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Employment practices liability in the District of Columbia

The D.C. Human Rights Act defines employees to include unpaid interns and people working or seeking work as independent contractors, subject to a service-vendor exception. The Act reaches workplace traits such as personal appearance, family responsibilities, and credit information; D.C. OHR generally requires filing within one year. Confirm the policy’s treatment of these worker relationships and allegations. 1,2,3

What Is Employment Practices Liability?

EPLI can help pay covered defense costs and losses when applicants or workers allege discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination or other workplace wrongdoing. If you employ people, check the claim definition, defense costs and prior acts. Read the national Employment practices liability guide.

District of Columbia Requirements

RequirementDetails
Covered worker relationshipsD.C. defines employees to include unpaid interns and people working or seeking work as independent contractors; a service vendor providing a discrete service to an individual customer is excluded from the independent-contractor definition. 1

What to Watch for in District of Columbia

  • Confirm how the policy handles interns and contractors

    The D.C. statute expressly includes unpaid interns and people working or seeking work as independent contractors in its employee definition, with a service-vendor exception. Ask the broker to identify which policy definitions and insured-person terms apply to each relationship. 1

  • Check allegations beyond the federal list

    D.C. law lists protected traits including personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, credit information, and homeless status. Ask how the policy’s discrimination terms and exclusions apply to allegations framed under those grounds. 2

  • Review D.C.’s harassment standard

    The D.C. statute says discriminatory harassment need not be severe or pervasive and permits a finding based on a single incident. It also protects employees and family members connected to domestic violence, sexual offenses, or stalking. Ask how the policy responds to those allegations and related accommodation requests. 2

  • Track OHR’s one-year intake deadline

    For the ordinary OHR route, a complaint generally must be filed within one year of the occurrence or discovery. D.C. government employees alleging employment discrimination first consult their agency EEO counselor; the counselor has 30 calendar days to seek an informal solution, and formal OHR charges are due within 15 calendar days after the final interview. Federal employees use the EEOC route. Identify which channel applies before reporting. 3

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. 5,6,8

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: Generally 2% of gross premium, including qualifying placement fees 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. 7,9,10,11,4

Providers With Documented State Licenses

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

  • CoalitionCoalition Insurance Solutions, Inc.Insurance producer, Surplus-lines broker · checked 2026-09-28Coalition’s license page lists producer and surplus-lines licenses for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc. in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The page separately lists insurers; this record covers the brokerage entity only. 13
  • 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. 14
  • TechInsuranceSpecialty Program Group LLCInsurance producer · checked 2026-09-28TechInsurance’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
  • VouchVouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLCInsurance producer, Surplus-lines broker · checked 2026-09-28Vouch’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

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in District of Columbia

  1. Does the policy’s insured-person wording address D.C. unpaid interns and people treated as independent contractors under the Act?
  2. How does the policy handle claims based on D.C.-specific grounds such as personal appearance or family responsibilities?
  3. Who will determine whether the D.C. OHR, a D.C. government EEO counselor, or the EEOC channel applies?

Employment Practices Liability in District of Columbia: FAQ

Does D.C. law include unpaid interns and independent contractors? 1

Yes. The D.C. Code includes unpaid interns and individuals working or seeking work as independent contractors in its employee definition, but excludes a service vendor providing a discrete service to an individual customer. 1

What is the D.C. OHR complaint deadline? 3

For the ordinary OHR route, the filing deadline is generally one year from occurrence or discovery. D.C. government employees alleging employment discrimination first consult an agency EEO counselor; the counselor has 30 calendar days to seek an informal solution, and formal OHR charges may be filed within 15 calendar days after the final interview. Federal employees use the EEOC route. 3

Employment Practices Liability in Other States

Other Coverage in District of Columbia

Sources

  1. D.C. Code § 2–1401.02 — Definitions. D.C. Law Library; Paragraphs (9)–(10): employee includes an unpaid intern and person working or seeking work as an independent contractor (except service vendors providing discrete service to an individual customer); employer definition. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. D.C. Code § 2–1402.11 — Prohibitions. D.C. Law Library; Subsections (a), (c-1), and (c-2): employment protected traits; victim-status protections; harassment standard, including that conduct need not be severe or pervasive and a single incident may qualify. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. File a Discrimination Complaint. District of Columbia Office of Human Rights; Employment complaint section: OHR filing within one year of occurrence or discovery; D.C. government employees first consult an agency EEO counselor, who has 30 calendar days for an informal solution, then may file formal OHR charges within 15 calendar days of the final interview; federal employees are referred to EEOC. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. 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.
  5. Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. District of Columbia DISB; Official insurance regulator homepage. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Verify a Financial Institution or Representative Licensed with DISB. District of Columbia DISB; Official license verification for companies and representatives. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. 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.
  8. File a Complaint or Report Fraud. District of Columbia DISB; Official insurance complaint information and filing form. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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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