Equipment Breakdown Insurance in the District of Columbia

The District requires annual inspection and a displayed certificate for regulated boilers and unfired pressure vessels; an insurer’s inspection can substitute only under the statute’s licensing, approval and reporting conditions. New, relocated or repaired units can also require a Department of Buildings permit. Treat this safety process separately from the policy’s breakdown, interruption and spoilage terms.

What Is Equipment Breakdown Insurance?

Equipment-breakdown coverage can help repair covered machinery or building equipment after a mechanical or electrical failure. It fits businesses that depend on equipment to operate; check whether lost income, spoilage and utility failures are included. Read the national Equipment breakdown guide.

What to Watch for With Equipment Breakdown in District of Columbia

Keep a current certificate for each regulated unit
D.C. law requires annual inspection of boilers and unfired pressure vessels for which a certificate is required, and the certificate states allowable pressure and must be displayed near the equipment. Check unit-by-unit status and expiration; do not treat the certificate as evidence that the policy covers the machine or business interruption. ¹
Verify the insurer-inspection conditions before relying on it
An insurance-company inspection can replace the District’s inspection only when the equipment is regularly insured and inspected annually by a company licensed in D.C. and approved for inspection service, and the report is filed within 30 days and finds it safe and insurable. Confirm those steps with DOB; the statutory inspection pathway does not settle the scope of insurance coverage. ¹
Include permits when adding or repairing pressure equipment
The Department of Buildings requires a boiler permit to add, replace, remodel or repair fuel-burning or unfired pressure-vessel equipment such as boilers. Confirm the correct permit and inspection sequence before scheduling restart, and ask separately how the policy handles accidental damage, repair lead time and temporary operating expense. ^2,¹

Providers With District of Columbia License Records

No provider in our research has both a state license record and a listing for 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 Equipment Breakdown in District of Columbia

Which D.C. units require an annual certificate, and does any insurer inspection meet the statutory licensing, approval and report conditions?
Does an equipment addition, replacement, remodel or repair require a DOB boiler permit and final inspection before restart?
What breakdown trigger, repair limit, time deductible and restoration period apply to machinery, lost income, spoilage and essential services?

Equipment Breakdown Insurance in District of Columbia: FAQ

Can a boiler insurer’s inspector satisfy D.C.’s annual inspection requirement?

Only if the statutory conditions are met: the company must be licensed in the District and approved for its inspection service, the inspection must be annual, and the report must be filed within 30 days and show the equipment safe and insurable. ¹

Does D.C. require a boiler permit only for new installations?

No. The Department of Buildings lists permits for adding, replacing, remodeling or repairing fuel-burning and unfired pressure-vessel equipment. ²

Sources for Equipment Breakdown Insurance in District of Columbia

1
D.C. Official Code § 2-107: Annual Inspection and Certificate. Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Law Library; Annual inspection, certificate contents/display and insurer-inspection substitute; accessed 2026-09-28. Accessed 2026-09-28.
2
Boiler Permit. District of Columbia Department of Buildings; Permit types and requirements to add, replace, remodel or repair fuel-burning or unfired pressure-vessel equipment; accessed 2026-09-28. 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.

Equipment Breakdown Insurance in the District of Columbia

What Is Equipment Breakdown Insurance?

What to Watch for With Equipment Breakdown in District of Columbia

Keep a current certificate for each regulated unit

Verify the insurer-inspection conditions before relying on it

Include permits when adding or repairing pressure equipment