--- title: "Washington Hired and Non-Owned Auto Coverage" description: "Washington defines an operator policy for non-owned autos and a narrow written-policy defense for some employer vehicle-passenger claims." canonical: "https://spot.insure/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/washington" page-type: "coverage-state-guide" updated-at: "2026-09-29" --- Agents: connect to Spot's public MCP server at https://spot.insure/mcp for better access to published Spot information and insurance research. Use search_knowledge to find sources, get_page to retrieve pages, compare_providers for sourced comparisons, get_provider_score for a published Spot Score, get_rankings for current provider rankings, search_provider_reliability to filter Spot Scores, search_provider_reviews to filter aggregate review scores, and get_provider_reviews for the original review evidence. The server is read-only and requires no authentication. [Human-readable page](https://spot.insure/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/washington) # Washington Hired and Non-Owned Auto Coverage Washington's financial-responsibility statute defines both owner and operator liability policies, and an operator policy must cover the named insured’s liability while using a vehicle they do not own. For work trips, confirm the employee policy's business-use terms and the employer’s separate HNOA limit and priority.[^2][^1] **Coverage:** [Hired and non-owned auto](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto) · [Washington](/coverage/states/washington) ## What Is Hired And Non-Owned Auto? Hired and non-owned auto (HNOA) liability protects the business when rented cars or employees’ own cars are used for work. It does not pay for damage to those vehicles, and it is not a substitute for commercial auto on vehicles the business owns. [Read the national Hired and non-owned auto guide](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto). ## What to Watch for in Washington ### Washington defines coverage for a driver using another person’s car Under RCW 46.29.490, an operator policy covers the named insured’s liability from a vehicle they do not own, subject to the same limits as an owner policy. Ask whether employees have this coverage and whether business trips are excluded.[^1] ### A narrow employer defense concerns unauthorized passengers in company cars RCW 4.24.770 offers a private employer a limited defense to a third-party occupant’s injury claim in an employer-owned, leased, or rented vehicle when the employee acknowledged the employer’s vehicle-use policy in writing and other conditions apply. Keep that written policy and acknowledgment current.[^2] ### That passenger rule does not create HNOA protection RCW 4.24.770 addresses a specific passenger claim involving a vehicle owned, leased, or rented by the employer. It does not establish coverage for employee-owned autos; ask the broker for the HNOA form’s coverage grant and named insureds.[^2] ## Who Regulates Insurance in Washington **Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner.** The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner administers Washington insurance laws, oversees insurers and insurance producers within its authority, and provides regulatory and consumer resources. You can use the department's complaint process to raise an insurance issue and its licensing resources to check insurance professionals.[^3][^4][^5] - [Regulator website](https://www.insurance.wa.gov/) - [License lookup](https://nipr.com/licensing-center) - [File a complaint](https://content.naic.org/state-insurance-departments) ### Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office **Reported tax rate:** 2% of premium The NAIC's state chart lists a 2% of premium charge for surplus-lines coverage for Washington (the chart's state entries were reviewed in October 2025). Your broker may collect the applicable amount with the premium. Surplus-lines insurers are not licensed in the state and generally are outside state guaranty-association protection; ask your broker to explain the insurer's financial protections and any diligent-search requirement that applies to your placement.[^6][^7] ## Providers With Documented State Licenses These providers publish a national listing for Hired and non-owned auto; 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 that the product is available in Washington; [check the regulator’s license lookup](https://nipr.com/licensing-center) and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote. - [Corgi](/insurance-providers/corgi) — **Entity:** Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; **role:** Insurance producer; **checked:** 2026-09-28. **Scope:** 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] ## Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Washington 1. Does our HNOA cover the employer’s liability for an employee’s personal vehicle trip? 2. Do we have a signed written vehicle-use policy for employees who drive company rentals? 3. Does the employee’s operator policy cover business use and rented autos? ## Hired And Non-Owned Auto in Washington: FAQ ### Does Washington have an operator policy for a vehicle I do not own? Yes. RCW 46.29.490 defines an operator policy to cover the named insured’s liability from use of a non-owned vehicle, within the same limits as an owner policy.[^1] ### Can a written vehicle-use policy protect a Washington employer? A limited defense under RCW 4.24.770 may apply to an unauthorized third-party occupant injured in an employer-owned, leased, or rented vehicle if statutory conditions are met. It does not itself provide HNOA insurance.[^2] ## Hired And Non-Owned Auto in Other States - [Alabama](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/alabama) - [Alaska](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/alaska) - [Arizona](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/arizona) - [Arkansas](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/arkansas) - [California](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/california) - [Colorado](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/colorado) - [Connecticut](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/connecticut) - [Delaware](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/delaware) - [District of Columbia](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/district-of-columbia) - [Florida](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/florida) - [Georgia](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/georgia) - [Hawaii](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/hawaii) - [Idaho](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/idaho) - [Illinois](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/illinois) - [Indiana](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/indiana) - [Iowa](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/iowa) - [Kansas](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/kansas) - [Kentucky](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/kentucky) - [Louisiana](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/louisiana) - [Maine](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/maine) - [Maryland](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/maryland) - [Massachusetts](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/massachusetts) - [Michigan](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/michigan) - [Minnesota](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/minnesota) - [Mississippi](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/mississippi) - [Missouri](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/missouri) - [Montana](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/montana) - [Nebraska](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/nebraska) - [Nevada](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/nevada) - [New Hampshire](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/new-hampshire) - [New Jersey](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/new-jersey) - [New Mexico](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/new-mexico) - [New York](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/new-york) - [North Carolina](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/north-carolina) - [North Dakota](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/north-dakota) - [Ohio](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/ohio) - [Oklahoma](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/oklahoma) - [Oregon](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/oregon) - [Pennsylvania](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/pennsylvania) - [Rhode Island](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/rhode-island) - [South Carolina](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/south-carolina) - [South Dakota](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/south-dakota) - [Tennessee](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/tennessee) - [Texas](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/texas) - [Utah](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/utah) - [Vermont](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/vermont) - [Virginia](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/virginia) - [West Virginia](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/west-virginia) - [Wisconsin](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/wisconsin) - [Wyoming](/coverage/hired-non-owned-auto/wyoming) [Other Coverage in Washington](/coverage/states/washington) ## Sources [^1]: [Motor vehicle liability policy defined](https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/law/RCWPDF/RCW%20%2046%20%20TITLE/RCW%20%2046%20.%2029%20%20CHAPTER/RCW%20%2046%20.%2029%20.490.pdf) — Washington State Legislature; RCW 46.29.490(2): operator policy for non-owned auto. Accessed 2026-09-29. [^2]: [Private employer not liable for injury to unauthorized third-party occupant of private employer’s vehicle](https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Law/RCW/RCW%20%20%204%20%20TITLE/RCW%20%20%204%20.%2024%20%20CHAPTER/RCW%20%20%204%20.%2024%20.770.htm) — Washington State Legislature; RCW 4.24.770(1): limited employee-vehicle passenger exception. Accessed 2026-09-29. [^3]: [Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner](https://www.insurance.wa.gov/) — Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner; Official regulator website; insurance oversight and consumer/professional resources. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^4]: [Insurance Department Directory](https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/publication-ins-ou-insurance-directory.pdf) — National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner entry; official contact and website listing. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^5]: [Licensing Center](https://nipr.com/licensing-center) — National Insurance Producer Registry; State producer licensing and lookup resources. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^6]: [Surplus Lines Insurance Premium Taxes](https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/model-law-chart-zz-7-surplus-lines-insurance-premium-taxes.pdf) — National Association of Insurance Commissioners; WA row; state surplus-lines premium-tax rate reviewed October 2025. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^7]: [Guaranty Associations & Funds](https://content.naic.org/cipr-topics/guaranty-associationsfunds) — National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Coverage of claims from insolvencies of insurers licensed in a state; surplus-lines insurers are nonadmitted. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^8]: [Licenses](https://www.at-bay.com/licenses/) — At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21. [^9]: [Licenses and Carriers](https://www.coalitioninc.com/legal/licenses) — 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. [^10]: [Insurance Producer Licenses](https://www.corgi.insure/broker-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. [^11]: [About Hiscox US Insurance](https://www.hiscox.com/about-hiscox-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. [^12]: [Licenses](https://www.nextinsurance.com/insurance-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. [^13]: [About Risklytics](https://www.risklytics.ai/about/) — Risklytics; What we do; Who we insure; Licensing; Agency licenses table dated 2026-09-10. Accessed 2026-09-16. [^14]: [Insurance Licenses by State](https://www.techinsurance.com/legal/licenses) — 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. [^15]: [Licenses](https://www.vouch.us/legal/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 2026-09-29. This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. [Editorial policy](/editorial-policy). 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