Law Enforcement Liability Insurance for Police Officers

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Updated: March 30, 2025 . 6 min read

Written by Ofir Sahar

CEO & Founder

Ofir Sahar

CEO & Founder

Some of the products on this page come from partners who may compensate us when you click on their links or take specific actions. This helps us keep our content free. That said, our opinions are our own and based on independent analysis.

 

 

Working in emergency services, whether you’re a firefighter , EMT , or police officer, means you can get legally liable.  It may be a good idea to get your hands on law enforcement insurance. Due to the complicated nature of this kind of insurance, we are here to assist.

This article features business insurance for law enforcement officers, including coverage options, costs, and top insurance carriers available

Police Liability Insurance

Police officers can sometimes cause injuries while working, similar to private investigators. Injured persons can file a personal injury claim in return. When it comes to police officers,  legal costs and settlements can be very harsh. And without necessary protection,  they can easily face financial problems after paying large sums of money.

Law enforcement general liability insurance sees to it that police officers don’t shoulder the financial burden when they face personal injury claims. 

This insurance provides $1 million up to $2 million coverage minimum, which is more than enough to pay for minor injuries a person sustains.

 

professional liability insurance for law enforcement

Performing one’s duties as a police officer takes time. And if a police officer has just started his career, then mistakes can happen. People can file a lawsuit against the police officer for his mistakes. That’s why there’s professional liability insurance that can help.

Professional liability coverage will take care of lawsuits accusing a police officer of committing malpractice, where it was actually an honest mistake or error. 

In addition, professional liability insurance for police officers will also pay the payment to the plaintiff if ever the lawsuit turns out unfavorable . Malpractice examples are;

  • Malpractice in Investigation
    • Failure to send the items to the concerned agency for analysis, which result in the loss of vital evidence
    • Failure to preserve the crime scene and prevent unauthorized individuals from entering
    • Not reporting to the crime scene on time
  • Malpractice in Arrest and Interrogation
    • Use of excessive force/hurting the accused
    • Failure to inform the accused of the nature and cause of the accusation against him
    • Failure to inform the family/friends of the accused about the arrest
    • Isolating the accused and refusing contact to family/friends

Many police officers face lawsuits accusing them of using excessive force. Commonly, the persons filing the lawsuit may seek settlement amounting to more than $3 million.  

Law Enforcement Car Insurance

Car accidents are one of the leading causes of death of police officers. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that 1,387 police officers died in 2011 – 2020, and 21% are vehicle-related.

Car accident, police officers might get involved while driving, is hitting a pedestrian or hitting another car. In terms of the latter, PAHO’s publication provides an idea about the likelihood of severe injuries to a pedestrian in relation to how fast the colliding vehicle is.

Speed Likelihood of Fatal Injuries (expressed in percentage)
10 – 30 kph 15%
40 – 50 kph 85%
60 – 70 kph 100%

On the other hand, WHO’s  (World Health Organization) short publication provides insights about the consequences about what can happen when a car crash happens:

  • An increase in an average speed of 1 km/h typically results in a 3% higher risk of a crash involving injury, with a 4–5% increase for crashes that result in fatalities.
  • Speed also contributes to the severity of the impact when a collision does occur. For car occupants in a crash with an impact speed of 80 km/h, the likelihood of death is 20 times what it would have been at an impact speed of 30 km/h.

 According to a report published in 2004 ,  Most fatalities, because of accidents during a police pursuit, involve pedestrians. 

The same report states that 104 who died were non-motorists and 948 were people who were in another vehicle. In conclusion, at least 1,052 casualties were collateral deaths of a police pursuit accident.

Getting auto insurance for police officers is highly recommended.  Specific policies that fit police officers best are personal injury protection and auto liability coverage.  

Type of Injury/damage Cost
Death $1,654,000
Affecting the victim’s quality of life $96,344
Minor injuries $25,768
Destroyed vehicle $5,678

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Law Enforcement Insurance Discounts

If you’re looking for a law enforcement insurance discount, then you’ll be happy to hear that many first responders are entitled to discounts. These discounts can apply to individual police officer liability insurance but they can also apply to unrelated forms of insurance like auto and homeowners coverage.

If you provide proof that you’re a member of a police department to your insurance company, you can expect to get between a 2% and 10% discount on your cop insurance premiums. Discounts may be higher on specific policies for police officers like police misconduct insurance.

 

Law Enforcement Liability Insurance Cost

The cost of law enforcement professional liability insurance can vary dramatically based on the form of coverage you’re looking for as well as who the policy is for. For example, police department insurance will typically be more expensive than insurance for off duty police officers.

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Best Insurance for Police Officers and Law Enforcement

FLEOA Liability Insurance

FLEOA insurance is offered by FEDS, also known as Federal Employee Defense Services. 

Federal law enforcement liability insurance is available through FEDS, and they offer a range of different coverage options, including civil coverage against suits where you’re not covered by the DOJ. They also offer administrative and criminal coverage to their clients.

Pros
  • Affordable
  • Range of coverage options
  • Experience in the field
Cons
  • Slow to provide quotes

Average cost : $54

Our rating : 5/5

Travelers

Travelers is one of the oldest insurance companies in the United States.They law enforcement liability coverage to both individual police officers and police departments. 

Their coverage applies to official activities and moonlighting and they offer an additional payment of $25,000 for physical damage to personal property that is on a suspect when they are arrested.

Pros
  • Additional personal property coverage
  • Umbrella protection available
  • Covers officers while moonlighting
Cons
  • Costly

Average cost : $62

Our rating : 4/5

Xinsurance 

Xinsurance has a variety of forms of coverage available for police officers, ranging from asset protection to legal liability protection both on- and off-duty. They also cover you against wrongful acts, alleged assault and battery, firearms liability, and failed CPR.

Pros
  • Huge variety of coverage options
  • Umbrella coverage available
  • Quick to respond to claims
Cons
  • Expensive

Average cost : $63

Our rating : 4/5

 

About the author

Ofir Sahar

Ofir is the founder and CEO of Insuranks. He established Insuranks in 2019 from scratch and has been running educational insurance websites since 2009 on a mission to help businesses...See full bio.

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