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Cargo insurance for Washington shipments

Washington separates common-carrier liability/property-damage filings from household-goods cargo insurance. A permitted household-goods carrier must carry $10,000 cargo coverage below 10,000 pounds GVWR or $20,000 at or above that threshold; compare those minima with the value of your move. 1,2

What Is Cargo And Transit?

Cargo coverage fits a shipper protecting goods it owns or a carrier responsible for another party’s goods. The quote needs to match who bears the loss, the shipment route and storage stops. Read the national Cargo and transit guide.

Washington Requirements

RequirementDetails
Common-carrier liability filingWAC 480-14-250 requires common carriers with authority to file liability and property-damage insurance; its limits vary by vehicle GVWR and hazard category. 1
Household-goods cargo filingWAC 480-15-550 sets $10,000 minimum cargo insurance below 10,000 pounds GVWR and $20,000 at or above 10,000 pounds for household goods carried under the permit. 2

What to Watch for in Washington

  • The common-carrier filing is not the household-goods cargo limit

    WAC 480-14-250 addresses public liability/property damage; WAC 480-15-550 separately requires household-goods cargo coverage. Ask which rule and permit category applies to the shipment, and request cargo evidence rather than relying on Form E alone. 1,2

  • Washington's household-goods cargo minimum may sit below your shipment value

    The state minimum is $10,000 below 10,000 pounds GVWR and $20,000 at or above that threshold. Compare it with the highest load value and ask how the policy handles multiple customers' goods on one vehicle. 2

  • Check filing continuity before a carrier's policy renews or changes

    For common-carrier liability filings, WAC 480-14-250 requires continued proof at least 10 days before termination; a binder may last no longer than 60 days before Form E or G is filed. Ask the carrier to confirm current UTC proof, not just a policy quote. 1

Who Regulates Insurance in Washington

Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner

The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner administers Washington insurance laws, oversees insurers and insurance producers within its authority, and provides regulatory and consumer resources. You can use the department's complaint process to raise an insurance issue and its licensing resources to check insurance professionals. 3,4,5

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 2% of premium The NAIC's state chart lists a 2% of premium charge for surplus-lines coverage for Washington (the chart's state entries were reviewed in October 2025). Your broker may collect the applicable amount with the premium. Surplus-lines insurers are not licensed in the state and generally are outside state guaranty-association protection; ask your broker to explain the insurer's financial protections and any diligent-search requirement that applies to your placement. 6,7

Providers With Documented State Licenses

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

  • CorgiCorgi Insurance Services, Inc.Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28Corgi’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. 10

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Washington

  1. Is the carrier operating under a common-carrier permit or a household-goods permit for this move?
  2. What GVWR threshold applies to each vehicle and what cargo limit is filed for the household goods?
  3. Does the UTC still have continuous liability and cargo proof after any renewal or insurer change?

Cargo And Transit in Washington: FAQ

What cargo limits does Washington require for household-goods carriers? 2

WAC 480-15-550 requires at least $10,000 below 10,000 pounds GVWR and $20,000 at or above 10,000 pounds for household goods under the permit. Compare those minima with your actual shipment value. 2

Does common-carrier liability insurance satisfy the cargo filing? 1,2

No. WAC 480-14-250 addresses liability and property damage, while WAC 480-15-550 separately requires household-goods cargo insurance. Request the filing that matches the goods and carrier permit. 1,2

Cargo And Transit in Other States

Other Coverage in Washington

Sources

  1. WAC 480-14-250: Insurance requirements. Washington State Legislature; Common-carrier liability/property-damage filings by GVWR, proof continuation, binders, and cancellation, subsections (1)–(4). Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. WAC 480-15-550: Cargo insurance. Washington State Legislature; Household-goods cargo minimums by GVWR, permit proof, and suspension consequence, subsections (1)–(4). Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner; Official regulator website; insurance oversight and consumer/professional resources. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Insurance Department Directory. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner entry; official contact and website listing. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Surplus Lines Insurance Premium Taxes. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; WA row; state surplus-lines premium-tax rate reviewed October 2025. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Guaranty Associations & Funds. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Coverage of claims from insolvencies of insurers licensed in a state; surplus-lines insurers are nonadmitted. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. About Risklytics. Risklytics; What we do; Who we insure; Licensing; Agency licenses table dated 2026-09-10. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.

Updated .

This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with a supporting source.

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