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Commercial Auto Insurance in Rhode Island

Rhode Island motor-carrier permits depend on filed financial responsibility: $250,000 per injured person, $500,000 per crash subject to the per-person cap, and $25,000 property damage excluding cargo. Common and contract carriers also file at least $25,000 cargo protection unless the administrator exempts the commodity. 1

What Is Commercial Auto?

Commercial auto suits businesses that use vehicles for work and need liability protection; damage to your own vehicles is a separate coverage choice. If employees drive personal or rented cars, check how those trips are handled. Read the national Commercial auto guide.

Rhode Island Requirements

RequirementDetails
Motor-carrier public-liability filing$250,000 per person / $500,000 per crash / $25,000 property damage (cargo excluded) 1
Common/contract carrier cargo filing$25,000, unless the administrator exempts the commodity 1

What to Watch for in Rhode Island

  • Cargo Is a Separate Filing

    The statute excludes cargo from the $25,000 property-damage liability limit and separately requires common or contract carriers to file $25,000 for shipper property. Ask whether the administrator has exempted your commodity and whether the cargo certificate is on file. 1

  • Keep Filed Security Effective Until Canceled

    Insurance certificates, bonds, and other filed security must state that coverage continues until canceled. Coordinate carrier authority changes with insurer filing dates so the certificate or permit does not lapse between policies. 1

  • Insurance Is Not the Only Statutory Security Form

    Rhode Island permits a prescribed bond certificate and may approve a financially qualified carrier as self-insurer. If you rely on either route, confirm administrator approval and that the amount covers the statutory liability and cargo obligations. 1

  • Taxicab Limits Are a Different Schedule

    An owner of a Rhode Island taxicab or limited public motor vehicle must furnish a certificate before operation: $300,000 combined single limit or $250,000/$500,000 bodily injury plus $100,000 property damage. Do not apply that passenger-service tier to an ordinary property fleet. 2

Who Regulates Insurance in Rhode Island

Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, Insurance Division

The DBR Insurance Division provides an online public verification service for producers, adjusters, surplus-lines brokers, and other licensees, and accepts insurance complaints online. Contact the Division for help determining whether it has authority over a particular policy or dispute. 3,4,5

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 4% of net taxable premium; 2018 filing guide excludes listed broker, carrier and inspection fees Rhode Island’s 2024 return applies 4% to net taxable premium (gross premium less returned premium); its 2018 filing guide excludes broker, carrier, and inspection fees from the base. Confirm fee treatment with the Division of Taxation if your bill separates those charges, because no newer official fee-base guidance was located. 6,7

Providers With Documented State Licenses

These providers publish a national listing for Commercial auto; 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 Rhode Island. 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 Rhode Island

  1. Does our Rhode Island common or contract carrier authority require both public-liability and cargo filings for the commodities we haul?
  2. Has the administrator exempted any cargo commodity we transport, and where is that decision documented?
  3. Will our replacement certificate, bond, or approved self-insurance remain continuously effective on the carrier file?
  4. If we carry passengers for hire, does the vehicle meet Rhode Island’s taxicab or limited-public-motor-vehicle class and certificate rule?

Commercial Auto in Rhode Island: FAQ

What insurance limits apply to Rhode Island motor carriers? 1

Section 39-12-27 requires $250,000 per injured person, $500,000 per crash subject to that per-person cap, and $25,000 property damage excluding cargo. 1

Does Rhode Island require motor carriers to insure cargo? 1

Common and contract carriers must file at least $25,000 for shipper property carried in their transportation service unless the administrator has exempted the commodity. The statute treats that filing separately from public-liability limits. 1

What limit does Rhode Island require for taxicabs? 2

A Rhode Island taxicab or limited public motor vehicle needs a filed certificate showing at least $300,000 combined single limit or $250,000/$500,000 bodily injury with $100,000 property damage. 2

Commercial Auto in Other States

Other Coverage in Rhode Island

Sources

  1. R.I. Gen. Laws §39-12-27, Security for protection of the public. Rhode Island General Assembly; Full current statute: motor-carrier liability amounts, cargo threshold/exemption authority, acceptable insurer certificate, $100,000 bond and administrator-approved self-insurance; filed securities must remain effective until canceled. Accessed 2026-09-28. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. R.I. Gen. Laws §39-14-18, Taxicabs and Limited Public Motor Vehicles. Rhode Island General Assembly; Taxicab/limited-public-motor-vehicle insurance certificate filed with Division of Public Utilities and Carriers: $300,000 CSL or $250,000/$500,000 BI and $100,000 PD; statutory service class only; accessed 2026-09-28. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. rhode-island insurance regulator. State insurance regulator; DBR Insurance Division overview links to complaint, license lookup, statutes, and regulations. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. DBR License Status Verification. State insurance regulator; Official page identifies online NAIC-partnered status checks for producers, adjusters, motor vehicle appraisers, surplus-lines brokers, and reinsurance intermediaries. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. DBR Insurance Consumers. State insurance regulator; Official consumer page explains the division's regulated insurance lines and online complaint route. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. 2025 T-71A Surplus Line Broker Return of Gross Premiums. Rhode Island Division of Taxation; 2025 return, p. 1, lines 1–4: net taxable premium is gross premium less returned premiums; 4% tax; filing due April 1, 2026. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Guide to Tax Filings for Surplus Lines. Rhode Island Division of Taxation; 2018 Guide to tax filings, surplus-lines section: gross premium for tax purposes excludes carrier, broker, and inspection fees; no newer official fee-base instruction located as of 2026-09-28. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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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