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General Liability Insurance in Ohio

Ohio permits recovery when a claimant’s fault is no greater than the combined fault of all other responsible persons, with damages reduced by that share. In tort actions covered by § 2315.18, noneconomic damages generally have a statutory ceiling, but it does not apply to specified permanent deformity, limb or organ-system loss, or permanent functional injury preventing independent self-care and life-sustaining activity; a separate $500,000 filing applies to certain licensed trades. 1,2,5

What Is General Liability?

General liability can protect your business when a customer or visitor claims you caused injury or damaged their property. It suits businesses serving customers or working on their premises; your own building, tools and stock need property coverage. Read the national General liability guide.

Ohio Requirements

RequirementDetails
Active Chapter 4740 licenseAt least $500,000 contractor liability insurance, including completed operations; policy in licensee or assigned business entity name 5

What to Watch for in Ohio

  • Claimant Fault Is Compared With All Responsible Persons

    A plaintiff can recover if their fault is not greater than the combined fault of the other persons whose conduct contributed to the loss; damages are reduced proportionally. The allocation can include people the plaintiff did not sue, so ask how the insurer will evaluate nonparty fault. 1

  • Ohio Caps Noneconomic Damages in Many Tort Actions

    For tort actions covered by § 2315.18, noneconomic damages are generally capped at the greater of $250,000 or three times economic loss, up to $350,000 per plaintiff and $500,000 per occurrence. The cap does not apply to permanent and substantial physical deformity, loss of use of a limb or bodily organ system, or permanent physical functional injury preventing independent self-care and life-sustaining activities; medical claims, contract claims, government defendants, and wrongful-death actions are also outside this section. The legal limit is not a policy limit, so ask how the carrier sizes protection for severe injury claims. 2

  • Some Licensed Trades Must File $500,000 in Liability Insurance

    Ohio’s construction industry licensing rule requires covered licensees to maintain and file at least $500,000 in contractor liability insurance, including completed operations. If your business holds one of these specialty licenses, verify the filing and policy meet the rule rather than relying only on a certificate supplied to a customer. 5

  • Construction Contracts Cannot Shift the Promisee’s Own Negligence

    Section 2305.31 voids a construction-contract provision that indemnifies a promisee for injury or property damage caused by the promisee’s negligence. Ask the broker to review any separate additional-insured requirement because the statute permits a party to buy insurance for its own protection. 4

  • The Usual Injury and Personal-Property Period Is Two Years

    Ohio generally requires bodily-injury and personal-property-injury actions within two years after accrual, with specific exceptions in the statute. Report the occurrence under your policy promptly; the lawsuit deadline does not replace the policy’s notice terms. 3

Who Regulates Insurance in Ohio

Ohio Department of Insurance

ODI licenses insurance agents and agencies and provides a public agent and company locator. Its consumer complaint form accepts insurance complaints and lets you identify an agent or company. 6,7,8

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 5% of gross premium, net of return premiums For Ohio-home-state surplus-lines placements, Ohio sets a 5% tax on gross premiums after returned premiums and requires the surplus-lines broker to collect it when the policy is delivered. A diligent search usually applies; a qualifying exempt commercial purchaser may request nonadmitted placement in writing after disclosure that authorized-market coverage may offer greater protection, and the policy requires a signed notice of no Ohio guaranty-association benefits. 9,10,11

Providers With Documented State Licenses

These providers publish a national listing for General 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 Ohio. 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. 14
  • ERGO NEXT InsuranceNext First Insurance Agency, Inc.Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28ERGO NEXT’s current license table lists Next First Insurance Agency, Inc. in 50 jurisdictions, including Washington, DC; New York is excluded because its table rows name Next Insurance Services and AP Intego, not Next First. The table is company-reported; it does not establish product availability or provide state-regulator verification for each entry. 16
  • HiscoxHiscox Insurance Company Inc.Insurer · checked 2026-09-28Hiscox’s U.S. company information states that Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This is company-reported insurer authority for this entity and does not establish which company issues every Hiscox-branded product. 15
  • RisklyticsRisklytics, Inc.Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28Risklytics’ licensing page lists its Massachusetts resident agency license plus state license records in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas and Washington; it identifies the NPN record date as September 10, 2026. This list is company-published and not a product availability map. 17
  • 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. 18
  • 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. 19

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Ohio

  1. Does the insurer's fault analysis include people who are not named in the Ohio lawsuit?
  2. Does our business hold an OCILB license that requires the $500,000 liability-insurance filing, including completed operations?
  3. How does the policy respond to a claim for noneconomic damages that falls within Ohio's statutory cap or an exception?
  4. Does our construction contract's additional-insured wording remain separate from indemnity barred by § 2305.31?

General Liability in Ohio: FAQ

Can I recover in Ohio if I am partly at fault for a general liability loss? 1

Yes, if your fault is not greater than the combined fault of all other persons whose conduct contributed to the injury. Damages are reduced by your fault percentage. 1

Does Ohio cap damages in a general liability lawsuit? 2

For tort actions covered by § 2315.18, generally yes: the ceiling is the greater of $250,000 or three times economic loss, up to $350,000 per plaintiff and $500,000 per occurrence. The cap does not apply to specified permanent physical deformity, loss of use of a limb or bodily organ system, or permanent functional injury preventing independent self-care and life-sustaining activities; the statute also excludes medical claims, contract claims, government defendants, and wrongful-death actions. 2

Does Ohio require any contractors to carry a minimum GL limit? 5

Yes. Contractors licensed by the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board in covered trades must maintain and file at least $500,000 in contractor liability insurance, including completed operations. 5

How long does someone have to sue for bodily injury or property damage in Ohio? 3

Generally two years for bodily injury or injury to personal property under § 2305.10, subject to exceptions set out in the statute. 3

General Liability in Other States

Other Coverage in Ohio

Sources

  1. Ohio Rev. Code § 2315.33 — Contributory Fault Effect on Right to Recover. Ohio Laws, Legislative Service Commission; § 2315.33: recovery when plaintiff fault is not greater than combined fault of responsible persons. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. Ohio Rev. Code § 2315.18 — Compensatory Damages in Tort Actions. Ohio Laws, Legislative Service Commission; § 2315.18(B)(2)–(3): noneconomic cap, occurrence limits and exceptions. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10 — Bodily Injury or Injury to Personal Property. Ohio Laws, Legislative Service Commission; § 2305.10(A): two years for bodily injury or personal-property injury, subject to listed exceptions. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.31 — Promisee Indemnified Against Damage Liability. Ohio Laws, Legislative Service Commission; Construction-contract indemnity for promisee negligence is void; insurance purchase remains permitted. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Ohio Admin. Code 4101:16-2-09 — Contractor’s Liability Insurance. Ohio Laws, Ohio Board of Building Standards; § 4101:16-2-09(D): OCILB licensee liability-insurance filing and $500,000 minimum. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. ohio insurance regulator. State insurance regulator; Official regulator home page and consumer/industry navigation. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Ohio Department of Insurance Agent / Agency Locator. State insurance regulator; Public search fields for agent and agency name, NPN, license number, city, ZIP, residency, and license type. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Ohio Department of Insurance Consumer Complaints Form. State insurance regulator; Online complaint form collects insurer, coverage, agent, issue, and supporting documents; page warns submissions may be public records. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. Ohio Revised Code §3905.36. Ohio Laws; Division (B): 5% of gross premiums after return premiums; surplus-lines broker collects from insured at policy delivery. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. Ohio Revised Code §3905.38. Ohio Laws; Division A: Chapter 3905 rules do not apply when Ohio is not insured's home state. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  11. Ohio Revised Code §3905.33. Ohio Laws; Divisions (B)(1), (B)(4): five-market diligence and ECP disclosure/written request; division (C): signed notice of no Ohio Insurance Guaranty Association benefits. 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. About Risklytics. Risklytics; What we do; Who we insure; Licensing; Agency licenses table dated 2026-09-10. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  18. 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.
  19. 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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