What General Liability Insurance Requirements Apply in Tennessee?

Tennessee requires Board-licensed general contractors to carry GL based on their license’s project monetary limit: $100,000 through $500,000, $500,000 from $500,001 through $1.5 million, and $1 million above that; home-improvement licensees have a $100,000 minimum. The Board treats the monetary limit as the total amount for each individual project or contract.

What Is General Liability Insurance?

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.

Tennessee General Liability Insurance Requirements

RequirementDetails
Tennessee home-improvement contractor license$100,000 minimum GL 1
General contractor monetary limit up to $500,000$100,000 minimum GL 1
General contractor monetary limit $500,001–$1,500,000$500,000 minimum GL 1
General contractor monetary limit $1,500,001 or more$1,000,000 minimum GL 1

What to Watch for With General Liability in Tennessee

  • The License Limit Is Per Project

    Tennessee defines the monetary limit as the total dollar amount for an individual project or contract and says projects cannot be split into phases to bypass it. Match the insured’s license limit and the proposed project’s full contract value before choosing the GL tier. 2

  • Raising the License Limit Raises the GL Minimum

    Board rules set $100,000 GL for home-improvement contractors and general contractors through a $500,000 license limit, $500,000 for the next tier, and $1 million above $1.5 million. Ask the broker to check the current license limit whenever you seek a higher project ceiling. 1

  • Match the License Name and Board Proof

    The Board’s insurance instructions require a certificate with the licensee’s name matching the insured, the Board as certificate holder, and the required occurrence, aggregate, and products/completed-operations limits listed. It says cancellation of required insurance makes the license invalid; confirm the certificate is routed to the correct pending application or renewal. 1

Which General Liability Providers Have Tennessee License Records?

These providers publish a national listing for General liability; the license records below name the licensed entities and roles. Some records rely on company-reported information rather than independent regulator verification. A national listing does not confirm the product is available in Tennessee. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.

  • Corgi

    Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28

    Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.

    Corgi’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

    Corgi lists commercial general liability among its business insurance offerings.

  • ERGO NEXT Insurance

    Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28

    Next First Insurance Agency, Inc.

    ERGO 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. 12

    ERGO NEXT offers online general liability quotes and purchasing for eligible businesses.

  • Hiscox

    Insurer · checked 2026-09-28

    Hiscox Insurance Company Inc.

    Hiscox’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. 11

    Hiscox offers general liability insurance for small businesses.

  • TechInsurance

    Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28

    Specialty Program Group LLC

    TechInsurance’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. 13

    TechInsurance arranges general liability insurance for small businesses.

  • Vouch

    Insurance producer, Surplus-lines broker · checked 2026-09-28

    Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC

    Vouch’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. 14

    Vouch lists general liability among the core coverages in its technology-company programs.

Who Regulates Insurance in Tennessee?

Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance

TDCI regulates and licenses insurance companies, agents, brokers, surplus-lines agents, and public adjusters. Its complaint process accepts complaints about agents or companies when the policy was written in Tennessee, and its property/casualty unit reviews filed policy rates, rules, and forms. 3,4,5

Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office in Tennessee

Reported tax rate. 5% of gross premium plus 0.175% SLAS transaction fee 6,7

For Tennessee-home-state surplus-lines policies, TDCI lists a 5% tax on gross premium and a 0.175% SLAS transaction fee on gross premium; the agent receives an invoice and pays both through SLIP. The sources reviewed do not establish that the fee is always separately charged to the policyholder or resolve guaranty-association treatment, so ask your broker to itemize charges and review the policy notice.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy General Liability in Tennessee

  1. What is our current Tennessee license monetary limit, and which GL minimum tier applies to the full project value?
  2. Does the GL certificate use the exact licensee name, list the Board as holder, and show the required occurrence and aggregate limits?
  3. If we raise our project monetary limit, will the policy’s limits and products/completed-operations aggregate still satisfy the Board?

General Liability Insurance in Tennessee: Frequently Asked Questions

How much GL does a Tennessee general contractor need?

It depends on the Board monetary limit: $100,000 through $500,000; $500,000 for $500,001–$1.5 million; and $1 million for $1,500,001 or higher. All home-improvement contractor applicants or licensees have a $100,000 minimum. 1

Is the Tennessee contractor monetary limit per year or per project?

Per project or contract. The Board defines it as the total dollar amount for each individual project or contract and says project phases cannot be split to circumvent the limit. 2

General Liability Insurance Guides for Other States

Other coverage in TennesseeEvery coverage guide for Tennessee, plus the regulator and surplus-lines details.

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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