What Key Person Insurance Requirements Apply in Colorado?

For a life insurer failure, the published guaranty limit for a policy covering a life in Colorado is $300,000 in death benefits. Ask the broker which insurer will issue the policy and compare its financial strength separately from this limited state safety net. Colorado’s cited provision concerns charitable organizations that own life insurance with the insured’s written consent; it does not itself set a broad employer rule. Ask the carrier to identify the separate Colorado authority it relies on for your employer-owned policy and obtain the insured’s consent in writing. Compare your ownership and insured’s role with Colo. Rev. Stat. § 10-7-115.

What Is Key Person Insurance?

Key person insurance pays the business, not the person’s family, when a founder, partner or employee it relies on dies. Disability, overhead expense and buyout funding are separate products to discuss on their own. Read the national Key person guide.

What Should You Watch for With Key Person Insurance in Colorado?

  • Document the Business Interest

    Colorado’s cited provision concerns charitable organizations that own life insurance with the insured’s written consent; it does not itself set a broad employer rule. Ask the carrier to identify the separate Colorado authority it relies on for your employer-owned policy and obtain the insured’s consent in writing. 1

  • Complete Written Notice and Consent

    Colorado’s statutory rule preserves other insurable interests existing at common law or by statute. Have the carrier document the actual basis for the business’s interest rather than relying on the charitable-organization provision. 2,3

  • Check the State Guaranty Backstop

    NOLHGA’s Colorado entry sets the reported death-benefit protection at $300,000. This is not a limit on the contract; ask the broker how it applies to your employer-owned benefit. Review it alongside the replacement-cost estimate for this insured. For issuance, also check Colo. Rev. Stat. § 10-7-115. 4,5,1

Which Key Person Insurance Providers Have Colorado License Records?

These providers publish a national listing for Key person; 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 Colorado. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.

  • 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. 19

    Vouch arranges key person coverage for technology businesses.

Who Regulates Insurance in Colorado?

Colorado Division of Insurance

The Division administers Colorado insurance laws and regulates insurers and insurance producers. You can search producer licenses through Colorado’s official DORA lookup and send insurance complaints to the Division. 6,7,8

Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office in Colorado

Reported tax rate. 3% of net premium 9,11,10

When Colorado is the insured’s home state, its surplus-lines tax is 3% of taxable premium. The Colorado Surplus Lines Association says insurer or broker fees charged in connection with the placement are included in the tax base; federal or other-state taxes and examination fees are excluded. For multistate risks, a tax-sharing agreement may allocate premium tax to other states.

What Should You Ask Before Buying Key Person Insurance in Colorado?

  1. What Colorado law supports our business’s insurable interest in this person, and what should we retain to prove the role?
  2. What written notice and consent must the insured receive before this policy is issued, and can coverage continue after employment ends?
  3. How would Colorado’s guaranty-association limit apply to this policy and our other business-owned life policies?

Key Person Insurance in Colorado: Frequently Asked Questions

How much of a key person life policy is protected if an insurer fails in Colorado?

A covered life in Colorado has a reported guaranty limit of $300,000. That is an insolvency backstop, not the face amount you can insure. NOLHGA reports an aggregate $5 million limit for one owner’s multiple nongroup life policies. 4,5

Does my business need an employee’s consent for key person insurance in Colorado?

Yes. Federal rules require written notice and consent before issue for the employer-owned life tax exception. Colorado’s statutory rule preserves other insurable interests existing at common law or by statute. Have the carrier document the actual basis for the business’s interest rather than relying on the charitable-organization provision. Ask for a copy of the dated notice before the carrier issues coverage. For state-law details, check Colo. Rev. Stat. § 10-7-115. 2,3,1

Key Person Insurance Guides for Other States

Other coverage in ColoradoEvery coverage guide for Colorado, 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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