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A visitor's foot narrowly misses a toppled ceramic vessel at a shop entrance.Illustration for The General Average

What General Liability Insurance Requirements Apply in Mississippi?

The Mississippi Supreme Court, applying Mississippi Code section 85-5-7, held that liability for damages caused by more than one person is several only, so each tortfeasor pays the damages allocated to that person’s percentage of fault, unless the persons consciously and deliberately pursued a common plan or design to commit a tortious act or actively took part in it. That allocation rule does not set a policy limit. On an MDOT road or bridge contract using the 2017 Standard Specifications, section 107.14.2.1 requires commercial general liability of not less than $500,000 each occurrence and $1,000,000 aggregate, automobile liability of $500,000 combined single limit, and employers’ liability at the amounts stated there. Railroad work under section 107.14.2.2 adds a separate excess/umbrella layer of $5,000,000 each occurrence and aggregate.

What Is General Liability Insurance?

General liability can protect your business when a customer or visitor claims you caused injury or damaged their property. It suits businesses serving customers or working on their premises; your own building, tools and stock need property coverage. Read the national General liability guide.

Mississippi General Liability Insurance Requirements

Requirement	Details
MDOT 2017 primary liability limits	Section 107.14.2.1 of MDOT’s 2017 Standard Specifications requires commercial general liability, including subcontractors and contractual, of not less than $500,000 each occurrence and $1,000,000 aggregate, automobile liability of $500,000 combined single limit each accident, and workers’ compensation with employers’ liability of $100,000 each accident, $100,000 each employee, and $500,000 policy limit. Each policy must be signed or countersigned by a Mississippi agent or qualified nonresident agent. This is a road-contract specification, not a limit for every Mississippi business. ²
MDOT railroad excess layer	For work on, over, or under railroad rights-of-way shown on the plans, section 107.14.2.2 requires excess/umbrella liability of $5,000,000 each occurrence and $5,000,000 aggregate, above contractor’s liability of $1,000,000 each occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate and automobile liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit. Railroad protective liability is a separate $5,000,000/$10,000,000 policy purchased on behalf of the railroad. ²

Requirement

Details

MDOT 2017 primary liability limits

Section 107.14.2.1 of MDOT’s 2017 Standard Specifications requires commercial general liability, including subcontractors and contractual, of not less than $500,000 each occurrence and $1,000,000 aggregate, automobile liability of $500,000 combined single limit each accident, and workers’ compensation with employers’ liability of $100,000 each accident, $100,000 each employee, and $500,000 policy limit. Each policy must be signed or countersigned by a Mississippi agent or qualified nonresident agent. This is a road-contract specification, not a limit for every Mississippi business. ²

MDOT railroad excess layer

For work on, over, or under railroad rights-of-way shown on the plans, section 107.14.2.2 requires excess/umbrella liability of $5,000,000 each occurrence and $5,000,000 aggregate, above contractor’s liability of $1,000,000 each occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate and automobile liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit. Railroad protective liability is a separate $5,000,000/$10,000,000 policy purchased on behalf of the railroad. ²

What to Watch for With General Liability in Mississippi

A co-defendant’s unpaid share is not automatically yours
In Borne v. Estate of Carraway, the Supreme Court reversed a joint-and-several repair award because section 85-5-7(2) makes liability several only, and subsection (4) reserves joint and several liability for persons who consciously and deliberately pursue a common plan or design to commit a tortious act or actively take part in it. The court apportioned the culvert-repair costs by the fault percentages already found. Ask whether the complaint alleges that kind of common plan before you price a limit as if it must absorb every defendant’s share. ¹
Active fault blocked indemnity against the city in that case
The lake owners and association asked the city for indemnity, arguing the city alone should pay. The Supreme Court agreed with the chancellor that indemnity is not a fault-sharing device for joint tortfeasors: a party at fault is not due indemnity, with a narrow exception when the claimant was at most passively negligent. Because those defendants were actively negligent, they were not entitled to indemnity from the city. Do not treat a contractual indemnity clause, or an additional-insured endorsement, as if this opinion created one. Ask counsel whether the claim is active fault, which this opinion left with each defendant, or a passive-negligence indemnity theory. ¹
The $500,000 occurrence figure is an MDOT contract number
Section 107.14.2.1 applies to the contractor on a project built under those specifications. A 2026 MDOT bid proposal still pointed bidders to subsections 102.08, 103.05.2, and 107.14.2.1 for who must sign liability policies. Read the special provisions on the job you are bidding. The general schedule does not itself add the $5 million excess layer; that layer is in the railroad subsection. ^2,³
Railroad work inserts a $5 million excess occurrence and aggregate
Section 107.14.2.2 states excess/umbrella liability of $5,000,000 each occurrence and $5,000,000 aggregate, written in the contractor’s name for damages to persons other than the contractor’s own employees, and it requires the same structure for each subcontractor or a separate policy from that subcontractor. Confirm the follow-form wording and whether the railroad protective policy is the railroad’s coverage rather than your excess limit. ²

Which General Liability Providers Have Mississippi License Records?

These providers publish a national listing for General liability; 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 Mississippi. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.

Corgi
Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28
Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.
Corgi’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. ¹⁴
Corgi lists commercial general liability among its business insurance offerings.
ERGO NEXT Insurance
Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28
Next First Insurance Agency, Inc.
ERGO NEXT’s current license table lists Next First Insurance Agency, Inc. in 50 jurisdictions, including Washington, DC; New York is excluded because its table rows name Next Insurance Services and AP Intego, not Next First. The table is company-reported; it does not establish product availability or provide state-regulator verification for each entry. ¹⁶
ERGO NEXT offers online general liability quotes and purchasing for eligible businesses.
Hiscox
Insurer · checked 2026-09-28
Hiscox Insurance Company Inc.
Hiscox’s U.S. company information states that Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This is company-reported insurer authority for this entity and does not establish which company issues every Hiscox-branded product. ¹⁵
Hiscox offers general liability insurance for small businesses.
TechInsurance
Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28
Specialty Program Group LLC
TechInsurance’s current licensing page names Specialty Program Group LLC / SPG Insurance Solutions and lists state license numbers, but labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses” rather than identifying a license for the named agency. RI is omitted because this disclosure does not establish agency authority there; this is a search limitation, not an assertion that the company is unlicensed. The remaining state entries are company-reported and are not an insurance product availability map. ¹⁷
TechInsurance arranges general liability insurance for small businesses.
Vouch
Insurance producer, Surplus-lines broker · checked 2026-09-28
Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC
Vouch’s licenses page, effective January 16, 2025, lists producer licenses in all 50 states and DC. Its separate surplus-lines table includes Idaho number 870820, while a footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses. Because those statements conflict for Idaho, this record keeps Idaho producer-only and does not treat the table number as established agency surplus-lines authority. The page is company-reported and does not establish product availability. ¹⁸
Vouch lists general liability among the core coverages in its technology-company programs.

Who Regulates Insurance in Mississippi?

Mississippi Insurance Department

The Mississippi Insurance Department licenses agents and companies, enforces state insurance laws, and investigates insurance complaints. You can use its state lookup or complaint service to check a license or raise an insurance issue. ^4,^5,⁶

Website: Regulator website
License lookup: Search licensed producers
Complaints: File a complaint
Phone: 800-562-2957

Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office in Mississippi

Reported tax rate. 4% premium tax and 0.25% stamping fee on gross premium and policy fees when Mississippi is the insured's home state; MSLA says do not report if Mississippi is not the home state unless 100% of premium is allocated to Mississippi. A separate 3% MWUA fee applies to gross premium and policy fees except residential flood and earthquake. ^7,^8,^9,^10,¹¹

For policies quoted or bound on or after July 1, 2017, Mississippi no longer requires a general diligent search before surplus-lines placement. If Mississippi is the insured's home state, the published charges are 4% premium tax and a 0.25% stamping fee on gross premium and policy fees, plus a separate 3% MWUA fee except for residential flood and earthquake; Mississippi's required policy notice says a nonadmitted insurer is not protected by the Mississippi Insurance Guaranty Association if it becomes insolvent.

Mississippi Surplus Lines Association

Questions to Ask Before You Buy General Liability in Mississippi

Does this MDOT job follow the 2017 specifications, and do the plans show railroad right-of-way that pulls in section 107.14.2.2?
Is anyone alleged to have pursued a common plan under section 85-5-7(4), or is liability several by percentage?
Will each liability policy be signed by a Mississippi agent or qualified nonresident agent, as section 107.14.2.1 requires?

General Liability Insurance in Mississippi: Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Mississippi defendant liable for a co-defendant’s share?

Not in the ordinary case described by the Supreme Court under section 85-5-7(2). Liability is several, in proportion to fault. Joint and several liability applies to persons who consciously and deliberately pursue a common plan or design to commit a tortious act, or who actively take part in it. ¹

What general-liability limit does an MDOT road contract specify?

Under section 107.14.2.1 of the 2017 Standard Specifications, commercial general liability must be not less than $500,000 each occurrence and $1,000,000 aggregate. Railroad work in section 107.14.2.2 uses higher primary limits and a $5,000,000 excess/umbrella layer. Confirm the project documents before you bind. ²

Sources

18 documents, numbered as cited. Open the sources

Sources for General Liability Insurance in Mississippi

1
Borne v. Estate of Carraway, No. 2011-CA-00267-SCT. Supreme Court of Mississippi; Opinion pages discussing Miss. Code Ann. § 85-5-7(2) and (4) (Rev. 2011); disposition July 18, 2013; several liability and the common-plan exception. Accessed 2026-09-29.
2
Mississippi Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction (2017). Mississippi Department of Transportation; Section 107.14.2.1 general liability limits; section 107.14.2.2 railroad excess/umbrella of $5,000,000 each occurrence and aggregate. Accessed 2026-09-29.
3
MDOT notice to bidders, Mississippi agent requirement. Mississippi Department of Transportation; March 24, 2026 proposal, Notice to Bidders No. 445: liability insurance policies must be signed by a Mississippi agent or qualified nonresident agent under 2017 subsections 102.08, 103.05.2, and 107.14.2.1. Accessed 2026-09-29.
4
Mississippi Insurance Department. Mississippi Insurance Department; Homepage and consumer/licensing services. Accessed 2026-09-28.
5
Insurance License Lookup. Mississippi Insurance Department; State-designated producer/company search. Accessed 2026-09-28.
6
File an Insurance Complaint. Mississippi Insurance Department; State complaint process and contact. Accessed 2026-09-28.
7
E-Pay Frequently Asked Questions. Mississippi Surplus Lines Association; Current MSLA E-Pay FAQ, question 'What are the current rates...' (lines 112–116): 0.25% stamping fee and 4% premium tax, both on gross premium and policy fees. Accessed 2026-09-28.
8
E-Pay Frequently Asked Questions. Mississippi Surplus Lines Association; Current MSLA E-Pay FAQ, lines 112–118: MWUA nonadmitted policy fee 3% on gross premium and policy fees, excluding residential flood and earthquake. Accessed 2026-09-28.
9
Insurer FAQs. Mississippi Surplus Lines Association; Current MSLA insurer FAQ, question 'What is a Home State?...' (lines 90–92): defines insured's home state under NRRA; directs no Mississippi reporting if Mississippi is not home state unless 100% of premium is allocated to Mississippi; MS-home-state written premium is reported. Accessed 2026-09-28.
10
Mississippi Department of Insurance Bulletin 2017-3. Mississippi Insurance Department; Issued May 12, 2017; page 1, visually verified: HB 447 removed the diligent-search requirement; on/after July 1, 2017 producers need not conduct a diligent search before placement and bulletin applies to policies quoted/bound on/after that date. Page 2, visually verified: required policy notice states policy is not protected by MIGA upon insurer insolvency; page 2 also withdraws Bulletins 2012-4 and 2015-5. Accessed 2026-09-28.
11
Mississippi Department of Insurance Bulletin 2017-3. Mississippi Insurance Department; Issued May 12, 2017; page 1, visually verified: after HB 447, no general diligent search is required for policies quoted or bound on/after July 1, 2017; not an ECP-only exception. Accessed 2026-09-28.
12
Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
13
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.
14
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.
15
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.
16
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.
17
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.
18
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.

What General Liability Insurance Requirements Apply in Mississippi?

What Is General Liability Insurance?

Mississippi General Liability Insurance Requirements

What to Watch for With General Liability in Mississippi

A co-defendant’s unpaid share is not automatically yours

Active fault blocked indemnity against the city in that case

The $500,000 occurrence figure is an MDOT contract number

Railroad work inserts a $5 million excess occurrence and aggregate

Which General Liability Providers Have Mississippi License Records?

Corgi

ERGO NEXT Insurance

Hiscox

TechInsurance

Vouch