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Media Liability Coverage in Washington

In Washington, a person generally may maintain a defamation action covered by the Uniform Correction or Clarification of Defamation Act only after making a timely, adequate written request or receiving a correction. The request must identify the speaker, challenged statement, where and when it appeared, and why its alleged meaning is false; a correction is timely if published within 30 days and must reach substantially the same audience, including as an equally prominent part of an online page. A sufficient correction can bar reputation and presumed damages, so buyers should check who controls responses and how correction costs interact with the policy limit. 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 Washington

  • Keep a written correction request complete

    Washington requires a timely and adequate request or a correction before a covered claim may be maintained. The request must identify the claimant, specify the statement and its time and place, explain the defamatory meaning, and say that meaning is false; a complaint can serve as the request if it includes those details. Route the document to counsel and the insurer before sending a response. 1

  • Plan for the 30-day response window

    A correction is timely when published before or within 30 days after the publisher receives the request or requested falsity information, whichever is later. It must be shared with the requester in advance and in a manner likely to reach substantially the original audience; for online publication, it must accompany the challenged statement with equal prominence. 2

  • Track the two-year limit and statutory tolling

    Washington gives libel and slander claims two years, and the correction statute tolls that period during the allowed response window. The statutory tolling does not replace policy notice or consent requirements; ask the insurer how to preserve a defense while a correction request is being evaluated. 3,1

Who Regulates Insurance in Washington

Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner

The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner administers Washington insurance laws, oversees insurers and insurance producers within its authority, and provides regulatory and consumer resources. You can use the department's complaint process to raise an insurance issue and its licensing resources to check insurance professionals. 4,5,6

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 2% of premium The NAIC's state chart lists a 2% of premium charge for surplus-lines coverage for Washington (the chart's state entries were reviewed in October 2025). Your broker may collect the applicable amount with the premium. Surplus-lines insurers are not licensed in the state and generally are outside state guaranty-association protection; ask your broker to explain the insurer's financial protections and any diligent-search requirement that applies to your placement. 7,8

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 Washington. 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. 10
  • 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. 11

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Washington

  1. Does the policy treat a correction request as a claim or circumstance that must be reported immediately?
  2. Who may approve a correction, and does insurer consent apply to wording, placement, or cost?
  3. Are reputation damages and correction expenses covered, and do they reduce the limit available for defense?

Media Liability in Washington: FAQ

What must a Washington correction request say? 1

It must be written, identify the requester, specify the challenged statement and its known time and place, explain its defamatory meaning, and state that the meaning is false. Washington allows a qualifying complaint to count as the request if no adequate request came earlier. 1

What can a sufficient Washington correction change? 2

A timely and sufficient correction prevents recovery of reputation-injury or presumed damages under the act, while leaving other damages allowed by law available. The statute requires a response likely to reach substantially the same audience and an equally prominent companion to an online version. 2

Media Liability in Other States

Other Coverage in Washington

Sources

  1. RCW 7.96.040 — Request for Correction or Clarification. Washington State Legislature; Subsections (1)–(5): precondition for action, written request contents, complaint as request, and tolling. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. RCW 7.96.070 — Timelines and Sufficiency of Correction or Clarification. Washington State Legislature; Subsections (1)–(4): 30-day publication window, notice to requester, same-audience placement, and online prominence. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. RCW 4.16.100 — Actions Limited to Two Years. Washington State Legislature; Subdivision (1): two-year limitation for libel and slander. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  4. Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner; Official regulator website; insurance oversight and consumer/professional resources. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Insurance Department Directory. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner entry; official contact and website listing. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Surplus Lines Insurance Premium Taxes. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; WA row; state surplus-lines premium-tax rate reviewed October 2025. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Guaranty Associations & Funds. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Coverage of claims from insolvencies of insurers licensed in a state; surplus-lines insurers are nonadmitted. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. About Risklytics. Risklytics; What we do; Who we insure; Licensing; Agency licenses table dated 2026-09-10. 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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