Get Started

Washington Umbrella and Excess Liability Guide

RCW 46.29.090 says no policy or bond is effective under RCW 46.29.080 unless it provides, exclusive of interest and costs, at least $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more persons, and $10,000 for property of others, and unless the insurer or surety is authorized to do business in Washington, with a narrow exception in subsection (2). RCW 4.22.070 makes each defendant’s liability several only, except where persons acted in concert or one was an agent or servant of the other, and except where the claimant was not at fault, in which case defendants against whom judgment is entered are jointly and severally liable for the sum of their proportionate shares. 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.

Washington Requirements

RequirementDetails
Limits that make a policy effective under RCW 46.29.080RCW 46.29.090(1) requires at least $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more persons, and $10,000 for property, from an insurer or surety authorized to do business in Washington, before the policy or bond is effective under RCW 46.29.080. Subsection (2) addresses a vehicle that was not registered in Washington. These are financial-responsibility limits, not an umbrella minimum. 1

What to Watch for in Washington

  • A lower auto limit is not effective under RCW 46.29.080

    The statute does not merely prefer $25,000/$50,000/$10,000. It says no policy or bond is effective under RCW 46.29.080 unless those limits are present and the company is authorized in Washington, except as subsection (2) provides for a vehicle registered elsewhere. An umbrella cannot cure an underlying policy that the financial-responsibility section treats as ineffective. Confirm the insurer’s Washington authority and the three limits. 1

  • The default is several liability for the defendant’s own share

    RCW 4.22.070(1) says the liability of each defendant shall be several only and shall not be joint, except in the cases the subsection lists. A person is responsible for another’s fault where both acted in concert or where a person was acting as an agent or servant of the party. If the claimant or the person who suffered the injury was not at fault, the defendants against whom judgment is entered are jointly and severally liable for the sum of their proportionate shares of the claimant’s total damages. That joint figure is the sum of their shares, not an invitation to add a nonparty’s fault. 2

  • Joint liability brings contribution rights with it

    Subsection (2) says that if a defendant is jointly and severally liable under one of those exceptions, that defendant’s contribution rights against another jointly and severally liable defendant, and the effect of a settlement by either, are governed by the rest of that subsection. An excess carrier that pays more than a several share because the claimant was fault-free should ask about contribution before it closes the file. 2

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

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 Washington. 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
  • RisklyticsRisklytics, Inc.Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28Risklytics’ licensing page lists its Massachusetts resident agency license plus state license records in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas and Washington; it identifies the NPN record date as September 10, 2026. This list is company-published and not a product availability map. 13
  • TechInsuranceSpecialty Program Group LLCInsurance producer · checked 2026-09-28TechInsurance’s current licensing page names Specialty Program Group LLC / SPG Insurance Solutions and lists state license numbers, but labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses” rather than identifying a license for the named agency. RI is omitted because this disclosure does not establish agency authority there; this is a search limitation, not an assertion that the company is unlicensed. The remaining state entries are company-reported and are not an insurance product availability map. 14
  • 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. 15

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Washington

  1. Does the auto policy or bond meet RCW 46.29.090 so that it is effective under RCW 46.29.080?
  2. Did the defendants act in concert, or was one an agent or servant of the other?
  3. Was the claimant free of fault, which makes judgment defendants jointly liable for the sum of their shares?

Umbrella And Excess Liability in Washington: FAQ

What limits does RCW 46.29.090 require? 1

A policy or bond is not effective under RCW 46.29.080 unless it provides at least $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more persons, and $10,000 for property, from an authorized company, subject to subsection (2). 1

When are Washington defendants jointly liable? 2

RCW 4.22.070 makes liability several only, except for persons acting in concert or as agent and servant, and except when the claimant was not at fault. In that second case, defendants against whom judgment is entered are jointly and severally liable for the sum of their proportionate shares. 2

Umbrella And Excess Liability in Other States

Other Coverage in Washington

Sources

  1. RCW 46.29.090, Requirements as to policy or bond. Washington State Legislature; Subsection (1): $25,000/$50,000 bodily injury or death and $10,000 property before a policy or bond is effective under RCW 46.29.080. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. RCW 4.22.070, Percentage of fault; several liability. Washington State Legislature; Several liability with exceptions for concerted action, agency, and a fault-free claimant. 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.

Get Help With Insurance Buying and Renewals.

Get help buying coverage and managing renewals, with less paperwork for your team. Start with a free consultation.

Talk to Spot