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Maine

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Section inventory10 entries

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State law changes and varies by facts. Only source-checked inventories appear below. “Research pending” is not legal guidance and never means DJC may market, enroll, contract, bill, or provide a regulated service in this jurisdiction.

State statute inventory

Consumer-protection authorities under review

10 section entries

Source checked

Maine Unfair Trade Practices Act

5 M.R.S. §§ 205-A–214

All ten section titles and direct links were checked against the Maine Legislature’s official Chapter 10 publication generated October 23, 2025. The Maine Attorney General’s consumer guide was also used to identify the importance of the section 213 written-notice process.

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5 M.R.S. § 205-A

Short title

Names the chapter the Maine Unfair Trade Practices Act.

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5 M.R.S. § 206

Definitions

Defines documentary material, person, trade, and commerce.

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5 M.R.S. § 207

Unlawful acts and conduct

Declares unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive trade practices unlawful and addresses interpretation and rules.

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5 M.R.S. § 208

Exceptions

Identifies conduct or transactions excluded from the chapter under specified circumstances.

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5 M.R.S. § 209

Injunction; procedures

Authorizes Attorney General actions for injunctions, restoration of money or property, civil penalties, and other relief.

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5 M.R.S. § 210

Discontinuance; costs

Addresses assurances that challenged conduct will stop and recovery of specified enforcement costs.

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5 M.R.S. § 211

Examination; notice requirements

Describes investigative examinations, demands, notices, and related procedures.

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5 M.R.S. § 212

Penalties

Provides penalties for specified violations or failures to comply.

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5 M.R.S. § 213

Private remedies

Addresses private actions, damages, equitable relief, fees, and a written notice and settlement-offer process; review the current statute before sending notice or calculating a deadline.

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5 M.R.S. § 214

Waiver; public policy

Provides that specified waivers of chapter protections are contrary to public policy.

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Research map

Maine consumer-credit categories

Research pending

Credit services and credit repair organizations

Licensing, registration, bonding, contracts, fees, cancellation, advertising, and prohibited practices.

What the legal reviewer checks

Covered-service definitions
License or registration requirements
Contract and disclosure language
Fee and cancellation restrictions
Advertising and prohibited practices

Research pending

Debt collection

State collection-agency licensing, prohibited conduct, validation-related rules, remedies, and regulator contacts.

What the legal reviewer checks

Collector and agency definitions
Licensing and exemptions
Communication and conduct restrictions
Civil remedies and enforcement
Complaint channels

Research pending

Consumer reporting and security freezes

State credit-reporting duties, freezes, protected-consumer freezes, identity-theft blocks, and remedies.

What the legal reviewer checks

Freeze placement and lifting
Fees and timing
Protected consumers
Identity-theft procedures
Enforcement and remedies

Authority identified

Identity theft, data breach, and privacy

Identity-theft crimes and recovery tools, breach notices, personal-information safeguards, and privacy rights.

5 M.R.S. §§ 205-A–214

What the legal reviewer checks

Breach notice triggers and timing
Covered personal information
Security safeguards
Identity-theft reports and blocks
Attorney-general enforcement

Research pending

Garnishment and judgment protections

State exemptions, disposable-earnings limits, court procedures, bank-account protections, and employer duties.

What the legal reviewer checks

Wage and bank exemptions
Debt-specific limits
Claim-of-exemption procedure
Notice and hearing deadlines
Employer restrictions

Research pending

Repossession and deficiency balances

Notice, cure, repossession conduct, sale, accounting, redemption, and deficiency rules.

What the legal reviewer checks

Right-to-cure notices
Repossession restrictions
Sale notice and commercial reasonableness
Redemption
Deficiency accounting and defenses

Research pending

Small-dollar and consumer lending

Licensing, rates, fees, payment plans, disclosures, collection practices, and complaint resources.

What the legal reviewer checks

Covered loan definitions
License requirements
Rate and fee limits
Rollover or payment-plan rules
Enforcement

Research pending

Mortgage, housing, and auto finance

Servicing, foreclosure, homeowner, dealer-finance, motor-vehicle-sales, and related protections.

What the legal reviewer checks

Mortgage servicing and foreclosure
Homeowner notices and assistance
Dealer and sales-finance licensing
Auto disclosures
Complaints and remedies

Research pending

Medical and utility debt

Billing, collection, charity-care, utility termination, deposit, and payment-plan rules.

What the legal reviewer checks

Hospital and medical billing
Charity-care disclosures
Utility shutoff protections
Deposits and payment plans
Complaint agencies

Research pending

Military and veteran protections

State protections that may supplement federal servicemember and military-lending laws.

What the legal reviewer checks

State active-duty coverage
Interest or collection protections
Lease and contract rules
Court stays
Military legal-assistance contacts

Need information before review is complete?

Use the official state source, state attorney general, financial regulator, or legal-aid provider. Confirm current effective dates and amendments before relying on a section.

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