
What Representations and Warranties Insurance Requirements Apply in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts generally allows 6 years under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2 for actions of contract, subject to specific exceptions, subject to claim-specific exceptions and accrual rules. That statutory filing period does not set the survival date negotiated for each representation or the insurer’s reporting window; if Massachusetts is the insured’s home state, the surplus-lines tax rate is 4%.
What Is Representations and Warranties Insurance?
Representations and warranties insurance can cover a buyer’s or seller’s loss from inaccurate statements in a stock or asset purchase agreement. For a business sale, check who is insured, who can recover and how known issues are treated. Read the national Representations and warranties guide.
What to Watch for With Representations and Warranties in Massachusetts
Separate The Statute From The Survival Schedule
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2 provides 6 years for actions of contract, subject to specific exceptions. Ask deal counsel to list a separate survival end date for each representation, then compare those dates with the insurer’s claim-reporting deadline. 1
Confirm When A Contract Claim Accrues
Massachusetts measures the cited contract period from accrual; Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2 covers actions of contract, subject to specific exceptions. For an R&W placement, ask counsel to identify the alleged breach date and put it beside the purchase-agreement survival date and policy notice deadline. 1
Show Home-State Tax In The Closing Costs
Federal law assigns nonadmitted premium-tax authority to the insured’s home state. If Massachusetts is the home state for your R&W policy, 4% of gross premiums less gross return premiums on risks or exposures in Massachusetts or another state applies under M.G.L. c.175, §168. Ask the broker to state the tax base and any separate stamping or filing charge in the closing funds flow. 3,2
Providers With Massachusetts License Records
These providers publish a national listing for Representations and warranties; the license records below name the licensed entities and roles. Some records rely on company-reported information rather than independent regulator verification. A national listing does not confirm the product is available in Massachusetts. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.
Corgi
Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.
Corgi’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
Corgi lists representations and warranties insurance for M&A buyers and sellers.
Who Regulates Insurance in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts Division of Insurance
The Massachusetts Division of Insurance licenses insurers and producers, reviews rates and forms, and handles insurance complaints. Use the State Based Systems lookup for producers, agencies, and surplus-lines brokers. For insurer status, use the DOI’s separate licensed or approved company lists, including the eligible surplus-lines company list. Before filing a complaint, contact the insurer or producer; if the response is unsatisfactory, submit the online form with supporting papers. The DOI says not to use the form for ongoing litigation. 4,5,6,7
Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office in Massachusetts
Reported tax rate. 4% of gross premiums less gross return premiums on risks or exposures in Massachusetts or another state when Massachusetts is the insured’s home state. 8,9,10,11
A diligent effort to place coverage with admitted insurers is generally required before surplus-lines placement through a specially licensed Massachusetts broker. The narrow §224 large-commercial exception is described in the note below.
- Multi-state surplus-lines tax dates and exceptions: For this rule, home state means the state of the insured’s principal place of business or, for an individual, principal residence; if 100% of the risk is outside that state, home state is where the greatest percentage of taxable premium for that insurance contract is allocated. For multi-state policies effective on or after August 10, 2018, the Division of Insurance says the 4% tax applies to gross premium regardless of whether risks are inside or outside Massachusetts when Massachusetts is the insured’s home state. For earlier effective dates, Massachusetts risk portions are taxed at 4%, while out-of-state portions are taxed at the rates for their allocated premium. The Division lists exceptions for policies issued to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, federal credit unions when they are the purchaser, and tribal lands on reservations. Brokers still make required filings for exempt policies. Tax-exempt status alone is not specifically excluded. 8,9
- Narrow large-commercial placement exception: Section 168(b)(iv) exempts the diligent-effort affidavit and excess-placement condition in §168(b)(iii) only for a §224 qualifying commercial risk or policyholder. The policyholder must acknowledge in writing that the insurer is not admitted and that the Massachusetts Insurers Insolvency Fund will not pay an insolvency loss. Section 224 eligibility is limited to a corporation, partnership, trust, sole proprietorship, or other business or public entity with at least $30,000 in aggregate property-and-casualty premiums, excluding workers’ compensation. The holder must certify its election and understanding of limited regulatory oversight and certify at least two criteria: net worth of $10 million; net revenue or sales of $5 million; more than 25 employees per individual company OR more than 50 employees per holding company aggregate; a nonprofit or public entity with annual budget or assets of $25 million or more; a municipality with population of 20,000 or more; or retention of a risk manager who is either a full-time employee or retained by the policyholder; that person must be licensed and hold one of these qualifications: certified insurance counselor, chartered property and casualty underwriter, associate in risk management, certified risk manager, or licensed insurance advisor in property and casualty. 10,11
Questions to Ask Before You Buy Representations and Warranties in Massachusetts
- Which Massachusetts limitation period and accrual rule apply to each seller representation, and does the governing-law clause point to a different state?
- Can you put each negotiated representation survival date, the escrow release date, and the policy reporting deadline on one closing calendar?
- If the policy is placed on a surplus-lines basis, is Massachusetts the insured’s home state, what tax base applies, and who remits the tax?
- Which state bulk-sale notice, tax-clearance, or successor-liability issues should the deal team evaluate for this asset or stock purchase?
Representations and Warranties Insurance in Massachusetts: FAQ
How long is the written-contract limitation period in Massachusetts?
6 years under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2 for actions of contract, subject to specific exceptions. Accrual, claim classification, and statutory exceptions can change which period applies. 1
Does Massachusetts’s contract limitation period set the R&W survival period?
No. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2 sets a court-filing limit for actions of contract, subject to specific exceptions; it does not set the negotiated survival end date for a representation or the separate deadline to notify the insurer. 1
What surplus-lines tax applies to an R&W policy in Massachusetts?
4% of gross premiums less gross return premiums on risks or exposures in Massachusetts or another state when Massachusetts is the insured’s home state, under M.G.L. c.175, §168. Federal law assigns the premium-tax obligation to the home state; ask the broker to show the home-state and tax calculation on the closing statement. 2,3
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Other coverage in MassachusettsEvery coverage guide for Massachusetts, plus the regulator and surplus-lines details.


