Coverage line

A careful hand plucks one flawed jar from a circulating row of identical plain jars.Illustration for The General Average

What Product Recall Insurance Requirements Apply in District of Columbia?

D.C. Code §48-108.01 authorizes the Mayor to embargo food, forbid its sale, or cause destruction without prior notice under specified conditions. The same statute requires simultaneous written notice and gives the licensee a right to request a hearing; ask how your policy treats a mandatory hold and disposal.

What Is Product Recall Insurance?

Product recall insurance can pay specified costs to locate and withdraw a product after a covered problem. It fits businesses that could face recall logistics; product liability does not automatically pay those costs, so compare the trigger and covered expenses. Read the national Product recall guide.

What to Watch for With Product Recall in District of Columbia

Unsafe Food May Be Held Without Prior Notice
Under §48-108.01 the Mayor may embargo and forbid sales without prior notice when food may be unsafe, adulterated, or handled contrary to law. Identify D.C. inventory, cold-storage costs, and sales channels when asking about a regulator-directed trigger. ¹
An Embargo Comes With Written Notice
The statute requires written notice at the same time as an embargo, stating the action, basis, and right to request a hearing. Ask whether the policy definition includes an order stopping sales before a broader public recall begins. ¹
The Mayor Can Examine and Condemn Food
Section 48-104 authorizes adoption of the FDA Model Food Code for retail sale and service and permits examination, embargo, and condemnation of food. If your D.C. operation is a restaurant, market, central kitchen, or distributor, clarify how the insured role affects recall expenses. ²

Providers With District of Columbia License Records

No provider in our research documents both a state license record and this coverage line. This does not establish that providers are unlicensed. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm availability with a provider when requesting a quote.

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. ^4,^5,⁷

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 ^6,^8,^9,^10,³

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 Product Recall in District of Columbia

Does the policy respond to a D.C. embargo that stops sales before a voluntary or public recall?
Are inventory hold, customer notice, return shipping, relabeling, and destruction separately addressed?
Does the scheduled insured include our D.C. restaurant, market, central kitchen, or distribution entity?

Product Recall Insurance in District of Columbia: FAQ

Can D.C. embargo unsafe food without prior notice?

Yes. Section 48-108.01 allows the Mayor to embargo food without prior notice under specified conditions, while requiring simultaneous written notice and providing a right to request a hearing. ¹

Can D.C. order food destroyed?

Yes. The Mayor may cause food to be destroyed under §48-108.01 when the listed conditions apply. Ask whether your quote addresses destruction costs and how they interact with an agency hold. ¹

Sources

17 documents, numbered as cited. Open the sources

Sources for Product Recall Insurance in District of Columbia

1
D.C. Code §48-108.01: Administrative Remedies for Enforcement. Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Law Library; §48-108.01(d)(1)–(2), food embargo, destruction, simultaneous notice and hearing. Accessed 2026-09-28.
2
D.C. Code §48-104: Enforcement Measures; Rules and Regulations. Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Law Library; §48-104(b)(1), (9), food code, examination, embargo and condemnation authority. Accessed 2026-09-28.
3
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.
4
Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. District of Columbia DISB; Official insurance regulator homepage. Accessed 2026-09-28.
5
Verify a Financial Institution or Representative Licensed with DISB. District of Columbia DISB; Official license verification for companies and representatives. Accessed 2026-09-28.
6
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.
7
File a Complaint or Report Fraud. District of Columbia DISB; Official insurance complaint information and filing form. Accessed 2026-09-28.
8
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.
9
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.
10
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.
11
Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
12
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.
13
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.
14
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.
15
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.
16
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.
17
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 Product Recall Insurance Requirements Apply in District of Columbia?

What Is Product Recall Insurance?

What to Watch for With Product Recall in District of Columbia

Unsafe Food May Be Held Without Prior Notice

An Embargo Comes With Written Notice

The Mayor Can Examine and Condemn Food