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Rhode Island Umbrella and Excess Liability Guide

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-47-2(13) defines an owner’s policy of liability insurance to include limits of $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more persons, and $25,000 for injury to or destruction of property. The same definition says nothing in the regulation or chapter prohibits an insurer from affording coverage more liberal than the minimum provisions. Section 9-20-4 then provides that lack of due care, and an open and obvious danger, do not bar recovery for personal injury, death, or property damage. Damages are diminished in proportion to the negligence of the injured person or the person who controls the property. An umbrella is one way to buy the more liberal limit the auto statute already permits. 1,2

What Is Umbrella And Excess Liability?

Umbrella or excess insurance adds liability limits above the policies named in the quote after a covered claim exhausts their limits. It may fit if a contract sets higher limits; check which primary policies are listed and any gaps between them. Read the national Umbrella and excess liability guide.

Rhode Island Requirements

RequirementDetails
Owner’s policy amounts in the statutory definitionSection 31-47-2(13) defines an owner’s policy to provide, exclusive of interest and costs, $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more persons, and $25,000 for property. The definition also says an insurer may afford coverage more liberal than the minimum provisions. These are definitional auto limits, not a required umbrella amount. 1

What to Watch for in Rhode Island

  • The auto chapter expressly allows limits above the minimum

    After describing the minimum provisions, § 31-47-2 says nothing in the regulation or in the chapter prohibits coverage under an owner’s policy more liberal than those minimum provisions. Buying an umbrella does not conflict with that sentence. The excess form still has to schedule underlying limits that satisfy both the $25,000/$50,000/$25,000 definition and the form’s own warranty. 1

  • An open and obvious condition does not bar the claim

    Section 9-20-4, as amended in 2019, says recovery is not barred because the injured person or the person controlling the property was not using due care, or because the danger or defect was open and obvious. Damages are diminished by the finder of fact in proportion to that negligence. A premises file that treats an open hazard as a complete defense is not using this section. The excess layer can still see a reduced award. 2

  • The defined policy covers Rhode Island and the rest of North America

    The owner’s-policy definition reaches ownership, maintenance, use, or operation within Rhode Island or elsewhere in the United States, in North America, or Canada. Match the umbrella’s territory to that grant if the vehicle leaves the state. The comparative-negligence section is a damages rule for the action, not a territory clause. 1

Who Regulates Insurance in Rhode Island

Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, Insurance Division

The DBR Insurance Division provides an online public verification service for producers, adjusters, surplus-lines brokers, and other licensees, and accepts insurance complaints online. Contact the Division for help determining whether it has authority over a particular policy or dispute. 3,4,5

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 4% of net taxable premium; 2018 filing guide excludes listed broker, carrier and inspection fees Rhode Island’s 2024 return applies 4% to net taxable premium (gross premium less returned premium); its 2018 filing guide excludes broker, carrier, and inspection fees from the base. Confirm fee treatment with the Division of Taxation if your bill separates those charges, because no newer official fee-base guidance was located. 6,7

Providers With Documented State Licenses

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

  • 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. 10
  • VouchVouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLCInsurance producer, Surplus-lines broker · checked 2026-09-28Vouch’s licenses page, effective January 16, 2025, lists producer licenses in all 50 states and DC. Its separate surplus-lines table includes Idaho number 870820, while a footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses. Because those statements conflict for Idaho, this record keeps Idaho producer-only and does not treat the table number as established agency surplus-lines authority. The page is company-reported and does not establish product availability. 13

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Rhode Island

  1. Does the owner’s policy meet the $25,000/$50,000/$25,000 definition, and what higher limit does the umbrella schedule above it?
  2. Is the defense that a hazard was open and obvious, which § 9-20-4 says does not bar recovery?
  3. Does the umbrella territory include the North American grant in the owner’s-policy definition?

Umbrella And Excess Liability in Rhode Island: FAQ

What limits does Rhode Island build into an owner’s auto policy? 1

Section 31-47-2(13) uses $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more persons, and $25,000 for property, and it allows coverage more liberal than that minimum. 1

Does claimant negligence bar a Rhode Island injury claim? 2

No. Section 9-20-4 says lack of due care, and an open and obvious danger or defect, shall not bar recovery. Damages are diminished in proportion to the negligence attributable to the injured person or the person controlling the property. 2

Umbrella And Excess Liability in Other States

Other Coverage in Rhode Island

Sources

  1. R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-47-2, Definitions. Rhode Island General Assembly; Subsection (13): owner’s policy limits of $25,000/$50,000 bodily injury or death and $25,000 property, and permission for more liberal coverage. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-20-4, Comparative negligence. Rhode Island General Assembly; P.L. 2019, ch. 185 and ch. 256: lack of due care and open-and-obvious dangers do not bar recovery; damages are diminished. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. rhode-island insurance regulator. State insurance regulator; DBR Insurance Division overview links to complaint, license lookup, statutes, and regulations. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. DBR License Status Verification. State insurance regulator; Official page identifies online NAIC-partnered status checks for producers, adjusters, motor vehicle appraisers, surplus-lines brokers, and reinsurance intermediaries. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. DBR Insurance Consumers. State insurance regulator; Official consumer page explains the division's regulated insurance lines and online complaint route. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. 2025 T-71A Surplus Line Broker Return of Gross Premiums. Rhode Island Division of Taxation; 2025 return, p. 1, lines 1–4: net taxable premium is gross premium less returned premiums; 4% tax; filing due April 1, 2026. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Guide to Tax Filings for Surplus Lines. Rhode Island Division of Taxation; 2018 Guide to tax filings, surplus-lines section: gross premium for tax purposes excludes carrier, broker, and inspection fees; no newer official fee-base instruction located as of 2026-09-28. 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. 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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