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Media Liability in New Hampshire

For New Hampshire media work, separate civil claim timing from the narrower criminal statute: civil libel and slander actions generally have three years from accrual, while criminal defamation requires purposeful communication of information known to be false and harmful to reputation. 1,2

What Is Media Liability?

Media liability can help pay defense costs for claims about content you create or distribute, such as allegations of defamation or infringement. Consider it if you publish or produce content for your business or clients; match the quote to each activity. Read the national Media liability guide.

What to Watch for in New Hampshire

  • Civil libel and slander claims have a three-year period

    RSA 508:4(II) says personal actions for slander or libel, unless otherwise provided by law, may be brought within three years of accrual. Preserve publication versions and dates, but use the policy’s separate reporting terms when notifying an insurer. 1

  • A federal appeal rejected a challenge to the criminal statute

    RSA 644:11 requires purposeful communication of information the speaker knows is false and knows will tend to expose a living person to specified reputational harm; “public” includes the person’s professional or social group. In Frese v. Formella, the First Circuit rejected First and Fourteenth Amendment challenges to the statute; the Supreme Court later denied review. This describes those rulings, not whether any particular publication satisfies the statute. 2,3,4

  • A criminal statute does not answer the policy question

    The criminal provision does not establish that an allegation meets its elements, and it says nothing about insurance. Ask the insurer how the policy addresses criminal proceedings, defense costs, intentional-conduct allegations, and when a civil demand must be reported. 1,2

Who Regulates Insurance in New Hampshire

New Hampshire Insurance Department

The New Hampshire Insurance Department licenses insurance producers and insurers, oversees insurance markets and investigates complaints concerning entities within the Commissioner’s authority. Its consumer services line is 800-852-3416. 5,6,7,8

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 3% on the New Hampshire allocation; other-state allocations use those states’ rates and fees New Hampshire charges 3% on gross premium allocated to New Hampshire; for multistate coverage, premium allocated elsewhere is taxed at the rates and fees applicable in those jurisdictions, less qualifying returned premium. The policy notice states that the New Hampshire Guaranty Association will not be liable for surplus-lines policies; placement ordinarily requires proof that admitted coverage cannot be obtained. 9,10,11

Providers With Documented State Licenses

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

  • CoalitionCoalition Insurance Solutions, Inc.Insurance producer, Surplus-lines broker · checked 2026-09-28Coalition’s license page lists producer and surplus-lines licenses for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc. in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The page separately lists insurers; this record covers the brokerage entity only. 13
  • 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. 14

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in New Hampshire

  1. Which policy definition of a claim applies to a written demand, subpoena, or suit?
  2. Who selects counsel, and do defense expenses reduce the media limit?
  3. Which content activities, formats, platforms, and client work are scheduled or excluded?

Media Liability in New Hampshire: FAQ

Does New Hampshire’s three-year period tell me when to notify the insurer? 1

No. RSA 508:4 addresses the time to bring a civil libel or slander action; policy notice and reporting duties are separate contract terms. 1

Does every disputed or inaccurate post qualify as criminal defamation? 2

No. RSA 644:11 requires purposeful communication and knowledge that the information is false and will tend to expose a living person to specified reputational harm. 2

Media Liability in Other States

Other Coverage in New Hampshire

Sources

  1. New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated § 508:4. New Hampshire General Court; Paragraph II: three years from accrual for slander or libel unless otherwise provided; page identifies 1986 effective amendment. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated § 644:11. New Hampshire General Court; Paragraphs I–II: purposeful communication, knowing falsity/reputational tendency, class B misdemeanor, living person, professional/social group; current RSA page. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Frese v. Formella, No. 21-1068. United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit; Opinion issued Nov. 8, 2022, pp. 2, 6–7, 18–19: recites RSA 644:11, rejects the facial First Amendment argument under Garrison, and affirms dismissal of the vagueness challenge. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Frese v. Formella, No. 22-939 docket. Supreme Court of the United States; Proceedings and Orders: petition for certiorari denied Oct. 2, 2023; denial is reported as procedural history, not a merits endorsement. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. New Hampshire Insurance Department. New Hampshire Insurance Department; Official regulator homepage. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. New Hampshire State License Division Information. Sircon (state-designated licensing service); State-specific Sircon page identifies NH Insurance Department Licensing Division and license services, but does not expose an unambiguous public producer/company search link. Public lookup destination remains an evidence gap; do not claim this route is the public license search. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Consumer Complaint Form. New Hampshire Insurance Department; Official NHID fillable complaint form covers property/casualty including commercial; the official complaint process and 800-852-3416 are confirmed by Ins 102.08 at the source below. PDF endpoint returns HTTP 403 to this verifier, so retain it as a documented access limitation. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Insurance Department Rules. New Hampshire Insurance Department; Ins 102.08 identifies complaint investigation, consumer-service authority and contact details. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. RSA 405-B:4, Single Home State Rate; Surplus Lines. New Hampshire General Court; Official statute: 3% on NH-allocated gross premium and other-state rates/fees on out-of-state allocations, less specified returned NH premium. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. RSA 405:24, Applicability; Issue. New Hampshire General Court; Required nonadmitted surplus-lines policy notice and eligible insurer/placement provisions; surplus lines are not subject to ordinary admitted-insurer regulation. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  11. RSA 405:24. New Hampshire General Court; Subsection III limits licensed surplus-lines placement to amounts not obtainable from an admitted company. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  12. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  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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