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Key Person Insurance in Mississippi

Mississippi residents receive up to $300,000 in state guaranty-association coverage for a life policy’s death benefit if a member insurer becomes insolvent. Because a key-person policy may exceed that backstop, identify the issuing insurer and size the benefit with the cap in view. Mississippi defines insurable interest as a lawful, substantial economic interest in the person continuing to live, and excludes interests that arise only from or increase because of death. Ask the insurer to record the business loss the insured’s death would cause. Compare your ownership and insured’s role with Miss. Code § 83-5-251(1), (3)(b)–(c). 4,1

What Is Key Person?

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 to Watch for in Mississippi

  • Document the Business Interest

    Mississippi defines insurable interest as a lawful, substantial economic interest in the person continuing to live, and excludes interests that arise only from or increase because of death. Ask the insurer to record the business loss the insured’s death would cause. 1

  • Complete Written Notice and Consent

    Mississippi’s insurable-interest chapter treats corporations as persons, but it does not spell out a special blanket employer rule in the cited section. Request the carrier’s legal basis for the policy owner’s interest before the business applies. 2,3

  • Check the State Guaranty Backstop

    A Mississippi resident’s life death-benefit backstop is listed at $300,000. The limit does not establish the issuing insurer’s strength; verify the carrier and policy owner. Compare it with the benefit you intend the business to collect. For issuance, also check Miss. Code § 83-5-251(1), (3)(b)–(c). 4,5,1

Who Regulates Insurance in Mississippi

Mississippi Insurance Department

The Mississippi Insurance Department licenses agents and companies, enforces state insurance laws, and investigates insurance complaints. You can use its state lookup or complaint service to check a license or raise an insurance issue. 6,7,8

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 4% premium tax and 0.25% stamping fee on gross premium and policy fees when Mississippi is the insured's home state; MSLA says do not report if Mississippi is not the home state unless 100% of premium is allocated to Mississippi. A separate 3% MWUA fee applies to gross premium and policy fees except residential flood and earthquake. For policies quoted or bound on or after July 1, 2017, Mississippi no longer requires a general diligent search before surplus-lines placement. If Mississippi is the insured's home state, the published charges are 4% premium tax and a 0.25% stamping fee on gross premium and policy fees, plus a separate 3% MWUA fee except for residential flood and earthquake; Mississippi's required policy notice says a nonadmitted insurer is not protected by the Mississippi Insurance Guaranty Association if it becomes insolvent. 9,10,11,12,13

Mississippi Surplus Lines Association

Providers With Documented State Licenses

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

  • 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. 20

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Mississippi

  1. What Mississippi 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 Mississippi’s guaranty-association limit apply to this policy and our other business-owned life policies?

Key Person in Mississippi: FAQ

How much of a key person life policy is protected if an insurer fails in Mississippi? 4,5

The guaranty report shows $300,000 against death benefits in Mississippi. A separate owner aggregate may matter when the same company holds several nongroup policies. 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 Mississippi? 2,3,1

Yes. Federal rules require written notice and consent before issue for the employer-owned life tax exception. Mississippi’s insurable-interest chapter treats corporations as persons, but it does not spell out a special blanket employer rule in the cited section. Request the carrier’s legal basis for the policy owner’s interest before the business applies. Confirm the stated maximum face amount matches the application. For state-law details, check Miss. Code § 83-5-251(1), (3)(b)–(c). 2,3,1

Key Person in Other States

Other Coverage in Mississippi

Sources

  1. 2023 Mississippi Code § 83-5-251 — Insurable Interest Requirements. State statute (Justia U.S. Codes and Statutes); Miss. Code § 83-5-251(1), (3)(b)–(c). Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. 26 U.S.C. § 101(j) — Certain employer-owned life insurance contracts. Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives; 26 U.S.C. § 101(j)(2), (4). Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Internal Revenue Bulletin 2009-24 — Employer-Owned Life Insurance Contracts. Internal Revenue Service; Notice 2009-48, Q&A 6–7; written notice and consent. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. How You’re Protected: Coverage Levels by State. National Organization of Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Associations; Coverage Levels by State; life insurance death benefits; report current as of May 2025. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association Model Act. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Section 8(A)(2)(d), owner aggregate benefit cap. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Mississippi Insurance Department. Mississippi Insurance Department; Homepage and consumer/licensing services. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Insurance License Lookup. Mississippi Insurance Department; State-designated producer/company search. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. File an Insurance Complaint. Mississippi Insurance Department; State complaint process and contact. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. E-Pay Frequently Asked Questions. Mississippi Surplus Lines Association; Current MSLA E-Pay FAQ, question 'What are the current rates...' (lines 112–116): 0.25% stamping fee and 4% premium tax, both on gross premium and policy fees. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. E-Pay Frequently Asked Questions. Mississippi Surplus Lines Association; Current MSLA E-Pay FAQ, lines 112–118: MWUA nonadmitted policy fee 3% on gross premium and policy fees, excluding residential flood and earthquake. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  11. Insurer FAQs. Mississippi Surplus Lines Association; Current MSLA insurer FAQ, question 'What is a Home State?...' (lines 90–92): defines insured's home state under NRRA; directs no Mississippi reporting if Mississippi is not home state unless 100% of premium is allocated to Mississippi; MS-home-state written premium is reported. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  12. Mississippi Department of Insurance Bulletin 2017-3. Mississippi Insurance Department; Issued May 12, 2017; page 1, visually verified: HB 447 removed the diligent-search requirement; on/after July 1, 2017 producers need not conduct a diligent search before placement and bulletin applies to policies quoted/bound on/after that date. Page 2, visually verified: required policy notice states policy is not protected by MIGA upon insurer insolvency; page 2 also withdraws Bulletins 2012-4 and 2015-5. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  13. Mississippi Department of Insurance Bulletin 2017-3. Mississippi Insurance Department; Issued May 12, 2017; page 1, visually verified: after HB 447, no general diligent search is required for policies quoted or bound on/after July 1, 2017; not an ECP-only exception. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  14. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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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