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Media Liability Coverage in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania gives one year for libel, slander, and invasion-of-privacy actions. Its Uniform Public Expression Protection Act provides a special public-expression immunity and motion process for qualifying claims, with fee consequences; counsel should assess whether the communication and claim fall within the Act. 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 Pennsylvania

  • Use the one-year period for privacy as well as defamation

    42 Pa.C.S. § 5523(1) covers libel, slander, and invasion of privacy. Log the earliest publication and any distinct later publication; do not limit claim intake to reputation-based allegations. 1

  • Screen for Pennsylvania’s public-expression immunity

    Chapter 83, Subchapter C establishes protected public-expression immunity and a statutory motion process for qualifying speech, petition, and association claims. Refer public-interest disputes to counsel promptly to preserve any procedural options. 2

  • Model fee exposure before taking a motion position

    Pennsylvania’s Act includes fee provisions tied to an immunity ruling and certain voluntary dismissals, as well as possible fees when an immunity assertion is frivolous or solely for delay. Ask whether the policy covers these litigation expenses and how consent applies. 2

Who Regulates Insurance in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Insurance Department

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department publishes state tools to check licensed producers, agencies, and insurers, and its Consumer Services Online portal accepts complaints about insurers, agents, brokers, and public adjusters. The department also oversees Pennsylvania insurance business and consumer services. 3,4,5

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 3% of gross premium (2% for eligible surplus-lines risk retention groups) Pennsylvania charges 3% of gross surplus-lines premiums (2% for an eligible surplus-lines risk-retention group); the tax is in addition to premium, is borne by the insured, and is collected by the producer. For multistate risks, the 2025 Revenue instructions say all gross premiums are taxable when Pennsylvania is the home state, while Insurance Company Law §1621(d) says tax is levied only on premium reasonably ascribable to Pennsylvania risk; confirm allocation with your producer or the state. Surplus-lines coverage is excluded from the guaranty association, and qualifying large risks or exempt commercial purchasers may use distinct no-search routes, with the ECP route requiring disclosure and written request. 6,7,8,9

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 Pennsylvania. 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. 11
  • 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 Pennsylvania

  1. Does the alleged conduct support libel, slander, or invasion-of-privacy claims within Pennsylvania’s one-year period?
  2. Does the claim arise from an activity covered by Pennsylvania’s public-expression immunity statute?
  3. How does the insurer handle motion costs and statutory fee awards under Chapter 83?

Media Liability in Pennsylvania: FAQ

What claims have a one-year limit in Pennsylvania? 1

Section 5523(1) sets one year for libel, slander, and invasion-of-privacy actions. 1

Does Pennsylvania have a public-expression motion process? 2

Yes. Chapter 83, Subchapter C establishes protected public-expression immunity and related court procedures and fee rules for qualifying claims. 2

Media Liability in Other States

Other Coverage in Pennsylvania

Sources

  1. 42 Pa.C.S. § 5523 — One-Year Limitation. Pennsylvania General Assembly; § 5523(1): libel, slander, and invasion-of-privacy actions within one year. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. 42 Pa.C.S. Chapter 83, Subchapter C — Uniform Public Expression Protection Act. Pennsylvania General Assembly; §§ 8340.11–8340.17: protected public expression immunity, motion process, and fee rules. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. pennsylvania insurance regulator. State insurance regulator; PID official agency page and the search/consumer-help service map. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Pennsylvania Insurance Industry Search Tool Library. State insurance regulator; PID identifies consumer Sircon and detailed individual, business-entity, and company search tools. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. File a Complaint with Your Insurance Company, Agent, Broker, or Public Adjuster. State insurance regulator; PID directs insurance complaints and questions to its Consumer Services Online portal. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. RCT-123 Gross Premiums Tax - Surplus Lines Agents (2025). Pennsylvania Department of Revenue; Instructions p. 4, imposition/base/rate: 3% on gross premiums; insured bears tax, producer collects/remits; RRG exception 2% per statute. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Insurance Company Law, §1621. Pennsylvania General Assembly; Subsection (d): multi-state tax is levied only on premium reasonably ascribable to Pennsylvania risk. This differs from the 2025 RCT-123 instructions, which state all gross premiums taxable if PA is home state; see source tax. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Insurance Department Act, surplus-lines notice provision. Pennsylvania General Assembly; Policy legend: insurer is not licensed and surplus-lines insurance is NOT covered by Pennsylvania Insurance Guaranty Association. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. Pennsylvania Insurance Company Law §§1604 and 1610 (40 P.S. §§991.1604, 991.1610). Pennsylvania General Assembly; Act 28 of 2011 §1610(a), (a.1): large-risk criteria and ECP disclosure followed by written request exempt from diligent-search requirements. 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.

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