One policy where the shop floor meets the open road.
Combined liability protection for auto dealers, repair shops, and service operations
Garage Liability is a specialized commercial policy built for businesses in the automobile trade — dealerships, repair shops, service stations, and similar operations — where the exposures of running a business and operating vehicles overlap. Buying general liability and commercial auto separately tends to leave gaps exactly where a garage operation is most exposed: the moment an employee test-drives a customer's car, moves inventory across the lot, or road-tests a repair.
Garage Liability solves that by combining premises, operations, products, and auto liability into one coordinated form designed around how automobile businesses actually work.
What Garage Liability Covers
Garage Liability generally responds to:
Premises & Operations Liability — third-party bodily injury and property damage arising from your location and day-to-day operations.
Products & Completed Operations — claims that faulty repair, service, or installation work caused injury or damage.
Auto Liability (Garage Operations) — bodily injury and property damage involving autos you own, and customers' vehicles your staff drives, moves, or test-drives.
Personal & Advertising Injury — covered offenses such as libel, slander, or advertising-related claims.
Legal Defense Costs — attorney fees, expert costs, and settlements tied to covered claims.
Garage Liability, Garagekeepers, and Open Lot — the Difference
These three coverages are often confused, and most dealers need all three:
Garage Liability — your legal liability to others for bodily injury or property damage.
Garagekeepers — physical damage to customers' vehicles left in your care, custody, or control.
Dealers' Open Lot — physical damage to your own inventory of vehicles held for sale.
We make sure the three fit together with no gaps between them.
Who Needs Garage Liability
Garage Liability is essential for:
Franchised and independent auto dealers
Used car lots and wholesale dealers
Repair shops, body shops, and service stations
Tire, oil-change, and quick-service operations
Parking, valet, and towing businesses
Our Approach
At Cory Washington & Co., we structure Garage Liability around exactly how your business operates — what you sell, service, and drive — and coordinate it with garagekeepers, open lot, property, and excess coverage so nothing falls between policies. Licensed in all 50 states, we place garage risk through admitted carriers and specialty markets that understand the automobile trade, then explain the trade-offs in plain English so you can decide with confidence.
Related coverage: Car Dealership · Dealers' Open Lot · Commercial Auto.
All insurance descriptions on this website are provided by Cory Washington & Co. LLC strictly for general informational purposes. They are not intended to be, and should not be relied upon as, legal, financial, or insurance advice. The information presented is general in nature and does not guarantee the availability, terms, conditions, or scope of any insurance coverage. Actual coverage is determined solely by the specific policy language issued by the insurer and remains subject to underwriting approval. Nothing on this website creates or implies an agent-client relationship, binds coverage, or alters any existing policy. Cory Washington & Co. LLC expressly disclaims any liability for actions taken, or not taken, based on the content provided here. For advice regarding your particular situation, please consult directly with a licensed insurance professional at Cory Washington & Co. LLC or another qualified insurance professional, and always review your policy documents in full.
Download the fillable Garage & Auto Service Supplemental to start your submission, or browse all applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get garage liability insurance through Cory Washington & Co.?
Request a quote or contact our team. We start with a short conversation about your operations, analyze your exposures, then negotiate garage liability insurance across multiple carriers that compete for your account and present options with the trade-offs explained. Cory Washington & Co. LLC is licensed in all 50 states.
What drives the cost of garage liability insurance?
Premiums vary from business to business. The main drivers of garage liability insurance pricing are the nature of your operations, your revenue and payroll, your loss history, and the limits you carry. Rather than quote a flat figure, we negotiate across several markets and walk you through the options, so you only pay for the protection you actually need.
Do I need garage liability insurance?
It depends on your situation. Some coverage is required by law; more often, garage liability insurance is required by a contract, lease, lender, or client before they will do business with you — and even when it is not mandated, it guards against exposures that can be severe. We review your operations and obligations and tell you plainly what you need and why.
What if another agency has already declined or non-renewed my coverage?
Difficult, specialty, and previously-declined placements are a core part of our work. We access excess & surplus (E&S) and specialty markets that many generalist agencies cannot, and we explain the trade-offs clearly so you can decide with confidence.
Available in all 50 states. See how requirements differ in California, Texas, Florida, New York, or choose your state.