Program overview
Ryan Specialty National Programs offers a national Private Investigator Insurance program administered for independent agents and brokers. The program is designed for private investigators, investigative firms, and consultants who need liability and specialty coverages. It combines competitive pricing with broad servicing options and access to multiple admitted and non-admitted markets, and is best suited to firms with documented hiring and training practices, written client contracts, and an otherwise favorable loss history.
Highlights
- Available nationwide (see Territories below)
- Market-competitive pricing with a program-aggressive minimum premium
- General Liability minimum premium: $500
- Common GL limits: $1,000,000 / $2,000,000
- New ventures and start-ups are considered
- Access to multiple carrier relationships and excess/umbrella capacity
Ideal accounts and target services
This program targets P.I. operations that perform one or more of the following services:
- Surveillance and field investigations
- Background checks and screening
- Insurance fraud investigation
- Credit and civil investigations
- Criminal investigations and expert consulting
- Private investigator consultants and subcontractors
Coverage highlights and available lines
Coverages are structured to address exposures common to investigative operations. Available lines and features include:
- General Liability and Professional Liability (E&O) with industry-specific endorsements
- Care, Custody & Control and Lost Key coverage
- Assault & Battery — available in certain scenarios; check with the program underwriter
- Terrorism coverage available where offered
- Excess / Umbrella Liability — in-house binding authority up to $10,000,000
- Workers’ Compensation (monoline and guaranteed cost options in most states)
- Crime, Commercial Auto, Property, and Inland Marine where appropriate
Underwriting appetite and restrictions
The program generally favors firms with documented hiring protocols, formal training, written client contracts, and limited prior losses. Typical accounts that fit include small to mid-sized investigative firms, sole practitioners conducting background checks and surveillance, and consultancies that provide reporting and consulting rather than armed services.
Accounts that commonly require additional review or may fall outside of appetite include operations that routinely deploy armed personnel, services with high frequency violent-exposure assignments, significant international operations, or accounts with uncontrolled prior loss histories. Always confirm with the program underwriter for borderline or complex risks.
Submission requirements
- Completed supplemental application
- ACORD forms
- Five years of currently valued loss runs
- For larger or layered accounts, provide sample client contracts, training program details, and a clear scope of work to speed review
Territories and admitted status
Available in: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, DC, WV, WI, WY.
The program works with multiple carrier relationships. Where admitted placement is not available, surplus lines placement may be required — confirm state placement rules and filing requirements with the program underwriter.
Why place this business through Ryan Specialty National Programs
- Competitive minimums and flexible pricing for well-qualified accounts
- Comprehensive package of liability and specialty coverages tailored to investigator exposures
- Significant excess capacity with in-house binding simplifies placement for larger or layered accounts
- Underwriting that rewards documented hiring/training and good loss control
Example accounts that fit
- A three-person investigative firm that conducts civilian surveillance and background checks for corporate clients, has written contracts, and a clean five-year loss history — good fit for GL/E&O with a $1M/$2M limit and optional crime coverage.
- An independent investigator who performs pre-employment screening and credit checks for small businesses — eligible for monoline professional liability or package options with a $500 minimum premium.
How to submit
Prepare the supplemental application, ACORD forms, and five years of loss runs for the fastest review. For larger accounts or requests for excess limits, include training program descriptions, sample client contracts, and a detailed scope of services when submitting to the underwriter. Need help placing an account? Connect with a market specialist.