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Liquor liability insurance in Indiana

Indiana requires specified retail and craft-manufacturer permit holders to maintain liquor-liability coverage or a general-liability endorsement during the permit term, with exceptions for craft manufacturers without on-premises consumption and qualifying establishments with no more than $25,000 in prior-year gross receipts from alcohol sales. The 2025 amendment removed the statutory minimum dollar amount. Separately, the Dram Shop Act requires actual knowledge of visible intoxication and proximate cause; the Supreme Court held the Act modified rather than eliminated common-law liability. 1,2,3

What Is Liquor Liability?

Liquor liability can cover claims tied to your business selling, serving or furnishing alcohol. If you run a bar, restaurant or event where you provide drinks, check how the quote treats injuries, property damage and occasional service. Read the national Liquor liability guide.

Indiana Requirements

RequirementDetails
Insurance during covered permit termLiquor-liability policy or general-liability endorsement; 2025 amendment removed the dollar minimum, with craft-manufacturer and <=$25,000 prior-year on-premises sales exceptions. 3

What to Watch for in Indiana

  • Permit and sales exceptions control

    Check each establishment’s permit type, whether a craft manufacturer serves alcohol for on-premises consumption, and prior-year gross receipts from alcohol sales. The 2025 update says there is no statutory minimum dollar amount; do not rely on older agency notices stating a $500,000 minimum. Obtain current permit-specific confirmation and review limits, defense costs, locations and endorsements. 3

  • Actual knowledge threshold

    The statute requires actual knowledge of visible intoxication at the time alcohol is furnished, plus proximate causation. The Supreme Court held that these requirements modify but do not eliminate common-law claims; a mere criminal service violation should not be substituted for the civil analysis. 1,2

  • Who furnished the alcohol matters

    The Supreme Court addressed claims against restaurants that furnished alcohol, while the statute speaks to a person furnishing an alcoholic beverage. For a catered event, employer party or delivery arrangement, identify who controlled and furnished the drinks before reviewing the insured-operations schedule. 2,1

  • Legal threshold does not settle coverage

    The Indiana rule addresses civil liability; it does not establish whether a particular policy excludes assault, security failures, intoxicated customers, or off-premises events. Request the operative form and endorsements for the exposure being quoted. 1,2

  • Document service decisions

    Because actual knowledge is material, preserve contemporaneous incident, cut-off, manager-escalation and transportation notes. Ask the insurer what underwriting detail it needs about server training and service protocols. 2,3

Who Regulates Insurance in Indiana

Indiana Department of Insurance

The Indiana Department of Insurance licenses and regulates insurance companies and producers, reviews rates and policies, and investigates consumer complaints. Its Consumer Services Division accepts complaints and the Department provides company and license searches. 4,5,6

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 2.5% of gross premium when Indiana is the home state Indiana’s surplus-lines premium tax is 2.5% when Indiana is the insured’s home state. Surplus-lines policies are outside Indiana guaranty-fund protection; before you buy, confirm the insurer’s identity and financial strength with your broker. 7,8,9,10

Providers With Documented State Licenses

These providers publish a national listing for Liquor 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 Indiana. 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. 13

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Indiana

  1. Which permit category and establishment apply, and did prior-year alcohol sales exceed $25,000 or qualify for the craft-manufacturer exception?
  2. How does the form treat allegations that a server or manager actually saw visible intoxication?
  3. Does the policy cover the entity that furnished alcohol at each restaurant, catered event or hosted function?
  4. Are assault, security, transportation and off-premises allegations restricted by separate endorsements?
  5. What occurrence and aggregate limits apply, and do defense costs reduce them?

Liquor Liability in Indiana: FAQ

Is visible intoxication alone enough under Indiana law? 1,2

The statute also requires actual knowledge by the person furnishing the alcohol and proximate cause. The Indiana Supreme Court says those requirements apply to civil claims even though common-law liability remains. 1,2

Did the Indiana statute abolish common-law liability? 2

No. The Indiana Supreme Court held in 2024 that it modified, but did not eliminate, common-law liability against entities furnishing alcohol. 2

Does compliance with Indiana’s service rule guarantee coverage? 1

No. Read the policy’s coverage grant, insured-operations description, exclusions and reporting conditions for your own business. 1

Does Indiana set a minimum liquor-liability limit for the permit requirement? 3

The Indiana ATC’s 2025 legislative update says HEA 1275 removed the minimum coverage requirement and permits a general-liability endorsement. Older $500,000 notices predate that change; confirm current documentation requirements with the Commission. 3

Liquor Liability in Other States

Other Coverage in Indiana

Sources

  1. Indiana Code, Title 7.1, Alcohol and Tobacco. Indiana General Assembly; § 7.1-5-10-15.5: actual knowledge of visible intoxication and proximate cause; § 7.1-5-10-15: criminal knowing-service rule. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. WEOC, Inc. v. Niebauer, 23S-CT-184 (Feb. 12, 2024). Indiana Supreme Court; pp. 5–8: Dram Shop Act modifies but does not eliminate common-law liability; actual knowledge of visible intoxication and proximate cause apply. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. 2025 ATC Legislative Update. Indiana Alcohol & Tobacco Commission; HEA 1275, § 7.1-3-1-6.4, pp. 16–17: general-liability endorsement accepted, minimum coverage removed, and exceptions for craft manufacturers without on-premises consumption and establishments with no more than $25,000 in prior-year gross receipts from alcohol sales. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Indiana Department of Insurance. Indiana Department of Insurance; Official regulator homepage and insurance oversight. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Company/Entity Financial Compliance. Indiana Department of Insurance; Official Company Lookup queries live department data on licensed entities; producer resources linked separately. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Submit a Complaint Online. Indiana Department of Insurance; Online complaint portal and published consumer phone. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Indiana Code § 27-1-15.8-4: Tax on surplus lines insurance. Indiana General Assembly; 2.5% tax and insured home-state application. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Surplus Lines Agent Licensing. Indiana Department of Insurance; Official IDOI surplus-lines agent and company guidance; identifies surplus-lines insurers as companies not licensed to transact admitted insurance in Indiana and statutory eligibility conditions. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. Guaranty Associations & Funds. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Overview of state guaranty-association scope and nonadmitted insurers. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. Guaranty Funds. Indiana Department of Insurance; Department description of Indiana P&C and life/health guaranty funds and their limits; together with the Department's surplus-lines company page distinguishing these nonauthorized companies from licensed insurers. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  11. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. About Risklytics. Risklytics; What we do; Who we insure; Licensing; Agency licenses table dated 2026-09-10. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  17. 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.
  18. 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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