Maine is the state where a missing late fee clause costs the most. Without a contract rate, an unpaid invoice earns no statutory interest until you serve a notice of claim — and in small claims, none at all. The good news: small claims jumped from $6,000 to $10,000 on January 1, 2026. Here's what Maine freelancers and small businesses need to know.
Maine Late Fee Calculator
Quick estimate at the standard 1.5%/month rate — Maine has no general cap on a written business rate. For grace periods, flat fees, and a PDF invoice, use the full late fee calculator.
Without a Contract Rate, Maine Interest Starts Late — or Never
In most states in this series, an unpaid invoice starts earning a statutory default rate on its due date. Maine works differently. There's no general statutory rate that attaches to an overdue invoice on its own. Interest arrives through the court process, under 14 M.R.S. § 1602-B:
- The rate: the one-year U.S. Treasury bill rate plus 3%, fixed from the last full week of the prior year — roughly 7% in a year when T-bills sit near 4%.
- The start date: the day you serve a notice of claim on the client. If you never send one, it runs only from the day you file the complaint.
- In small claims: prejudgment interest is not recoverable at all unless it's based on a contract or note that sets a rate.
Two things every Maine freelancer should do. First, put a rate in the contract — with one, § 1602-B allows prejudgment interest at your rate, in small claims too. Second, when an invoice goes seriously overdue, send a written notice of claim: it's the event that starts statutory interest running if your contract is silent.
Is There a Cap on a Written Late Fee in Maine?
Maine has no general usury ceiling on a rate agreed in writing between businesses, so the national-standard 1.5% a month (18% a year) — the calculator's default — is on solid ground with a business client. Individual clients buying on credit for personal or household use come under the Maine Consumer Credit Code (Title 9-A); 18% a year sits within its general limits on consumer credit sales, but keep consumer clauses simple.
As anywhere, a charge large enough to look like punishment — especially one stated per day — can be struck as a penalty. See is a daily late fee legal on an invoice.
Maine Small Claims Went to $10,000 in January 2026
Public Law 2025, chapter 261 raised Maine's small claims ceiling from $6,000 to $10,000, excluding interest and costs, for cases filed from January 1, 2026 (14 M.R.S. § 7482). Most guides — and many AI answers — still say $6,000. A $9,000 unpaid invoice that would have needed a full civil case in 2025 can now go to small claims.
Remember the interest rule above: in small claims, no contract rate means no prejudgment interest. Whether a claim is worth your hours is a separate question — is it worth suing a client over an unpaid invoice works through the arithmetic.
After Judgment: The Contract Rate or T-Bill + 6%
Once you have a judgment on a contract claim, 14 M.R.S. § 1602-C sets post-judgment interest at the contract rate or the one-year Treasury bill rate plus 6%, whichever is greater, fixed on the date of judgment. A written 18% rate keeps working after you win; without one, you're on the floating statutory rate.
How Maine Compares to Its Neighbors
Scroll sideways to see all columns
| State | Rate rule | Small claims limit |
|---|---|---|
| Maine | No general cap on a written B2B rate; no interest before a notice of claim without a contract rate | $10,000 (since Jan 2026) |
| New Hampshire | 10%/yr on business transactions unless agreed otherwise; no business cap | $10,000 |
| Massachusetts | 12%/yr on contract judgments; no commercial ceiling below criminal usury | $7,000 |
| Connecticut | 8% default; 12% usury cap is for loans | $5,000 |
Maine and New Hampshire now share a $10,000 small claims ceiling, but New Hampshire gives a business invoice 10% a year from the due date while Maine gives nothing until a notice of claim. For clients across the line, see the New Hampshire and Massachusetts guides.
Setting Up Enforceable Late Fees in Maine
- Always write a rate into the contract. In Maine it's the difference between interest from the due date and interest from the day you sue — or none in small claims.
- Use 1.5% a month with business clients; keep consumer clauses simple and within the Consumer Credit Code.
- Send a written notice of claim on any invoice you may have to pursue — it starts statutory interest if the contract is silent.
- Put the rate and due date on every invoice, not only in the original agreement.
Collecting in Maine
- Small claims: up to $10,000, excluding interest and costs, from January 1, 2026 (14 M.R.S. § 7482; previously $6,000)
- Prejudgment interest: contract rate if the contract sets one; otherwise one-year T-bill + 3%, from notice of claim or filing — not recoverable in small claims without a contract rate (§ 1602-B)
- Post-judgment interest on a contract claim: contract rate or T-bill + 6%, whichever is greater (§ 1602-C)
- Statute of limitations: 6 years for most civil actions
Need to calculate exactly what your Maine client owes with late fees included? Get the updated total instantly.
Calculate Late Fees →Maine rewards the freelancer who writes a rate down and punishes the one who doesn't: with a contract rate, interest runs from the due date and survives into judgment; without one, it waits for a notice of claim and disappears entirely in small claims. And with the small claims limit now at $10,000, more unpaid invoices can be pursued without a lawyer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free Maine late fee calculator? +
Yes. The quick calculator above estimates the fee at the common 1.5% a month. For grace periods, flat fees and a downloadable PDF, use GetSoloTools' full late fee calculator.
What interest applies in Maine if my contract doesn't state a rate? +
Less than you might expect, and later. Maine has no general statutory rate that attaches to an unpaid invoice on its due date. Prejudgment interest under 14 M.R.S. § 1602-B runs at the one-year Treasury bill rate plus 3%, and only from the date you serve a notice of claim on the client, or from the date you file suit if you never sent one. In a small claims case, prejudgment interest is not recoverable at all unless your contract sets a rate.
Is there a cap on late fees in Maine? +
Maine has no general usury ceiling on a rate agreed in writing between businesses, so the common 1.5% a month is on solid ground with a business client. Individual clients buying on credit for personal use fall under the Maine Consumer Credit Code; 18% a year is within its general limits on consumer credit sales.
What is the small claims limit in Maine? +
$10,000, excluding interest and costs, for cases filed from January 1, 2026 (14 M.R.S. § 7482, as amended by Public Law 2025, chapter 261). It was $6,000 before that, and many guides still show the old figure.
How long do I have to sue for an unpaid invoice in Maine? +
Six years under Maine's general civil statute of limitations. After judgment, interest on a contract claim runs at the contract rate or the one-year Treasury bill rate plus 6%, whichever is greater (14 M.R.S. § 1602-C).