Amazon Seller Insurance Requirements
Amazon asks US marketplace sellers to carry commercial liability insurance, and from November 2, 2026 some categories need it from the first sale. Here is the whole rule set on one page.
When Amazon asks for a policy
Section 9 of the Amazon Services Business Solutions Agreement sets the rule. Once your gross proceeds from sales on Amazon.com pass $10,000 in a single month, you have 30 days to obtain commercial liability insurance and keep it in force. Amazon can also ask sooner, and when it does, the request in Seller Central starts the clock rather than your sales figures.
The trigger follows sales in the US store, not the country where the business is registered. A seller in Toronto, Tel Aviv or Shenzhen who crosses the line on Amazon.com receives the same request as a seller in Sacramento. We work with hundreds of Amazon sellers, and for most of them the first sign of the rule is a banner or email pointing to the Business Insurance page in Seller Central.
Read that notice in full before you shop for coverage. It states the date proof is due and links the requirements that apply to your account, and that version is the one to quote against.
The coverage Amazon specifies
Amazon accepts commercial general liability, umbrella or excess liability written on an occurrence basis. Its Business Insurance FAQ carves out a few product categories where a claims-made form is allowed, so a seller in one of those categories should ask about the exception before quoting. The limit must be at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $1,000,000 in the aggregate.
The policy has to reach the goods you sell on Amazon.com, which in practice means products and completed operations coverage rather than premises liability alone. Every product listed in the US store belongs on the application. A policy written around one product line while the catalog carries six leaves five of them outside the discussion.
Amazon also checks who stands behind the policy. The insurer needs a financial strength rating of A- or better from S&P or AM Best and the ability to handle claims globally. The insured name on the policy has to match the legal entity on the seller account, although a single-member LLC can use its trade name instead. The insurer must give Amazon at least 30 days’ notice of cancellation, modification or nonrenewal.
Additional insured wording and the deductible
The policy must name “Amazon.com Services LLC and its affiliates and assignees” as additional insured. That status comes from an endorsement attached to the policy. Typing Amazon into the certificate holder box does not create it, and a missing endorsement is the rejection reason we see more than any other. Our guide to additional insured endorsements explains how the endorsement works.
Deductibles are where published guidance disagrees. Amazon’s requirements have long capped the deductible at $10,000, and a June 2022 update let sellers with more than $1 million in Amazon.com gross proceeds over the prior 12 months carry a deductible as long as it appears on the certificate. Whatever the figure, list it on the certificate. Check the current deductible rule in Seller Central before you bind.
What changes on November 2, 2026
On September 3, 2026, Amazon told US sellers about two new rules that take effect November 2. The first removes the sales threshold for products in categories with enhanced safety listing requirements. Sellers with those products need the $1,000,000 policy regardless of sales, and the rule reaches listings that are already live as well as new ones.
Amazon’s own examples are children’s products, cosmetics, ingestibles and lithium battery products. Trade press that reproduced the full list counts 11 groups, adding household appliances such as air fryers, sleep products, tires, home medical devices, personal safety gear, fire safety items, water safety products and outdoor power equipment. Match each ASIN against the list in Seller Central rather than guessing from a category name.
The second rule applies to sellers based in Mainland China. From November 2, Amazon rejects newly submitted policies that were not bought through the Amazon Insurance Accelerator, the panel of insurers Amazon assembled with the broker Marsh. A qualifying policy already on file before that date stays valid until it expires. We help China sellers who operate through a US company, and sellers without one buy their new policies through the Accelerator.
Uploading proof and staying current
Proof goes in through Seller Central: open Settings, then Account Info, then Business Insurance. Enter the insurer’s name exactly as the certificate shows it, which often differs from the agency that issued the document, along with the policy number and dates. Amazon takes the certificate as a .pdf, .doc or .docx file. Our Amazon certificate of insurance guide walks through each box on a sample.
Coverage is a standing obligation rather than a one-time upload. Amazon emails sellers 30 days before a certificate expires, and the renewal certificate has to be uploaded again with its new dates. Put the expiration date on your own calendar too. Insurers usually send renewal paperwork, yet the upload itself remains the seller’s job.
What happens when a seller misses it
Amazon’s notices describe the requirement rather than the penalty, so the practical picture comes from what sellers report. For the November 2026 category rule, trade press reports that Amazon emails affected sellers and allows 45 days to send proof, after which listings in those categories can be deactivated while the rest of the catalog keeps selling.
Under the sales trigger, the insurance clause is part of the agreement you accepted in order to sell, so a missing or lapsed certificate leaves the account in breach. Sellers describe the result as an account health warning, a support case that drags on and listings that stay down until the paperwork is right. If Amazon has already flagged your account, our page on what to do when Amazon flags your insurance covers the recovery steps.
Getting a policy that fits the rule
A quote moves fastest when we start with the Amazon notice, your legal entity name as Seller Central shows it, a product list with ASINs or categories, annual sales by marketplace, and where the goods are made and shipped from. Flag anything that is eaten, applied to skin, used by children or powered by a lithium battery, since those lines now set the timing.
Location is not a barrier. We place US product liability for sellers based outside the US in every market we list, and the same checklist applies. Our Amazon seller insurance hub collects guides by category, country and marketplace, or you can send us the notice and we will read it with you.
A few useful answers
Common questions
Do I need insurance before I reach $10,000 a month on Amazon?
Only when Amazon asks for it or when you sell in an enhanced safety category. From November 2, 2026, products such as children’s items, cosmetics, supplements and lithium battery goods need the $1,000,000 policy from the first sale.
Does a policy from my home country meet Amazon's terms?
It has to meet the same terms as any other policy: Amazon named by endorsement, $1,000,000 limits, an A- rated insurer and coverage for US sales. Many policies written outside the US exclude claims brought in the US and Canada, so read the territory clause before you upload.
Can I use a claims-made policy for Amazon?
Amazon asks for occurrence coverage, with exceptions for certain product categories listed in its Business Insurance FAQ. Check that list in Seller Central before you choose a claims-made form.
Should the deductible appear on my Amazon certificate?
Yes. Amazon wants any deductible listed on the certificate of insurance, so ask the issuer to complete that line rather than leave it blank.
Can Mithril1 help a seller based in Mainland China?
Yes, when the business sells through a US company. From November 2, 2026, Mainland China sellers without a US company buy new policies through the Amazon Insurance Accelerator.