Dram shop exposure
Alcoholic Beverage Control Law §65 bans sales to anyone under 21, anyone visibly intoxicated and known habitual drunkards. A violation that leads to injury can be pursued under General Obligations Law §11-101.
For bars, taverns, pubs, cocktail lounges and nightclubs across New York City, Long Island, Westchester and upstate. Liquor liability at the core, assault and battery written in, in English, Spanish or Portuguese.
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For a bar, liquor liability is not an add-on. It is the policy.
Bars carry the same slip-and-fall risk as any restaurant, plus the claims that only alcohol creates: the car crash after last call, the fight on the sidewalk, the minor with a fake ID. Underwriters price on alcohol share, hours, entertainment and security, so we present your bar the way it actually runs.
New York adds a strict dram shop law, dense leases and its own employee rules.
Alcoholic Beverage Control Law §65 bans sales to anyone under 21, anyone visibly intoxicated and known habitual drunkards. A violation that leads to injury can be pursued under General Obligations Law §11-101.
Closing at 4 a.m., promoters, cover charges and dance floors raise both liquor and general liability pricing.
In-house or contracted security changes how assault and battery is underwritten. Contracted firms should name you as additional insured.
Leases routinely require $1M/$2M general liability, liquor liability, landlord additional insured status and an umbrella.
Required from the first employee. NYCIRB class 9074 (bar, lounge, nightclub or tavern) carries a loss cost of $0.465 per $100 of payroll for policies effective October 1, 2026.
Serving alcohol outside under Dining Out NYC means the certificate must match the City's agreement.
New York requires workers' compensation from the first employee, including part-time bartenders, barbacks and door staff, plus disability and Paid Family Leave (DBL/PFL).
Bars are generally classified under NYCIRB class 9074, priced on payroll. Security staff, kitchen staff and entertainers can change the classification, so we review your payroll before we quote. See workers' comp in New York.
Why one submission matters. When several agents send the same business to the same carriers, the market gets blocked and your quote slows down.
| Policy | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Bar or tavern package | $10,000–$20,000+ a year |
| Liquor liability | $1,200–$4,000+ a year |
| General liability $1M/$2M | $600–$2,000 a year |
| DBL + PFL | $50–$300 per employee |
| Workers' comp | Priced on payroll, class 9074 |
Market guidance, not quotes or guarantees of coverage. See restaurant insurance cost in New York.
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Liquor liability, assault and battery, general liability, property and business income, and workers' compensation plus DBL/PFL from the first employee. Many bars also carry employment practices liability and an umbrella.
A bar or tavern package typically runs $10,000 to $20,000 or more a year. Alcohol sales, closing time, entertainment, security and claims history drive the price. These are market ranges, not quotes.
Not always. Many policies exclude or sub-limit assault and battery. Bars should make sure it is written back in at a meaningful limit.
Bars, lounges, nightclubs and taverns are generally classified under NYCIRB class 9074, which carries a loss cost of $0.465 per $100 of payroll for policies effective October 1, 2026, before the insurer's multiplier and your experience mod.
Yes, if the bar unlawfully sold alcohol, for example to a visibly intoxicated person or someone under 21, and that person then caused the injury. That is the Dram Shop Act, General Obligations Law §11-101.
Yes. Late hours, promoters and security make them harder to place, and we work with the markets that write them.
