Commercial General Liability Insurance? Does Every Business Owner Have to Have it?

October 24, 2019

Have to? Generally No. However, There are Many Important Considerations.

This article originally appeared in Quora.com https://www.quora.com/Does-every-business-owner-have-to-have-commercial-general-liability

Business owners are generally not required to carry general liability insurance. There are some important exceptions, including when the coverage is:

Required by a lease
Required by general contractors
Required by mortgagor or lender

For many businesses, general liability is a sound and essential strategy for transferring the risk of loss that faces every enterprise, and in many cases, the cost for including general liability on an insurance package is minimal.

There are numerous types of liability coverage available to business owners. In addition to the foundational commercial general liability, it would be wise to consider securing:

Auto Liability including Hired & Non-Owned
Workers Compensation and Employers Liability
Employment Practices Liability
Cyber Liability
Professional Liability
The world of business insurance has become very complex and the exposures to loss diverse.

Partnering with The Ryan Agencies to identify your business's specific risks of loss is sound advice.

If you have additional questions about your New York State business or commercial insurance please feel welcome to call us at 607-324-7500. Or, if you are not a current client, you can request a quote from our agency right online here:

https://www.ryanagency.com/request-a-commercial-insurance-quote

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Auto Rates and Finger Prints: Both are Unique to You!

By Jeff Ryan • April 7, 2026

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