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Product Recall Insurance in Washington

Washington law authorizes the director to embargo adulterated or misbranded articles in intrastate commerce and separately to destroy or render unsalable food when immediate condemnation is needed for public health. The Department of Health posts Washington-affected recalls for about a year but says companies are not required to report recalls to it and its list may be incomplete; maintain your own customer-notice records. 1,2

What Is Product Recall?

Product recall insurance can pay specified costs to locate and withdraw a product after a covered problem. It fits businesses that could face recall logistics; product liability does not automatically pay those costs, so compare the trigger and covered expenses. Read the national Product recall guide.

What to Watch for in Washington

  • Keep Embargoed and Recalled Lots Distinct

    Washington prohibits sale of an article under an intrastate embargo without the required permission. Keep state-held goods out of return and destruction workflows until the embargo is lifted. 1

  • Do Not Rely on the State List Alone

    Washington DOH says companies are not required to report recalls to it and that its list may be incomplete. Maintain your own retailer and consumer notice record; the state list cannot prove that all affected buyers were reached. 2

  • Plan for Emergency Condemnation

    Washington law permits immediate destruction or rendering unsalable when unsafe food must be condemned to protect public health. Ask how the policy handles disposal carried out before ordinary adjuster approval can be obtained. 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. 3,4,5

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. 6,7

Providers With Documented State Licenses

No provider in Spot’s research documents both a state license record and this coverage line. This does not establish that providers are unlicensed. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm availability with a provider when requesting a quote.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Washington

  1. Can I sell Washington inventory while it is embargoed?
  2. Is the Washington DOH recall list complete?
  3. Which Washington agency should my response team contact first, and what records should we provide?

Product Recall in Washington: FAQ

Can I sell Washington inventory while it is embargoed? 1

No. RCW 69.04.110 allows an embargo against sale in intrastate commerce until permission is given under the chapter. Preserve the release record before returning held inventory to sale. 1

Is the Washington DOH recall list complete? 2

No. DOH expressly says its recall list may not include every affected recall and firms need not report every recall to the department. Keep independent customer-notice records. 2

Product Recall in Other States

Other Coverage in Washington

Sources

  1. RCW 69.04.110: Embargo of articles. Washington State Legislature; Director may embargo adulterated or misbranded intrastate goods; permission needed for sale; RCW 69.04.100 unsafe-food condemnation. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. Food Recalls and Safety Alerts. Washington State Department of Health; State-specific product list, source limitations and one-year listing period. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. About Risklytics. Risklytics; What we do; Who we insure; Licensing; Agency licenses table dated 2026-09-10. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  13. 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.
  14. 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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