AbstractCertain monocyclic and polycyclic tertiary amines initiate polymerization of, and copolymerize with, pivalolactone. These comprise three‐, four‐, and five‐membered monocyclic amines and 1‐azapolycyclic amines. The polymerization proceeds in three steps: (a) initiation to form a cyclic amine/pivalate betaine, (b) propagation to yield a polylactone zwitterion by an anionic mechanism, and (c) interlinking by a carboxylate end attacking a cyclic amine end to incorporate amine as a comonomer in the chain. When polymerization is carried out at low temperatures, the more stable cyclic amine ring systems yield isolatable step b polymers. These polymeric zwitterions undergo step c by heating, even in the solid state. The mechanism suggests that, for the more labile cyclic amines, a lactone could be the initiator for polyamine formation by a cationic mechanism. Interlinking would lead to incorporation of lactone initiator. In intermediate cases, block copolymers would result. With a proper balance of reactivities, 1:1 alternating copolymers would be possible.