a producer how a policy for one would be written.

What does the Uninsured Division do?

It assists eligible Maryland residents injured by uninsured drivers and works to reduce the number of uninsured motorists. It's separate from the Insured Division that sells policies.

The short version

If private insurers have canceled, nonrenewed or refused you, Maryland Auto is the state's route to legal coverage. Gather your rejection paperwork, start a quote or call a producer, confirm the effective date in writing, keep up with installments, and ask at renewal whether you can return to the standard market.