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Liquor Liability in New York

New York General Obligations Law § 11-101 allows an injured person to seek actual and exemplary damages when an unlawful liquor sale or procurement caused or contributed to intoxication. Section 11-100 separately addresses knowingly furnishing alcohol to someone under 21, so describe your age-checking and service controls when you ask for limits. 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 New York

  • An Unlawful Sale Can Create a Claim

    Section 11-101 ties recovery to an unlawful sale or assistance in procuring liquor that caused or contributed to intoxication. Ask the broker how the proposed policy addresses claims alleging unlawful service and what conduct exclusions apply. 1

  • Under-21 Claims Have a Separate Rule

    Section 11-100 covers knowingly causing a person under 21 to become intoxicated by unlawfully furnishing alcohol or helping procure it, when the provider knew or had reason to believe the person was under 21. Show the carrier how your venue verifies age and ask whether the application describes those controls accurately. 2

  • Damages Can Include More Than Bodily Injury

    New York § 11-101 lists injury to a person, property, or means of support and permits actual and exemplary damages. Review limits against the full range of claims the statute describes, not just a single injured patron's medical bills. 1

Who Regulates Insurance in New York

New York State Department of Financial Services

New York DFS supervises insurance companies and producers, administers insurance law and accepts consumer complaints about property and casualty policies, including commercial insurance. 3,4,5,6

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 3.6% of gross premium, less returned premium; ELANY stamping fee is 0.15% through 2026 and 0.17% for policies incepting on/after Jan. 1, 2027 When New York is the insured’s home state, excess-line tax is 3.6% of gross premium less returned premium. ELANY’s September 20, 2026 bulletin sets a 0.15% stamping fee through December 31, 2026 and 0.17% for policies incepting on or after January 1, 2027; statutory search requirements and guaranty-fund protection depend on the applicable New York excess-line rules. 7,8,9,10

Excess Line Association of New York

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 New York. 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 New York

  1. Does this quote address claims alleging an unlawful sale under New York General Obligations Law § 11-101?
  2. How does the policy treat claims that our staff knowingly furnished alcohol to someone under 21?
  3. Are exemplary damages, defense costs, and multiple claimants handled within or outside the stated limit?
  4. Does the application accurately describe our age-verification and alcohol-service procedures?

Liquor Liability in New York: FAQ

What damages can someone seek under New York’s dram shop law? 1

The statute allows an injured person to seek actual and exemplary damages for injury to person, property, means of support, or otherwise when an unlawful sale caused or contributed to intoxication. 1

Can a New York business be sued for serving an intoxicated person? 1

Yes. General Obligations Law § 11-101 allows a claim when an unlawful sale or procurement caused or contributed to the person's intoxication and injury. 1

Can a New York venue face a claim for furnishing alcohol to someone under 21? 2

Yes. Section 11-100 allows an injured person to seek actual damages when someone knowingly causes a person under 21 to become intoxicated by unlawfully furnishing alcohol or helping procure it. 2

Liquor Liability in Other States

Other Coverage in New York

Sources

  1. New York General Obligations Law § 11-101, Compensation for Injury Caused by the Illegal Sale of Intoxicating Liquor. New York State Senate; § 11-101(1)–(4). Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. New York General Obligations Law § 11-100, Compensation for Injury or Damage Caused by Intoxication of a Person Under 21. New York State Senate; § 11-100(1)–(4). Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. New York State Department of Financial Services. New York State Department of Financial Services; Official regulator homepage. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Who We Supervise. New York State Department of Financial Services; DFS describes insurance oversight and provides links to company and producer searches. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Consumer Complaints. New York State Department of Financial Services; Official portal files insurance complaints for health, life and property/casualty insurance. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. New York Insurance Law §2118(d)(1). New York State Senate; Current statutory text: 3.6% of gross premiums less returned premium when New York is the insured’s home state. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. ELANY Bulletin 2026-20: Notice of Change in Stamping Fee. Excess Line Association of New York; September 20, 2026 bulletin: 0.17% applies to policies incepting from Jan. 1, 2027; endorsements on policies incepting Jan. 1, 2023–Dec. 31, 2026 retain 0.15%; excess-line tax remains 3.6%. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. New York Insurance Law §2118. New York State Senate; Excess-line broker duties and filing requirements; §2118(a) due care; exceptions should be applied only where statutory conditions are met. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. New York Insurance Law §2118. New York State Senate; Excess-line statutory duties and policies; source is used for placement context. No state-specific guaranty cap/note included. 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. 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.
  15. 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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