Nevada Garage Liability for Motor Vehicle Dealers

Nevada requires a certificate of automobile liability insurance for a vehicle dealer license. The DMV’s July 2025 OBL-273 accepts garage liability or commercial auto with either “any auto” or scheduled/owned plus hired and non-owned auto wording; for body shops and wreckers, insurance is required when the licensee requests or receives special plates.

What Is Garage Liability Insurance?

Garage liability can address injury and property-damage claims from auto repair and related garage operations. If you run a repair or service shop, check separately whether customer cars in your care need garagekeepers coverage for vehicle damage. Read the national Garage liability guide.

Nevada Garage Liability Insurance Requirements

Requirement	Details
Dealer certificate	Automobile-liability certificate required for licensing; policy must follow Nevada DMV form instructions ^2,¹
Body-shop plate insurance	For body shops, garage liability or commercial auto is required when the licensee requests or has special plates; the DMV form sets the minimum limits and symbols ¹
Dealer bond	Vehicle dealers selling non-motorcycle, non-trailer vehicles generally file a $100,000 continuous bond ²

What Should You Watch for With Garage Liability Insurance in Nevada?

Nevada Specifies Policy Symbols
The DMV accepts garage liability or commercial auto with “any auto,” or owned/scheduled autos plus hired and non-owned autos. Match the symbols on the form to the vehicles and customer operations you actually insure. ¹
Special Plates Trigger Shop Coverage
For Nevada body shops and wreckers, the DMV says garage liability or commercial auto is required when special plates are requested or issued; OBL-273 then specifies minimum limits and acceptable symbols. Confirm the plate application and form version with the policy before renewing plates. ^1,³
The Dealer Bond Is Separate Consumer Security
Nevada requires a continuous dealer bond as a condition of dealer licensing and plates, with amounts tied to vehicle category. The bond protects against certain consumer contract and deceptive-practice losses; it does not replace auto liability or customer-vehicle coverage. ²

Which Garage Liability Providers Have Nevada 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 Nevada?

Nevada Division of Insurance

The Nevada Division of Insurance regulates insurers and producers and provides a license verification tool for agents, agencies and companies. Its Consumer Services unit accepts insurance complaints and questions. ^4,^5,⁶

Website: Regulator website
License lookup: Search licensed producers
Complaints: File a complaint
Phone: 888-872-3234

Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office in Nevada

Reported tax rate. Same tax rate as admitted coverage of the same kind; an approved filing fee may also apply ^7,^8,^9,¹⁰

When Nevada is the insured’s home state, Nevada taxes surplus-lines coverage at the rate imposed on similar admitted coverage and adds any approved filing fee; the rate therefore depends on the line and applicable fee approval. Nevada law requires a diligent effort to place coverage with authorized insurers except where the statutory exempt-commercial-purchaser conditions apply, and the policy must warn that the Nevada Insurance Guaranty Association will not cover the contract.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy Garage Liability in Nevada

Does our Nevada policy match OBL-273’s acceptable garage-liability or commercial-auto symbol for our vehicle use?
If we operate a Nevada body shop or wrecker, are special plates requested, and does the policy meet the listed limit and symbol requirements?
Is the dealer bond category and amount separate from the liability policy and from coverage for customer autos in our care?

Garage Liability Insurance in Nevada: Frequently Asked Questions

Does Nevada require auto liability for a dealer license?

Yes. Nevada’s dealer-license statute requires a certificate of automobile liability insurance. The DMV form describes acceptable garage-liability or commercial-auto policy symbols and limits. ^2,¹

When does a Nevada body shop need garage-liability insurance for special plates?

The DMV requires body shops to carry garage liability or commercial auto when they request or have special plates. The current OBL-273 form specifies the acceptable symbols and minimum limits. ¹

Sources for Garage Liability Insurance in Nevada

1
Insurance Requirements for Vehicle Industry Licensees (OBL-273). Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles; July 2025, Dealers and body shops: accepted policy forms, symbols, minimum limits, and special-plate trigger. Accessed 2026-09-29.
2
Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 482. Nevada Legislature; NRS 482.325 and 482.345: auto-liability certificate, dealer-plate application and bond. Accessed 2026-09-29.
3
Vehicle Industry and Drive School Licensing. Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles; Vehicle-industry application and form list, including OBL-273 and body-shop license materials. Accessed 2026-09-29.
4
Nevada Division of Insurance. Nevada Division of Insurance; Official regulator homepage; current page describes insurance oversight and consumer services. Accessed 2026-09-28.
5
Verify a License. Nevada Division of Insurance; Official Verify a License destination (redirects to di.nv.gov licensing search); regulator materials identify agent/company license verification there. Accessed 2026-09-28.
6
File a Complaint. Nevada Division of Insurance; Official consumer complaint destination; Division Consumer Services handles insurance complaints; toll-free 888-872-3234. Accessed 2026-09-28.
7
NRS Chapter 685A, Nonadmitted Insurance. Nevada Legislature; Current codification, revised April 15, 2026; §685A.130 diligent effort/exempt purchaser provisions; §685A.155 broker fees. Accessed 2026-09-28.
8
NRS §685A.175. Nevada Legislature; Current codification says Nevada-home-state surplus-lines premium tax equals the rate on similar admitted coverage and includes fees imposed under §685A.075. Accessed 2026-09-28.
9
NRS §§685A.032, 685A.130. Nevada Legislature; Defines exempt commercial purchaser and sets placement/search provisions; assess full statutory criteria before treating a placement as exempt. Accessed 2026-09-28.
10
NRS §685A.090. Nevada Legislature; Mandated policy text says a claim under the nonadmitted contract is not covered by the Nevada Insurance Guaranty Association Act. 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.