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City of Palm Desert
Special Event Insurance Guidelines
As soon as you begin to plan your event, review your insurance policy exclusions and provide the City’s insurance
requirements to your broker to determine whether there is coverage for all activities planned and insurance
documents can be provided to meet the city’s requirements. This will help to avoid the most common reason
insurance is not accepted: errors and omissions.
Insurance requirements depend on the risk level of the event. As a general rule, the City of Palm Desert requires
a minimum of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate for general liability coverage. Events
with higher risk levels require additional insurance coverage in the form of higher limits. The City’s Risk
Manager has final authority regarding the insurance coverage and limits required for Special Events and
can require insurance coverage from other service providers; place requirements on event components
and/or modify event components in a Special Event due to the unique nature or risk of a particular event
or event component; and require participant waivers if applicable.
Before final approval of your Special Event Application is granted, you will need to submit a certificate of
insurance and additional insured endorsement(s) for your Commercial General Liability Insurance policy and
Auto Liability Policy (if applicable), which should be endorsed to provide that the City of Palm Desert and its
officers, officials, employees, agents, and volunteers shall be additio nal insureds under such policies. This
provision shall also apply to any excess/umbrella liability policies. Workers’ Compensation Insurance and Liquor
Liability insurance shall be required as well, if applicable to the event.
All certificates of insurance must provide coverage for the duration of the event, including set up and tear down
dates. All insurance coverage maintained or procured pursuant to this agreement shall be endorsed to waive
subrogation against the City of Palm Desert, its elected or appointed officers, agents, officials, employees
and volunteers, or shall specifically allow you or others providing insurance evidence in compliance with these
specifications to waive your right of recovery prior to a loss. If workers’ compensation coverage is required,
a waiver of subrogation endorsement in favor of the City of Palm Desert, its officers, agents, employees
and volunteers is required.
The Following Insurance Documents Must Be Submitted:
Certificate(s) of Insurance
Complete the checklist for each policy required for the event (sample certificate on page 4 as an example only).
This document is a statement of the coverage in place but does not extend coverage or any other rights to the city
or any other party.
Endorsement to the Policy
Complete the checklist. This document adds language to the insurance policy that is required by the permit. An
example is the requirement to make the City additional insured on the insured’s policy and provide an
endorsement separate from the certificate of insurance. A sample endorsement form is provided on page 5 as
an example only.
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City of Palm Desert
Special Event Insurance Guidelines
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Certificate(s) Checklist
(1) Insured: The insured matches the Applicant’s name as it appears on the special event
agreement/application. The Applicant is the party responsible for the event.
(2) General Liability: “Occurrence” box is checked.
o Additional policies or confirmation of coverage in this policy are required for activities that are
commonly excluded form the typical Commercial General Liability policy. An example is Liquor
Liability insurance, which generally is provided by separate policy. If alcohol is available for
consumption as part of the event, then Liquor Liability insurance is required.
(2a) Limits: Minimum per occurrence limit (higher may be required depending on event risks):
$1 million per occurrence general liability coverage
$2 million general aggregate
o Liquor Liability coverage must be included on the certificate at the same coverage limit even if
provided in another policy.
o Automobile Liability
Required if the organizations employees will be utilizing a vehicle in the performance of
their duties under this agreement
$1 million combined single limit for each accident
o Workers’ Compensation with limits of: “Per Statute” box is checked
$1 million (Required if the insured has paid employees and per statute)
$1 million Employer’s Liability
(3) Policy Effective and Expiration Dates: Policy is current and date(s) of the event fall within the
“policy effective” and “policy expiration” dates.
(4) Excess/Umbrella: Supplements limits of other policies to meet required limits, as necessary.
(5) Other: Liquor Liability or other coverage required for the permit is shown here, or along with another
policy as appropriate. Limits are as high as or higher than required.
(6) Description of Operations: The name of the event and date(s) to be held are typically shown here.
Insurance endorsement language can also be included here, but does not waive the separate endorsement
requirement. There should be no language attempting to limit liability. However, coverage can be shown
for event activities that are commonly excluded from a typical Certificate of General Liability policy, or
typically outside the scope of coverage for a policy for one specific activity (i.e. a sport).
(7) Certificate Holder: City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Dr., Palm Desert, CA 92260
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City of Palm Desert
Special Event Insurance Guidelines
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Endorsement Checklist
In addition to the certificates of insurance, the City of Palm Desert requires proof of the policy endorsements. A
model endorsement form as well as samples of acceptable insurance industry standard forms are attached, but
provided as examples only (they do not necessarily have to look exactly as shown). Complete the checklist below
for each endorsement required for the event.
The endorsement(s) requirements for Commercial General Liability, Automobile Liability, and Liquor Liability
include the following:
ADDITIONAL INSURED ENDORSEMENT: General liability, automobile liability, and if
applicable, liquor liability, policies shall provide or be endorsed to provide that The City of Palm
Desert and its officers, officials, employees, agents, and volunteers. You must provide a copy of the
actual endorsement. Listing the City as an additional insured on the certificate of insurance is not
sufficient.
PRIMARY NON-CONTRIBUTING: General liability coverage provided by Applicant shall be
primary and any insurance or self-insurance procured or maintained by City shall not be required to
contribute with it.
WAIVER OF SUBROGATION: All insurance coverage maintained or procured pursuant to this
permit shall be endorsed to waive subrogation against the City of Palm Desert, its elected or appointed
officers, agents, officials, employees and volunteers, or shall specifically allow Applicant or others
providing insurance evidence in compliance with these specifications to waive their right of recovery
prior to a loss. The Applicant is not required to submit the endorsement for review, but must ensure
such coverage is in place.
Workers’ Compensation
WAIVER OF SUBROGATION ENDORSEMENT: Workers’ Compensation Insurance shall be in
favor of the City of Palm Desert, its officers, agents, employees and volunteers. A copy of the actual
endorsement must be provided. Referencing the Waiver of Subrogation on the certificate of insurance
is not sufficient. A model Waiver of Subrogation form is provided as a sample on page 8 as an example
only. Listing the waiver of subrogation requirement on the certificate of insurance is not
sufficient.
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