CUA Insurance Requirements

Commercial General Liability (CGL) Insurance

Liability insurance is required for all CUA holders under the terms of the authorization. Such insurance should be of sufficient scope to cover all potential risks and in an amount to cover claims that can reasonably be expected in the event of serious injury or death. The minimum commercial general liability insurance is $1,000,000. Liability insurance policies must name the United States of America as additional insured. The business or person that is providing the service must be the named insured (policy holder). Companies that provide transportation only are not required to have Commercial General Liability as long as the passengers do not disembark.

 

Other Required Insurance

Commercial Auto Liability Insurance is required if a CUA holder transports passengers or uses in the performance of the service in the park owned/leased/rented vehicles. If a CUA holder charters the vehicle and those chartered vehicles are owned and operated by another company, the CUA holder is not required to have Commercial Automobile Liability insurance. The minimum Commercial Auto Liability Insurance for interstate passenger transport is:

Commercial Vehicle Insurance – Passenger Transport (bodily injury and property damage)	Minimum per Occurrence Liability Limits*
15 or fewer passengers	$1,500,000
16 or more passengers	$5,000,000

The NPS has not established standard commercial automobile liability minimums for intrastate auto use by CUA holders because each state has unique rules and regulations. Intrastate CUA holders must meet individual state requirements for Commercial Automobile Liability Insurance or the interstate requirements above, whichever are greatest.

If the CUA applicant or holder will use rented or leased vehicles in performance of the authorized service, the applicant or holder must secure appropriate insurance for that rented or leased vehicle in the amount required by the CUA application. Proof of insurance secured directly from the rental or lease company may not be available upon application submission, but applicants are required to provide proof of insurance coverage after application submission upon NPS request.

 

Insurance Company Minimum Standards

The NPS has established the following minimum insurance company requirements. All insurance companies must meet the following minimum standards. These standards apply to foreign insurance companies as well as domestic companies.

1. All insurers for all coverages must be rated no lower than A- by the most recent edition of Best’s Key Rating Guide (Property-Casualty edition), or similar insurance rating companies (Moody’s, Standard and Poor’s, or Fitch), unless otherwise authorized by the Service.
2. All insurers for all coverages must have Best’s Financial Size Category of at least VII according to the most recent edition of Best’s Key Rating Guide (Property-Casualty edition), or similar insurance rating companies (Moody’s, Standard and Poor’s, or Fitch), unless otherwise authorized by the Service
3. The insurance ratings must be submitted with the CUA Application. The rating companies do not issue certificates. We require the insurance broker to note this rating in the Certificate. If the rating does not appear on the certificate, the insurance broker must provide it in another document.

 

Proof of Insurance Submission

Applicants must submit proof of insurance with the CUA Application. The proof of insurance must:

• Be written in English with monetary amounts reflected in USD.
• Reflect that insurance coverage is effective at time of CUA Application submission.
• Name as insured the business or person that is providing the service.
• Name the United States as additional insured.
• Reflect a General Commercial Liability Policy with the minimum coverage amount required in the CUA Application.
• Reflect required additional insurances (commercial vehicle, vessel, aircraft, etc.) with the minimum coverage amount required in the CUA Application.
• Include insurance provider rating or provide in separate document.