Coverage line

A stone arch depends on a single person-shaped keystone.Illustration for The General Average

What Key Person Insurance Requirements Apply in District of Columbia?

District of Columbia residents receive up to $300,000 in state guaranty-association coverage for a life policy’s death benefit if a member insurer becomes insolvent. Because a key-person policy may exceed that backstop, identify the issuing insurer and size the benefit with the cap in view. Ask the broker to link the person’s role, business exposure, and proposed owner in the application materials. Put the explanation in the underwriting file. Compare your ownership and insured’s role with D.C. Code § 19-1301.12(b).

What Is Key Person Insurance?

Key person insurance pays the business, not the person’s family, when a founder, partner or employee it relies on dies. Disability, overhead expense and buyout funding are separate products to discuss on their own. Read the national Key person guide.

What to Watch for With Key Person in District of Columbia

Document the Business Interest
Ask the broker to link the person’s role, business exposure, and proposed owner in the application materials. Put the explanation in the underwriting file. ¹
Complete Written Notice and Consent
The employer’s District of Columbia file should preserve both the written notice and signed consent before coverage begins. Keep the signed form with the final policy. ^2,³
Check the State Guaranty Backstop
For District of Columbia, NOLHGA reports a $300,000 life death-benefit ceiling. Ask whether your other nongroup policies count toward the association’s owner-level aggregate. Include it in the ownership and beneficiary review. For issuance, also check D.C. Code § 19-1301.12(b). ^4,^5,¹

Which Key Person Providers Have District of Columbia License Records?

These providers publish a national listing for Key person; 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 District of Columbia. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.

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. ²⁰
Vouch arranges key person coverage for technology businesses.

Who Regulates Insurance in District of Columbia?

District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking

DISB licenses and supervises insurance companies and producers, enforces District insurance laws, and provides consumer complaint assistance. Its licensing search covers insurance entities and representatives; consumers can contact the agency’s complaints unit for help. ^7,^8,¹⁰

Website: Regulator website
License lookup: Search licensed producers
Complaints: File a complaint
Phone: (202) 727-8000

Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office in District of Columbia

Reported tax rate. Generally 2% of gross premium, including qualifying placement fees ^9,^11,^12,^13,⁶

When the District is the insured’s home state, surplus-lines agents and brokers generally owe a 2% tax on gross premium, including necessary fees incidental to placement when separately itemized. An agent or broker procuring insurance on behalf of the District government is exempt for that government business; claiming the exemption requires identifying its allocation in the required affidavit and does not waive other statutory duties. Ask the broker which taxes and fees your agreement passes through to you. DISB generally requires a diligent effort to place risks with authorized insurers. For a purchaser meeting the federal exempt-commercial-purchaser definition, the broker may skip that search only after disclosing that insurance may or may not be available from the admitted market, which may provide greater protection with more regulatory oversight, followed by the purchaser’s written request for nonadmitted placement. This record does not state a District-specific guaranty-fund conclusion.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy Key Person in District of Columbia

What District of Columbia law supports our business’s insurable interest in this person, and what should we retain to prove the role?
What written notice and consent must the insured receive before this policy is issued, and can coverage continue after employment ends?
How would District of Columbia’s guaranty-association limit apply to this policy and our other business-owned life policies?

Key Person Insurance in District of Columbia: FAQ

How much of a key person life policy is protected if an insurer fails in District of Columbia?

For District of Columbia life benefits, the stated protection amount is $300,000. That is an insolvency backstop, not the face amount you can insure. NOLHGA reports an aggregate $5 million limit for one owner’s multiple nongroup life policies. ^4,⁵

Does my business need an employee’s consent for key person insurance in District of Columbia?

Yes. Federal rules require written notice and consent before issue for the employer-owned life tax exception. The employer’s District of Columbia file should preserve both the written notice and signed consent before coverage begins. Keep the signed form with the final policy. Confirm the stated maximum face amount matches the application. For state-law details, check D.C. Code § 19-1301.12(b). ^2,^3,¹

Sources

20 documents, numbered as cited. Open the sources

Sources for Key Person Insurance in District of Columbia

1
2025 District of Columbia Code § 19-1301.12 — Insurable Interest of Trustee. State statute (Justia U.S. Codes and Statutes); D.C. Code § 19-1301.12(b). Accessed 2026-09-28.
2
26 U.S.C. § 101(j) — Certain employer-owned life insurance contracts. Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives; 26 U.S.C. § 101(j)(2), (4). Accessed 2026-09-28.
3
Internal Revenue Bulletin 2009-24 — Employer-Owned Life Insurance Contracts. Internal Revenue Service; Notice 2009-48, Q&A 6–7; written notice and consent. Accessed 2026-09-28.
4
How You’re Protected: Coverage Levels by State. National Organization of Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Associations; Coverage Levels by State; life insurance death benefits; report current as of May 2025. Accessed 2026-09-28.
5
Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association Model Act. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Section 8(A)(2)(d), owner aggregate benefit cap. Accessed 2026-09-28.
6
D.C. Code §31–2502.40: License to procure policies from unauthorized companies. Council of the District of Columbia; Subsection (a): broker/agent tax and diligent effort; (c)(1)–(3): District-government procurement tax exemption, allocation statement and continuing duties. Accessed 2026-09-28.
7
Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. District of Columbia DISB; Official insurance regulator homepage. Accessed 2026-09-28.
8
Verify a Financial Institution or Representative Licensed with DISB. District of Columbia DISB; Official license verification for companies and representatives. Accessed 2026-09-28.
9
Surplus Line Information. District of Columbia DISB; Current 2% tax base including incidental placement fees; fees must be necessary and separately itemized; diligent-effort rule. Accessed 2026-09-28.
10
File a Complaint or Report Fraud. District of Columbia DISB; Official insurance complaint information and filing form. Accessed 2026-09-28.
11
15 U.S.C. §8201: Reporting, payment, and allocation of premium taxes. U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Law Revision Counsel; §8201(a): exclusive insured home-State authority to require nonadmitted premium tax; (c): separate allocation reporting. Accessed 2026-09-28.
12
15 U.S.C. § 8205: Streamlined application for commercial purchasers. U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Law Revision Counsel; §8205(1)-(2): admitted-market disclosure about possible availability, greater protection and oversight followed by the qualified purchaser’s written request; eligibility separately defined in §8206(5). Accessed 2026-09-28.
13
15 U.S.C. §8206: Definitions. U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Law Revision Counsel; §8206(5) exempt-commercial-purchaser criteria; (6) home State and affiliated-insured rules; (13) qualified risk manager. Accessed 2026-09-28.
14
Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
15
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.
16
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.
17
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.
18
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.
19
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.
20
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 Key Person Insurance Requirements Apply in District of Columbia?

What Is Key Person Insurance?

What to Watch for With Key Person in District of Columbia

Document the Business Interest

Complete Written Notice and Consent

Check the State Guaranty Backstop