Compliance, Liability & Travel Insurance Research Lead
Jordan focuses on regulatory compliance topics such as SR-22/FR-44 filings and DOT/FMCSA rules, professional liability and errors-and-omissions requirements by profession, state-by-state coverage comparisons, and travel insurance rules, drawing primarily on state insurance department bulletins and federal regulatory text.
SR-22/FR-44 and DOT compliance, professional liability, coverage comparisons, and travel insuranceThis byline is a named research persona representing Coverage Criteria’s editorial process for this coverage area — not an individually licensed insurance agent, broker, or credentialed reviewer. Every fact published under it is sourced from official state and federal publications. See our Editorial Standards.
NC, SC, Texas and Louisiana won't issue a licence without proof of insurance or a no-vehicle statement. SC and Louisiana check renewals too.
Kenya requires most visitors to hold cover meeting a US$50,000 schedule. The High Court upheld the scheme on 5 October and said foreign policies can qualify.
Every state requires insurance to drive on a temporary tag, but only some check first. Virginia names temporary plates in its uninsured-driving offence.
Zanzibar's USD 44 inbound insurance has been mandatory since 2024; mainland Tanzania added its own on 1 October 2026. Which one you buy depends on where you first arrive.
The FAA requires no insurance for crop dusting; states do, from $25,000 in Kansas to $400,000 in Colorado. Florida and Oklahoma require drift cover, Colorado doesn't.
Colorado, New Jersey and Wisconsin require $1M/$3M; Massachusetts $100K/$300K. Florida lets doctors opt out with a posted sign, and Kansas raised its floor in 2022.
Minnesota requires $300,000 and Pennsylvania $50,000 once a dog is declared dangerous. Ohio joined the mandate states in March 2026, and the common "14 states" list is wrong.
Only California, Florida, Hawaii and Washington regulate travel sellers — with bonds, trust accounts and a restitution fund. Florida's bond can vanish after five clean years.
Minnesota requires $1,000,000 and that the certificate state on its face that the policy covers escort work — so a correct limit on generic paperwork still fails.
Eight states have raised their auto insurance minimums since 2023 after decades of stillness. A dated record of each change, what triggers it, and what each left alone.
Arizona and Oklahoma require $1,000,000 in ambulance professional liability insurance; New Jersey requires $300,000, and Texas adds a letter of credit.
Most US visitors to Spain travel visa-free with no legal insurance mandate — only Schengen visa applicants do. The EU rule 2026 headlines got wrong.
Texas and California require no malpractice insurance at all for a med spa medical director; Florida sets $100,000, Pennsylvania forces $1,000,000.
Japan has no blanket entry insurance mandate, but Working Holiday visas commonly require proof of coverage, and a 2026 rule can bar re-entry over unpaid medical debt.
Indiana sets a $100,000/$300,000 minimum for licensed direct-entry midwives, and nurse-midwives are not exempt everywhere: Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Florida require their own cover.
States regulate prepaid funeral money through a trust, insurance, or a bond, not the funeral itself. North Carolina requires a $50,000 preneed bond; embalming malpractice coverage is market-driven, not mandated.
No state ties liability insurance to an esthetician's license, but nearly every booth-rental lease requires $1M/$2M in coverage, and Maryland attaches an insurance condition at the salon level.
48 states shield stables from ordinary-negligence claims under an Equine Activity Liability Act, but none of them require insurance, and California and Maryland offer no such statute at all.
No state ties interpreter or translator certification to an insurance mandate — but hospitals, courts, and agencies routinely require $1M in E&O coverage before they'll assign work.
The Dominican Republic's official entry rules require a passport, a return ticket, and proof of funds — not travel insurance, despite what some booking sites claim.
A $1M policy can leave you fully covered or completely exposed depending on one structural choice — whether it's written on an occurrence or claims-made basis.
CBP's $50,000-minimum customs bond belongs to the importer, not the broker — brokers are licensed under exam and character review, with no federal insurance mandate at all.
Admitted insurers are backed by the state guaranty fund if they fail; surplus lines carriers aren't — a distinction every state requires brokers to disclose in writing.
California requires $100K/$300K in malpractice coverage; Pennsylvania requires $1M with automatic license suspension on a lapse. Most states require neither.
Argentina's law now requires visitors to declare health insurance, but the declaration is enforceable only once regulated. Public hospitals already charge uninsured non-residents.
No law mandates builders risk insurance, but construction lenders almost universally require it as a loan condition — and FHA 203(k) loans carry their own HUD-guideline requirement.
Freight brokers must post a $75,000 FMCSA bond or trust fund — not liability insurance — under 49 CFR 387.307, and confusing the two costs new brokers money.
Bail bond agents are licensed insurance producers in most states — but five states have eliminated commercial bail entirely, license and all.
Taxi insurance minimums are set locally and run $100,000 to $500,000+ — a separate, stricter framework than both personal auto and rideshare coverage.
Mainland Ecuador repealed its tourist insurance requirement in August 2018, but Galápagos province still legally requires it under Article 49 of LOREG — even though it's rarely checked at entry. See the coverage recommended for evacuation-scale medical costs.
No federal law requires property manager insurance, but 8 states — including Colorado and Idaho at $100,000/$300,000 — mandate E&O coverage as a real estate license condition. See which states require it and how E&O differs from a fidelity bond.
California requires residential care facilities for the elderly to carry $1M/$3M liability, with no small-home exemption; Washington adult family homes need two $500K/$1M policies.
New Zealand doesn't require travel insurance for tourist entry, and the NZeTA doesn't check for it — but its ACC scheme covers only accidental injury, not illness, evacuation, or repatriation, and the U.S. has no reciprocal healthcare agreement with New Zealand.
A surety bond must be repaid by the business after a claim is paid; liability insurance is absorbed by the insurer instead. See how California, Florida, and Nevada require different combinations of the two — and why "bonded and insured" isn't one guarantee.
No state requires title insurance, but lenders make it mandatory and Iowa bans private title insurers outright in favor of a state-run program. See lender's vs. owner's policy rules, and which states fix the insurance rate by regulation.
No state law forces a nonprofit board to buy D&O insurance, but volunteer-immunity statutes don't cover gross negligence or legal defense costs. See who actually requires the coverage and what it protects that state law doesn't.
The federal health insurance penalty is $0, but California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and D.C. still fine residents for going uninsured. See each state's 2026 penalty amount, exemptions, and how the mandates actually work.
Every state sets a minimum liability requirement, but 'full coverage' is a lender term with no legal definition. See what each actually covers, who is required to carry full coverage, and the real financial gap between them.
No state requires general businesses to carry cyber liability insurance, but all 50 states mandate data breach notification. See New York's DFS cybersecurity rule, who actually needs coverage, and what happens after an uninsured breach.
No state requires GAP insurance, but New York and Virginia regulate how GAP waivers are sold. Learn who actually needs coverage, what happens without it, and how dealership GAP compares to standalone policies.
No state requires renters insurance, and Oklahoma does not ban landlords from requiring it, despite the widely repeated claim. See what Oregon's ORS 90.222 and Virginia's § 55.1-1206 actually allow, and where the Oklahoma myth comes from.
Flood insurance becomes mandatory when a building in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area secures a loan from a federally regulated lender — for at least the loan balance or the NFIP maximum. See NFIP limits, private flood rules, and when lenders must force-place coverage.
No state requires homeowners insurance, but mortgage lenders do: Fannie Mae calls for replacement-cost coverage with a deductible of no more than 5%. See when a servicer can force-place insurance, and where flood coverage adds a federal mandate.
Festivals, fairs, and farmers markets require $1M-$2M general liability naming the event as additional insured before setup — and selling alcohol usually needs separate liquor liability, which permits like Seattle's set at $2M.
Travel insurers stop covering a hurricane the moment it's named. Learn the named-storm cutoff, the 14-21 day Cancel For Any Reason window, and how NAIC and Florida regulate travel policies during peak season.
Thailand requires no travel insurance for tourist entry, but the O-A and O-X long-stay visas require health cover of at least THB 3,000,000 (USD 100,000) per policy year for the whole stay.
Optometrists typically need $200K-$1M in malpractice coverage to gain licensure, insurance panel credentialing, and facility privileges — diagnostic-failure claims, not procedural errors, drive most lawsuits.
Costa Rica ended its mandatory travel insurance rule in 2022, but public hospitals still bill uninsured tourists directly, and long-stay visa categories like the digital nomad visa require proof of health coverage.
Virtual assistants face professional-error and data-access liability that homeowners policies exclude entirely — agency and enterprise client contracts increasingly require $500K-$1M in E&O coverage.
FAA Part 107 governs airspace authorization, not liability — commercial drone operators typically need $500K-$1M in aviation-specific liability coverage required by clients and property owners, not the FAA.
The SCRA does not exempt service members from state minimum auto insurance — the registration state's limits still apply during a PCS move, and deployment does not automatically suspend the requirement.
IT consultants need technology E&O for professional errors, general liability for on-site work, and cyber liability for data breach exposure — standard GL explicitly excludes professional mistakes that cause client financial loss.
Liability-only meets state minimums but pays nothing toward your own vehicle — full coverage adds collision and comprehensive. No state legally requires full coverage, but auto lenders and leasing companies mandate it on financed and leased vehicles.
No U.S. state mandates personal umbrella insurance — but landlords, contractors, and commercial tenants face contractual and municipal requirements that effectively require $1M–$5M in umbrella coverage above their standard policies.
Australia does not require travel health insurance for tourist visa holders — but Australian Medicare excludes U.S. visitors, and student visa holders must carry mandatory Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) as a visa condition.
FR-44 applies only in Florida and Virginia and requires 10x the standard minimum liability after a DUI — FL mandates 100/300/50 versus the state’s standard 10/20/10. SR-22 applies in most states and requires only standard minimums.
Personal injury protection (PIP) is mandatory in 12 no-fault states with minimums ranging from $3,000 in Utah to $50,000 in New York — and Michigan reformed its unlimited PIP system in 2020 with a tiered opt-out structure.
Canada does not require travel health insurance for tourists, but provincial health plans cover residents only — foreign nationals are billed at uninsured rates. U.S. auto policies are valid in Canada but must meet each province’s minimum, commonly $200,000 CAD.
Tutors face professional liability claims for negligent instruction regardless of whether a student's poor performance traces back to the tutoring — and standard homeowner's policies do not cover business-related tutoring sessions or injuries at the tutor's residence.
Mexico requires auto liability insurance on every vehicle using federal roads, and U.S. and Canadian policies are not sufficient. Travel health insurance is not required to enter, and Original Medicare pays for care in Mexico only in narrow exceptions.
All 50 states require proof of auto insurance at traffic stops — 47+ states accept digital proof on a smartphone. Failure to show proof carries fines of $50–$500, often dismissible when coverage is confirmed.
Cuba legally requires all foreign visitors to carry travel health insurance under Decree-Law 284 — and enforces it at airline check-in. U.S. travelers cannot use standard U.S. policies due to OFAC embargo restrictions.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists are licensed in all 50 states and face real malpractice exposure — industry standard is $1M/$2M professional liability, and HIPAA data breaches can carry civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation.
Life coaching is unregulated in all 50 states, but coaches face real professional liability exposure — industry standards call for $1M/$2M E&O plus general liability, and corporate clients routinely require a certificate of insurance before hiring.
Speech-language pathologists in private practice commonly carry $1M/$3M professional liability and $1M/$2M general liability. Medicare enrollment doesn't require malpractice cover — employers, commercial payers and leases do.
State psychology boards rarely mandate PL insurance, but clinical practice and PSYPACT telehealth require $1M/$3M for licensed psychologists.
State social work boards rarely mandate professional liability, but duty-to-warn exposure and private practice require $1M/$3M coverage for LCSWs.
State pharmacy boards rarely mandate professional liability, but hospital credentialing and independent practice arrangements require $1M/$3M coverage.
Most state OT boards do not mandate professional liability insurance, but hospital credentialing, home health contracts, and independent contractor agreements routinely require $1M/$3M. Standard GL policies exclude professional services — OTs need a separate claims-made policy with continuous retroactive date coverage.
Most state engineering boards do not mandate professional liability insurance for PE licensure — but client contracts, government procurement, and employers impose $1M/$2M as the standard minimum. Standard general liability explicitly excludes professional services, leaving PEs who carry only GL uninsured for design-error claims.
Non-owner auto insurance is required when an SR-22 or FR-44 filing is mandated and the driver does not own a vehicle — the certificate cannot exist without an underlying policy. Florida's FR-44 requires $100,000/$300,000 liability on a non-owner policy, more than 10 times the state's standard minimum.
Oregon is the only US state that legally requires attorneys to carry professional liability insurance. Every other state allows uninsured practice — but law firms, courts, and clients impose their own $1M/$3M requirements, and claims-made tail coverage gaps at firm departure are one of the most expensive surprises in the profession.
Most employers and credentialing organizations require $1M/$3M professional liability for LCSWs, LPCs, MFTs, and psychologists. Claims-made policies are the industry standard — tail coverage is essential at every employer transition, and several state licensing boards require proof of coverage at renewal.
Physical therapists need professional liability at $1M/$3M — required by virtually all employers and credentialing organizations. Individual PT malpractice runs $100–$400 per year, but claims-made tail coverage is essential at every employer transition.
Most licensing states require contractor license bonds of $5,000–$25,000 as a condition of licensure. California requires $25,000 (CSLB); Washington requires $12,000 (L&I); federal projects over $150,000 require performance and payment bonds under the Miller Act.
Dental malpractice runs $2,000–$6,000 per year for a solo general dentist at $1M/$3M — oral surgeons pay significantly more due to IV sedation. Most state dental boards don't mandate it, but hospital privileges, DSO participation, and group practice contracts effectively require it.
Veterinary malpractice insurance runs $500–$1,500 per year for a solo small-animal vet at $1M/$3M — a fraction of human medicine rates. Several states require it for licensure or hospital credentialing, and employer contracts make it near-universal in practice.
Chiropractors need professional liability (malpractice) insurance as the core coverage for clinical practice. The $1M per claim / $3M aggregate standard is required by most hospital credentialing bodies and managed care contracts, even in states where licensing boards don't mandate it.
Interior designers need both professional liability (E&O) and general liability — E&O covers specification errors and procurement mistakes, while GL covers physical accidents during client visits and on-site supervision.
FMCSA requires financial responsibility from $300,000 for for-hire fleets of small vehicles to $5,000,000 for the riskiest hazmat loads — and a for-hire carrier cannot operate without an accepted BMC-91 filing.
Most states require licensed home health agencies to carry $1M professional liability and abuse & molestation coverage as a condition of licensure. Independent caregivers and registry workers often have no employer coverage at all.
Every state requires a separate license before any agent can sell insurance — and the requirements vary from 0 pre-licensing hours (Arizona) to 200 hours (Florida). Here's what licenses, E&O coverage, bonds, and CE you actually need.
North Carolina overtook Alaska and Maine on 1 July 2025 and is now the only state requiring $50,000 in property damage. See the full ranking and what drives it.
A certificate of insurance (COI) proves coverage exists but does not create it — and "additional insured" on a certificate means nothing without an actual policy endorsement. Here's what landlords, GCs, and municipalities require and how to comply.
Nine states require drivers to use their own PIP coverage after an accident regardless of fault. The other 38 states hold the at-fault driver's liability policy responsible. Here's how each system works, which states use each, and what it means for your premiums.
Michigan leads with $800–$2,400/year for minimum coverage, driven by Michigan's high liability floor and Detroit-area underwriting. Louisiana ranks third despite low minimums — its litigation rate, not its requirements, pushes premiums up.
No single federal law mandates E&O insurance for all financial advisors — but FINRA requires fidelity bonds for broker-dealers, several states require E&O for state-registered RIAs, and clients expect it regardless.
Home inspector E&O insurance is required by law in ~20 states including Texas ($100K), Nevada ($500K), and Tennessee ($250K). General liability is also required in several states and by most realtor referral networks.
Most states require notaries to post a surety bond ($500–$25,000), but a bond protects the public — not you. E&O insurance protects the notary personally and is required by most signing agent clients.
Georgia has no state law requiring homeowners insurance, but mortgage lenders on FHA, VA, and conventional loans require it. Fannie Mae calls for replacement-cost coverage with a deductible of no more than 5%.
40+ states have TNC laws setting rideshare insurance minimums. New York City requires $1.5M liability — the highest in the US. Delivery drivers are largely not covered by these laws. Period 1 (app on, no passenger) remains the biggest coverage gap.
Texas, Colorado, and Kansas have no statewide GC license. California requires a Class B exam, a $25,000 bond, and makes unlicensed contracting a misdemeanor. Here's how every state's system compares — and what insurance comes with each.
Workers' comp is required from 1 to 5 employees depending on the state — 3 in Georgia and Michigan, 4 in Florida, 5 in Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee — with lower construction thresholds in several. Texas is the only state where private employers can opt out.
SR-22 duration ranges from 1 year (North Dakota) to 5 years (Nebraska and Tennessee DUI). Four states don't use SR-22 at all. Florida and Virginia use FR-44 for DUI — requiring 00,000/$300,000 liability, not just state minimums.
Most licensed states require contractors to carry both a surety bond and liability insurance — but they serve completely different purposes. Bond amounts range from $2,500 in Arizona to $2,000,000 in Nevada for large contractors.
20 states plus D.C. mandate uninsured motorist coverage — you can't legally drive without it. Another 27 require it to be included or offered but let you reject it in writing. Mississippi has a 29% uninsured driver rate and no UM mandate.
12 states require no-fault PIP coverage — meaning your insurer pays your medical bills first regardless of who caused the accident. Michigan, Florida, and New York are the most complex. Here's how every state compares.
Virginia, Florida, and Massachusetts impose the toughest consequences for uninsured driving — from $5,000 fines to mandatory imprisonment. This ranking compares penalties across all 50 states on fines, suspensions, impoundment, and SR-22 duration.
CPAs aren't legally required to carry E&O insurance in most states — but employers, credentialing bodies, and clients almost universally expect it. Standard coverage is $500K–$2M per claim, with tail coverage essential on claims-made policies.
California, Illinois, and New York offer the strongest insurance protections for rideshare and delivery drivers. This ranking compares TNC law strength, Period 1 minimums, delivery inclusion, and endorsement availability across all states.
Florida, Pennsylvania, and Iowa now require the least from drivers — New Jersey left the group on 1 January 2026, except on the one policy tier excluded from its increase.
NPs are required to carry professional liability insurance by virtually all employers and credentialing organizations. Standard minimum is $1M/$3M — but employer coverage alone won't protect your license.
Ten states make liability insurance a condition of the massage license — from $250,000 in South Dakota to $2M per claim in Indiana. Independent contractors at spas usually need their own policy.
The UK does not require travel insurance for entry, but the NHS does not provide free care to US or Canadian visitors. Learn what NHS covers, post-Brexit EHIC rules, and recommended coverage levels.
No law universally requires personal trainer insurance, but gyms, certification bodies, and studio leases almost always do. Learn what GL and professional liability cover, costs, and why independent contractors are most at risk.
All 50 states and D.C. auto insurance minimums in one place. Compare liability limits, no-fault PIP requirements, mandatory UM coverage, and identify states with the highest and lowest minimums.
FR-44 is required in Florida and Virginia after DUI convictions. Learn what coverage is required, how it differs from SR-22, how long you must maintain it, and what it costs.
FMCSA requires $750,000 for for-hire general freight, $1 million for oil and most hazmat, and $5 million for the highest-risk loads and large buses. Learn how the MCS-90 endorsement and the BMC-91 filing work, who is exempt, and the penalties.
Schengen visas require €30,000 minimum medical coverage valid across all 27 member states. Learn exact requirements, approved providers, and common visa rejection reasons.
SR-22 is a certificate proving you carry required auto insurance. Learn when it's required, how long you need it, costs, and how to file in your state.
