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Alcohol Serving Business Insurance

One incident can cost thousands (or more). Insurance Canopy helps protect your business from expensive claims caused by intoxicated guests with liquor liability insurance.

Annual Policy:

Starting at

^$35.42

Per Month*

*Prices vary by state

What Is Alcohol Serving Business Insurance?

Liquor liability insurance helps protect your business if someone you served alcohol to causes bodily harm or damages property. Even if you didn’t cause the incident directly, you can still be held legally responsible for any related expenses. Liquor liability insurance is designed to cover those costs.

Commercial general liability insurance does not cover the cost of alcohol-related claims, which is why liquor liability insurance is critical if alcohol sales make up part of your revenue.

You must have an active general liability policy with limits equal to or greater than your liquor liability policy to purchase this coverage.

Liquor liability is sometimes referred to as dram shop insurance because many states have dram shop laws, which determine your liability for incidents caused by your patrons.

Who Needs Liquor Liability Insurance?

Any business serving or selling alcohol needs liquor liability insurance, including the following.

Bartenders

Caterers

Event Bartenders

Mobile Bartenders

Wedding Bartenders

Don’t see your business listed here? We may still be able to write a policy for you. Call us at 844.520.6993 to speak with one of our U.S.-based, licensed agents today!

What Does Liquor Liability Insurance Cover?

Liquor liability insurance covers a variety of third-party expenses stemming from accidents involving alcohol. This includes:

Medical bills
Attorney’s fees
Defense costs
Settlements
Judgments
Property repairs or replacements

These costs can easily reach six figures (or more), which far outweighs the cost of a liquor liability policy. With insurance, you aren’t left to shoulder those expenses alone.

Liquor Liability Insurance for Bartenders

Bartender liability inurance covers freelance and mobile bartending businesses that serve drinks at weddings, private events, corporate parties, and other gatherings. However, it is not designed to cover brick-and-mortar bars or restaurants with bars.

Bartender Insurance Cost

Bartender insurance starts as low as $35.42 a month or $550 a year, and includes both liquor liability and general liability coverage.

How to Get Bartender Insurance

Start your application and provide information about your business
Select which coverages you would like to include on your policy
Get your free quote
Complete your purchase

Liquor Liability Insurance for Caterers

Caterers who include alcohol in their packages or specialize in alcohol service need catering liquor liability insurance to protect them from the risks they face.

Liquor Catering Insurance Cost

Alcohol caterers can get insured for as low as $35.42 a month or $550 a year with Insurance Canopy. This policy includes liquor and general liability insurance — two necessary coverages for all caterers serving alcohol.

How to Get Alcohol Catering Insurance

Start your application and enter information about your business
Select the coverage types you want to include
Receive your free quote
Finish checking out

Liquor Liability Insurance for Weddings, Parties, and Events

Event liquor liability insurance is the best fit if you need short-term coverage for one specific event. This includes weddings, parties, and festivals.

Insurance Canopy’s event liquor insurance covers you for up to three consecutive days, protecting you during setup and teardown.

Liquor Liability Insurance for Events Cost

You can get event liquor coverage for as low as $275. However, your price can change based on the following factors:

The state you do business in
The number of guests at your event
Your gross income
The length of your event
What limits you select

How to Get Short-Term Liquor Liability Insurance for Events

Start your application and provide details about your business
Choose the coverage types you want to include in your policy
Get your free quote
Complete the checkout process

Event vs. Annual Alcohol Liability Coverage

Insurance Canopy offers both short- and long-term liquor liability coverage options to suit a variety of business needs. Explore the similarities and differences between both in the table below.

Swipe →

	Event	Annual
Coverage Types	• Liquor liability • General liability	• Liquor liability • General liability
Available Coverage Add-Ons	Not available for event policies	• Assault and battery • Commercial auto • Cyber liability • Tools and equipment (inland marine) • Workers compensation
Length of Coverage	Up to 3 consecutive days	365 days
Cost	Starts at $275/event	Starts at $35.42/month or $550/year
Best For	Businesses and professionals only serving alcohol at one event per year	Businesses and professionals who serve alcohol at more than one event per year

How to Minimize Alcohol Liability Risk

Accidents might happen, even when you’re prepared, but taking preventative steps still effectively lowers your liquor liability risk. The following tips are best practices you can start implementing today to decrease your chances of filing a claim:

Always check IDs before serving guests
Familiarize yourself and your staff with signs of intoxication
Provide complementary snacks
Offer free non-alcoholic beverages to designated drivers
Know and comply with your state, county, and local liquor laws
Develop a plan for how to respond when it’s time to cut off an intoxicated patron

FAQs About Liquor Liability Insurance for Alcohol Serving Businesses

What’s the Difference Between Host Liquor and Liquor Liability Insurance?

Host liquor is designed to be short-term liability protection for event hosts, not individuals or businesses who are in the business of selling, serving, or providing alcohol.

For example, a retail company throwing a holiday party with a wine and beer bar is a good candidate for host liquor insurance. On the other hand, a mobile bartender needs liquor liability insurance because their business is selling and serving alcohol.

How Fast Can I Get My Proof of Insurance?

You can get your Certificate of Insurance (COI) instantly with Insurance Canopy. Simply follow these steps:

Log in to your online account
Go to “Proof of Insurance
Download your COI

How Can I Add an Additional Insured to My Policy?

You can add additional insureds during checkout or afterwards by following these steps:

Log in to your online account
Go to “Manage Policies”
Add additional insureds to your policy

Is Liquor Liability Insurance Legally Required?

In many cases, yes. Some states and local governments require all alcohol-serving businesses to carry liquor liability insurance.

Even if this isn’t the case where you live, it’s very common for venues, landlords, and clients to require liquor liability insurance.

How Much Liquor Liability Insurance Do I Need?

The amount of insurance you need depends on factors like:

Alcohol sales: If this makes up the bulk of your revenue, you will need higher limits.
Location: Every state has a rating based on the amount of liability alcohol-serving businesses face if an intoxicated patron causes an accident. States with a higher rating have higher liquor liability insurance rates.
Coverage limits: Choosing higher coverage limits for your policy increases your premium as well as your protection
Your industry: Some industries are considered riskier than others, especially those that serve alcohol to a large number of guests. This can increase your premium.