What General Liability Insurance Requirements Apply in Missouri?
Missouri’s tort-allocation statute makes a defendant found at least 51% at fault jointly and severally liable for the judgment, while a defendant below 51% generally pays its share, subject to employer and federal FELA exceptions. A five-year limitations period covers listed personal and property injury actions, subject to specific exceptions.
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.
What to Watch for With General Liability in Missouri
The 51% Threshold Can Change Collection Exposure
Under §537.067, a defendant at 51% or more of fault is jointly and severally liable for the judgment; below 51%, the defendant generally pays its share, except when responsible for an employee’s fault or liability arising under federal FELA. Ask how the policy limit responds if the business is found at or above the threshold. 1
Punitive Damages Stay Several
Section 537.067 makes punitive damages several-only in all cases, even when a defendant otherwise has joint liability for compensatory damages. Ask the broker to confirm the policy’s treatment of punitive damages under Missouri law rather than infer coverage from the allocation rule. 1
Five Years Covers Listed Personal and Property Injuries
Section 516.120 gives five years for actions in its listed categories, including injury to a person or rights not arising in contract and not otherwise enumerated, and taking, detaining, or injuring personal property. Ask counsel to identify any more specific period or accrual rule for the claim. 2
Which General Liability Providers Have Missouri 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 Missouri. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.
Corgi
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. 13
Corgi lists commercial general liability among its business insurance offerings.
ERGO NEXT Insurance
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. 15
ERGO NEXT offers online general liability quotes and purchasing for eligible businesses.
Hiscox
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. 14
Hiscox offers general liability insurance for small businesses.
Pie Insurance
The Pie Insurance Company
The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance record identifies The Pie Insurance Company (NAIC 21857; license B424258) as active for Property and Casualty in Missouri, admitted 7 July 1999. No expiry or renewal date is shown. This one carrier record does not establish where Pie’s other carriers or producer operate. 16
Pie arranges general liability insurance through unaffiliated third-party insurers.
TechInsurance
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
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 Missouri?
Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance
Missouri DCI licenses insurance producers and insurers, reviews property and casualty rates and forms, and investigates complaints against insurance companies and producers. 3,4,5,6
Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office in Missouri
Reported tax rate. 5% of premium; Missouri taxes the entire gross premium when Missouri is the home state 7,8,9,10
When Missouri is the insured’s home state, the state applies its 5% surplus-lines tax to the entire gross premium of a multistate policy; the regulator’s FAQ says the tax includes applicable fees. Eligible nonadmitted insurers do not participate in the Missouri Guaranty Fund, and Missouri generally requires the full amount or kind of coverage to be unavailable from admitted insurers before placement; an exempt commercial purchaser search exception has separate disclosure and written-request conditions.
Questions to Ask Before You Buy General Liability in Missouri
- If our business is assigned 51% or more fault, how would the full-judgment rule interact with the liability limit?
- How does the policy address punitive damages, which Missouri allocates several-only?
- Which category and accrual rule in §516.120 applies to this demand?
General Liability Insurance in Missouri: Frequently Asked Questions
When can a Missouri defendant be liable for the full judgment?
A tort defendant found 51% or more at fault is jointly and severally liable for the judgment; below 51%, it generally pays its share, subject to the statute’s employee and federal FELA exceptions. 1
How long does a claimant have to sue for a Missouri injury?
Generally five years for covered injury-to-person or rights claims under §516.120, but the section has enumerated categories and exceptions. 2
General Liability Insurance Guides for Other States
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Other coverage in MissouriEvery coverage guide for Missouri, plus the regulator and surplus-lines details.18 documents, numbered as cited. Open the sources