Host liquor liability insurance for weddings and private parties

When does it come up?

Hosts usually run into the term in a few situations:

• Your venue contract mentions it. Many venues that let you bring your own alcohol or your own bartenders ask about event insurance, and ask for a certificate of insurance as proof. The NAIC, the national group of state insurance regulators, notes that some venues set a minimum amount of event liability coverage and ask to be added as an additional insured.
• You're supplying the alcohol. An open bar you pay for, a BYOB reception, or a backyard party where you're pouring. Venues and vendors ask about insurance more often in these setups.
• You have questions about your existing insurance. Whether a homeowners or renters policy has anything to say about an event somewhere else is a question for that insurer or a licensed agent.

If the venue or a licensed caterer runs the bar and sells or serves the drinks under its own license, ask them to put in writing what they carry, and ask whether they still want anything from you. Get the answer by email so it's on record.

Host liquor liability and liquor liability: the line is selling

The two terms sound alike. In general, the difference is whether alcohol is sold.

Insurers use these terms a little differently, so the policy wording is what counts, not the product name.

Social host laws vary by state

Whether a host can be held responsible for something a guest does after drinking depends on the state. Social host laws vary a lot from state to state, and they're usually strictest about serving anyone under 21. Your state's laws, your venue's rules and the wording of any policy all matter, which is why the questions below go to the people who can answer them for your event.

Questions to ask a licensed agent or the insurer

A licensed agent can explain what a specific policy includes. Bring your venue's written requirements and ask:

• Does this policy meet my venue's written requirements, including the limits and the additional insured wording?
• Is host liquor liability part of this policy, or is it separate?
• Which dates and hours does it apply to? Does that include load-in, setup and breakdown?
• Is there anything about my event, such as guests under 21, a cash bar or hired bartenders, that I should tell you about?
• How and when do I get the certificate of insurance for the venue?
• Does my homeowners or renters policy have anything to say about this event?

Steps before the event

1. Get the venue's requirements in writing: the minimum limits, who must be listed as additional insured (the exact legal name and address), the dates and times that must be covered, and when they need the certificate. Use the checklist below.
2. Talk to your current insurer. The company that writes your homeowners or renters policy can tell you what it offers and what your current policy says.
3. Check that any insurer is licensed in your state. Your state insurance department can confirm it.
4. Ask about timing early. The NAIC notes it can take several days for event coverage to start, and your venue may set its own deadline for the certificate.
5. Send the certificate of insurance (COI) to the venue if they ask for one, and keep a copy on your phone for the day.

Venue insurance checklist

Ask the venue these early, and get the answers in an email:

• Do you require event liability insurance? What minimum limits, per occurrence and aggregate?
• Does it need to include host liquor liability? Or liquor liability, if anything is sold?
• Who must be named as additional insured? Send the exact legal name and address.
• What dates and times must the policy cover? Include load-in, setup and breakdown.
• When do you need the certificate, and who do I send it to?
• Can we bring our own alcohol? Who's allowed to serve it? Do bartenders need their own insurance or certification?
• What's last call, and are there rules on shots, kegs, punch or glassware?
• Is a cash bar or drink tickets allowed, and under whose license?

From behind the bar: good service comes first

Paperwork is one part of planning. Good bar practice is what keeps a night from going wrong. These are the habits that keep a party safe:

• Hire a bartender who checks IDs and will cut someone off. That's their job, and it shouldn't fall to the host.
• Serve food the whole time alcohol is out, and keep water at the bar.
• Label batched punch. It tastes lighter than it is. The batch calculator shows its real strength.
• Set a last call 30 to 60 minutes before the end, then switch to coffee and zero-proof drinks.
• Plan rides home: a shuttle, a rideshare code, or a list of local cab numbers.
• Don't overbuy just to be safe. The wedding bar calculator plans to your guest count with a 10% buffer.