Get Started

Liquor liability insurance in Kansas

Kansas law makes knowingly selling or furnishing liquor to an incapacitated or intoxicated person a misdemeanor. In Kudlacik, the Kansas Supreme Court said the state has no dram-shop act and declined to impose civil liability on commercial establishments for injuries caused by intoxicated patrons. This distinction makes premises, host-liquor and other independent allegations important to review separately. 1,2

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.

What to Watch for in Kansas

  • A service prohibition is not a civil dram-shop action

    K.S.A. 41-715 prohibits knowing service to an incapacitated or intoxicated person, but Kudlacik says Kansas has no dram-shop act and retains a rule insulating commercial sellers from civil claims for patrons’ torts. Do not turn the criminal rule into a promise that an insurance claim is covered or barred. 1,2

  • Premises allegations are a different exposure

    Kudlacik discusses provider liability for an intoxicated patron’s later torts. It does not erase ordinary premises or other independent negligence issues. Ask whether the quote responds to a fight, negligent security, unsafe premises or a separate injury theory. 2

  • Do not extend the commercial holding to every host

    The decision concerns commercial drinking establishments and the requested dram-shop theory. It should not be treated as a complete ruling on every private-host, underage-service or independent-negligence fact pattern. Have counsel assess the specific event and claimant. 2,1

  • Policy language still determines the insurer promise

    Because statutory civil exposure is narrow, confirm the policy’s liquor-liability grant and any assault, battery, premises, host-liquor, contractual-liability and security exclusions rather than relying on the state’s tort rule alone. 2

  • A criminal rule can also affect a retail license

    The Kansas liquor-control director may suspend, cancel or revoke a license after notice and an opportunity for hearing for a violation of the Act. That administrative consequence is separate from a private civil dram-shop claim; ask whether the applicant’s license class, premises and service practices comply with current liquor-control rules. 3,1

Who Regulates Insurance in Kansas

Kansas Insurance Department

The Kansas Insurance Department regulates companies selling policies in Kansas for solvency and compliance with state law. Its consumer assistance team reviews written complaints, contacts the appropriate parties and requests corrective action when it finds a Kansas insurance-law violation. 4,5,9,6

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 3% of gross premiums less returned premiums for surplus-lines insureds whose home state is Kansas; the 3% rate applies beginning with taxable year January 1, 2024 For surplus-lines business whose insured's home state is Kansas, the licensed agent must collect and pay a 3% tax on gross premiums less returned premiums; the 3% rate applies beginning with the taxable year starting January 1, 2024. For an exempt commercial purchaser, the surplus-lines producer need not file the signed diligent-search statement after disclosing that admitted-market insurance may or may not be available and may provide greater protection and oversight, then receiving the purchaser's subsequent written request. 7,8

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 Kansas. 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. 12

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Kansas

  1. Does the policy cover the licensed operation’s alcohol service even where the claim is pleaded as premises, security or another independent theory?
  2. Are private-host or underage-service events within the same named insured’s operations?
  3. What assault-and-battery, security, off-premises or contractual exclusions apply?
  4. How do limits, defense costs and reporting conditions work for a claim against the venue?

Liquor Liability in Kansas: FAQ

Does Kansas have a dram-shop act? 2

In Kudlacik, the Kansas Supreme Court stated Kansas has no dram-shop act and declined to impose the requested commercial-provider liability. The opinion does not resolve every distinct negligence or premises theory. 2

Does the criminal service rule create civil insurance coverage? 1

K.S.A. 41-715 sets a criminal prohibition and misdemeanor penalty; it is not a statement about a policy’s coverage grant or a civil claim. 1

Should a Kansas bar skip liquor liability insurance? 2

That conclusion cannot be drawn from these liability cases. Compare the policy terms against premises, assault, security, host-liquor and contract exposures that may exist independently. 2

Liquor Liability in Other States

Other Coverage in Kansas

Sources

  1. K.S.A. 41-715, Sale of liquor to incapacitated or intoxicated person. Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes; Current statute: knowing sale/furnishing to incapacitated or physically or mentally intoxicated person prohibited; misdemeanor penalty. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. Kudlacik v. Johnny’s Shawnee, Inc., 309 Kan. 788 (2019). Kansas Supreme Court (opinion copy); Holding and discussion: Kansas has no dram shop act; longstanding rule insulated commercial providers from civil liability for patrons’ torts; court declined requested change. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. K.S.A. 41-320a, Suspension, involuntary cancellation or revocation of license; grounds. Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes; Subsection (a)(2): after notice and hearing, director may suspend, involuntarily cancel or revoke a license for a violation of the Kansas liquor control act. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Kansas Insurance Department. Kansas Insurance Department; KID's current September 2025 Consumer Connection states the Department regulates companies selling policies in Kansas for solvency and compliance; current KID complaint guide gives consumer-assistance process and contacts. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Licensing FAQ. Kansas Insurance Department; KID FAQ currently indexed as directing users to SBS Lookup, select Kansas jurisdiction and Licensee Search Type; direct KID route returned HTTP 403 to this verifier. SBS lookup endpoint linked in regulator. KID's Sept. 29, 2025 guide also directs consumers to NIPR existing-license verification for agents. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. How to File a Complaint. Kansas Insurance Department; Current 2-page KID PDF, p.1: consumer-assistance representative evaluates issue, asks for written complaint, reviews it and contacts appropriate parties; requests corrective action for Kansas law violation. p.2 publishes main phone 785-296-3071, hotline 800-432-2484 and insurance.kansas.gov/complaint. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. K.S.A. 40-246c. Kansas Legislature; 2026 Kansas Statutes, K.S.A. 40-246c(a)(2): for insureds whose home state is Kansas, licensed agent collects and pays 3% of total gross premiums less returned premiums; applies beginning taxable year Jan. 1, 2024. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. K.S.A. 40-246g. Kansas Legislature; 2026 Kansas Statutes, K.S.A. 40-246g(a)–(b): exempt commercial purchaser route waives signed statement if producer discloses admitted insurance may or may not be available and may give greater protection/oversight, followed by purchaser's written request; effective Jan. 1, 2016. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. Consumer Connection: Life Insurance to Future Proof Your Family. Kansas Department of Insurance; September 29, 2025, p.1: directs Kansans to NIPR existing-license verification and gives the Department's 785-296-3071 phone; mission says regulate companies selling policies in Kansas for solvency and compliance. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.

Get Help With Insurance Buying and Renewals.

Get help buying coverage and managing renewals, with less paperwork for your team. Start with a free consultation.

Talk to Spot