Solutions Specialty Insurance Brokers

Tire Dealer Insurance for Tire Shops & Haulers

Customized insurance programs for tire dealers, tire shops and qualifying tire haulers designed around customer vehicle damage, liability, employee injuries, equipment, property and business interruption risks.

  • ✔“A” rated carriers with competitive pricing
  • ✔No prior insurance? That’s OK. We regularly place tire dealer insurance without prior insurance history
  • ✔New ventures welcome: we write new tire shop insurance whether you are opening your first location or adding a hauling operation
  • ✔One broker for insurance and bonds: liability, property, workers’ compensation and Waste Tire Hauler Surety Bonds come from one team

Get a Free Tire Dealer QuoteCall (323) 771-0777

Licensed in CA, AZ & NV15+ Years of Experience“A” Rated CarriersFree, No-Obligation Quotes

A tire business carries more risk than most retail operations. Customer vehicles sit on lifts in your bays. Technicians run tire changers, balancers and impact guns all day. Inventory is heavy, stacked high and flammable. If you haul used or waste tires, you also take on road risk and state regulatory requirements.

A single general liability policy does not cover all of that. Solutions Specialty Insurance Brokers builds customized tire dealer insurance for independent shops, franchise locations, used tire dealers, large truck tire service centers and waste tire haulers. As an independent tire dealer insurance broker in California, we shop your risk across “A” rated carriers, so you get specialty coverage matched to your operation at competitive rates.

Tire Dealer Insurance Coverage

Tire dealer insurance coverage is a package of policies built around how a tire business actually operates. Complete tire shop commercial insurance usually combines:

  • ✔Garage Liability for auto-related operations and the work you perform on vehicles
  • ✔Garagekeepers for damage to customer vehicles in your care
  • ✔Commercial General Liability (CGL) for premises injuries and third-party claims, with limits available up to $2,000,000 per occurrence
  • ✔Commercial property for your building, tire inventory, equipment and tools
  • ✔Business income to replace lost revenue after a covered shutdown
  • ✔Workers’ compensation for employee injuries on the job
  • ✔Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) for claims arising from the employer and employee relationship
  • ✔Tire dealer surety bonds where your license or registration requires one

Every program starts with a tire dealer risk assessment. We look at what you sell, what services you perform, what your lease or franchise agreement requires and whether you move tires on the road.

Independent Tire Shop Insurance

Independent shops run lean. Owners often handle sales, service, scheduling and paperwork, so one uninsured claim can put the whole business at risk. Independent tire shop insurance needs to cover everything a franchise program would, without a franchisor’s support behind you. We build tire dealer business insurance for independent operators that covers bay operations, customer vehicles, premises liability and inventory. Many independents also offer brakes, alignments, oil changes or light mechanical work, so we make sure your tire service business insurance reflects those services, so you are not caught by an exclusion after a claim. Tire service with auto services is an eligible class in our programs.

Franchised Tire Shop Insurance

Franchise agreements typically set minimum insurance requirements, such as specific liability limits, additional insured endorsements naming the franchisor and property coverage on leased equipment. We review your franchise agreement and lease against your current tire shop coverage requirements, then structure coverage to satisfy them. You get certificates that match what your franchisor and landlord expect, and a program that protects your own investment in the location. Franchised tire shop insurance has to meet those contract terms and still protect you as the owner.

Used Tire Dealer Insurance

Shops with significant used tire sales face exposures that new tire retailers may not. Used inventory can raise product liability concerns and a larger fire load, and it often involves more handling, storage and transport. Some carriers avoid this class entirely. We place used tire dealer insurance and used tire shop insurance with carriers that actively write this business, and coordinate your shop coverage with your hauling coverage if you also move scrap tires, so there are no gaps between the two. Tire shops with significant sales of used tires are an eligible class in our programs.

Tire Sales & Installation Insurance

Mounting, balancing and installing tires creates a specific liability exposure. An under-torqued lug nut, a bead that is not seated properly or a damaged TPMS sensor can all lead to a claim after the vehicle leaves your lot. Tire sales insurance and tire installation insurance protect against claims tied to the product and the work itself, including completed operations exposure. We also write large truck tire shop insurance for operations that service commercial truck and fleet tires, where vehicle values are higher, equipment is heavier and injuries can be more severe. Tire sales and installation for large trucks is an eligible class in our programs.

Request a Custom Tire Shop Insurance Quote

Tire Hauler Insurance

A tire hauler needs coverage for the truck, the driver, the load and the people you deal with at every pickup and drop-off. Tire hauler insurance is typically built around:

  • ✔Commercial auto liability for injuries and property damage caused while driving
  • ✔Physical damage coverage for your trucks and trailers
  • ✔General liability for incidents at pickup sites, customer locations and your yard
  • ✔Workers’ compensation for drivers and loaders who lift and stack heavy tires every day
  • ✔Surety bonds required for state registration

Whether you run one truck or a small fleet, we build tire hauling insurance around your routes, vehicle types and load volumes.

Waste Tire Hauler Insurance

Waste tire haulers collect scrap tires from dealers, repair shops, auto dismantlers and other generators, then deliver them to approved end-use facilities. The work combines road exposure with regulatory accountability. If tires end up in the wrong place, you can face fines, cleanup costs and bond claims on top of the usual accident risk. Waste tire hauler insurance from Solutions Specialty covers the vehicles, the drivers and the liability tied to your operation. Our team has helped hundreds of waste tire haulers with their waste tire hauling insurance and surety bond needs, so we understand what carriers and regulators expect.

California Waste Tire Hauler Requirements

In California, anyone who transports 10 or more used or waste tires must be registered with CalRecycle as a waste tire hauler. Key requirements include:

  • ✔Annual registration with CalRecycle using the Waste Tire Hauler Registration Application (CalRecycle Form 60). There is no application fee.
  • ✔A $10,000 Waste Tire Hauler Surety Bond (CIWMB Form 61), submitted with your application
  • ✔A registered hauler decal on the lower passenger-side corner of the windshield of each registered vehicle
  • ✔A registration certificate carried in each registered vehicle
  • ✔Manifests (Comprehensive Trip Logs) that accompany every used or waste tire load
  • ✔Delivery only to approved end-use facilities, with manifest copies provided to the generator and the facility

Registration rules can change, so always confirm current requirements with CalRecycle. We handle the bond and the California waste tire hauler insurance side of the process and help keep your coverage current at each renewal.

Waste Tire Hauler Surety Bonds

A Waste Tire Hauler Surety Bond guarantees to the State of California that you will follow waste tire hauling laws and regulations. If a valid claim is paid against your bond, you are responsible for repaying the surety, which makes compliance essential. The required bond amount is $10,000, but you pay only a small premium based on the surety’s underwriting, not the full bond amount. We can issue your bond alongside your tire hauler insurance in California, so your registration paperwork and your coverage come from one source. Visit our Surety Bonds page for more on our bond programs.

Get a Waste Tire Hauler Insurance & Bond Quote

Garage Liability Insurance for Tire Dealers

Garage liability insurance is designed for businesses that service, repair or handle vehicles. For a tire shop, it covers bodily injury and property damage claims that arise from your garage operations, including the work your technicians perform on customer vehicles. A standard general liability policy may not respond to many of the auto-related claims a tire shop faces.

Auto-Related Liability Risks

Common examples include:

  • ✔A technician moves a customer vehicle and strikes another car or a pedestrian
  • ✔An employee road tests a vehicle after an alignment or balance and causes an accident
  • ✔A wheel comes off on the highway after an improper installation, injuring the driver or others
  • ✔A tire failure is traced back to a mounting or repair error

These tire shop liability exposures can produce large claims, especially when injuries are involved. Garage Liability responds to third-party claims tied to these operations, subject to your policy terms.

Customer Vehicle Liability

When your work on a customer’s vehicle leads to injury or damage to someone else, the claim often comes back to your shop. Customer vehicle liability coverage protects your tire shop business liability to third parties for damages that result from your services, including completed work after the vehicle has left your premises, subject to your policy terms. Damage to the customer’s own vehicle while it is in your care falls under Garagekeepers, explained below. Know where this coverage stops: Garage Liability protects you when your work harms other people or their property, while Garagekeepers protects the customer’s own vehicle. Most tire shops need both.

Speak with a Tire Insurance Specialist

Garagekeepers Insurance for Tire Shops

Garagekeepers insurance covers damage to customer vehicles while they are in your shop’s care, custody or control. That includes vehicles on your lifts, in your bays, parked on your lot overnight or being moved by your employees. Without it, you may end up paying out of pocket for damage to a vehicle you do not own. On late-model SUVs, EVs and commercial trucks, those costs add up quickly.

Damage to Customer Vehicles

Customer vehicle damage coverage responds to losses such as:

  • ✔A vehicle slipping off a lift or jack
  • ✔A shop fire that damages cars left overnight
  • ✔Theft or vandalism of vehicles parked on your lot
  • ✔Collision damage while an employee moves or road tests a vehicle
  • ✔Storm or hail damage to vehicles awaiting service

Garagekeepers coverage can be written as legal liability (pays only when your shop is legally responsible) or direct coverage (pays regardless of fault, on an excess or primary basis). Direct coverage costs more, but it protects customer relationships by settling claims without a fault dispute. We will explain which form of customer vehicle insurance fits your shop and your customer base.

Care, Custody & Control Exposure

Most general liability policies exclude damage to property in your care, custody and control. For a tire shop, that exclusion applies to the most valuable property on your premises: your customers’ vehicles. Garagekeepers is designed specifically to address this exposure. When we build your program, we look at the average value of vehicles you service, how many you hold overnight and whether you work on commercial or fleet vehicles. Your Garagekeepers limit should reflect the highest total value of customer vehicles you could have on site at one time.

General Liability for Tire Dealers

Commercial general liability (CGL) protects your business against third-party claims for bodily injury, property damage and personal and advertising injury arising from your premises and operations. Solutions Specialty offers CGL for tire dealers with limits up to $2,000,000 per occurrence. CGL is essential, but it is only one part of complete tire dealer liability insurance. It works alongside Garage Liability and Garagekeepers, not in place of them.

Slip, Trip & Fall Claims

Oil and coolant on shop floors, air hoses across walkways, stacked inventory and wet entryways all create hazards. A customer who wanders into the service area or slips in your waiting room can file a costly claim. General liability for your tire shop covers medical expenses, legal defense and settlements when a customer or visitor is injured on your property. We also help you document safety practices that carriers consider during tire dealer insurance underwriting, which can support better pricing at renewal.

Customer, Visitor & Employee Injuries

  • ✔Customers and visitors are covered under your general liability policy.
  • ✔Employees are covered under workers’ compensation, which pays medical costs and lost wages for job-related injuries. Technicians face back strains, hand injuries and serious risk from tire and rim explosions. In California, workers’ compensation is required for businesses with employees.
  • ✔Employment-related claims such as discrimination, harassment or wrongful termination are covered by employment practices liability insurance, which matters in California where employment claims are common and expensive to defend.

We coordinate tire shop employee insurance and workers’ compensation for tire dealers with your liability program, so everyone on your premises is accounted for.

Get a Tire Shop Insurance Quote

Property, Equipment & Business Income Coverage

Your building, tire inventory and shop equipment represent a large investment. Tire shop property insurance protects those physical assets and the income they generate. Tire inventory is a serious fire load, so carriers pay close attention to storage practices, sprinkler systems and housekeeping.

Building, Contents, Equipment & Tools

Commercial property insurance for tire dealers can cover:

  • ✔Building, if you own your location, or tenant improvements if you lease
  • ✔Contents, including new and used tire inventory, parts and office furniture
  • ✔Equipment, such as tire changers, wheel balancers, alignment machines, lifts and air compressors
  • ✔Tools, including impact wrenches, TPMS tools and diagnostic equipment

Tire shop equipment insurance and tire shop tools insurance protect against fire, theft, vandalism and other covered perils. We help you set values that reflect true replacement cost, so you are not underinsured when equipment has to be replaced after a loss.

Business Income Coverage

A fire or other covered loss can shut your shop down for weeks or months. Rent, loan payments and payroll keep coming even when revenue stops. Business income insurance replaces the actual loss of business income when your operations are suspended because of a covered loss, and can help with extra costs to reopen faster, such as a temporary location. Business interruption insurance often decides whether a tire business recovers after a major loss or closes for good.

Exterior Signs & Business Property

We can include coverage for exterior signs, lighting and other outdoor business property, including tire displays and fencing, against damage from storms, vehicles, vandalism and other covered causes. The goal is commercial tire insurance with no surprises: everything you own, inside and outside the building, accounted for before a claim happens.

Frequently Asked Questions

What insurance does a tire shop need?

Most tire shops need Garage Liability, Garagekeepers, Commercial General Liability, commercial property and workers’ compensation. Business income coverage and Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) are also strongly recommended. Your exact requirements depend on the services you offer, your lease or franchise agreement and state law.

What insurance does a waste tire hauler need?

A waste tire hauler typically needs commercial auto liability, physical damage coverage for trucks and trailers, general liability and workers’ compensation for employees. In California, registered haulers also need a $10,000 Waste Tire Hauler Surety Bond. Solutions Specialty can provide the insurance and the bond together.

What are California Waste Tire Hauler requirements?

Anyone transporting 10 or more used or waste tires in California must register annually with CalRecycle and file a $10,000 Waste Tire Hauler Surety Bond. Registered haulers must display a decal on each vehicle, carry the registration certificate, use manifests (Comprehensive Trip Logs) for every load and deliver tires only to approved facilities. Confirm current rules with CalRecycle, as requirements can change.

When is a Waste Tire Hauler Surety Bond required?

In California, a Waste Tire Hauler Surety Bond is required when you apply for or renew your waste tire hauler registration with CalRecycle. The bond amount is $10,000 and must be submitted with your registration application. You pay a small premium, not the full bond amount.

What is Garage Liability insurance for a tire shop?

Garage Liability covers bodily injury and property damage claims that arise from your tire shop’s auto-related operations. This includes accidents during road tests, damage caused while moving customer vehicles and claims tied to faulty installation work. It protects you against claims from third parties, not damage to the customer’s own vehicle.

What is Garagekeepers insurance?

Garagekeepers insurance covers damage to customer vehicles while they are in your shop’s care, custody or control. It responds to losses such as fire, theft, vandalism and lift accidents. Standard general liability policies usually exclude this exposure, so tire shops need Garagekeepers as a separate coverage.

Can a new tire shop or new venture get insurance without prior coverage?

Yes. Solutions Specialty works with carriers that accept new tire business insurance applications and businesses with no prior insurance history. Carriers will look at your experience in the tire industry, your location, your planned services and your safety practices to price the policy.

What factors affect tire dealer insurance costs and rates?

Tire dealer insurance cost depends on your annual revenue, payroll, number of employees, services offered and claims history. Other rating factors include used tire volume, inventory storage and fire protection, the value of customer vehicles you handle and whether you haul tires. Working with a broker who knows how carriers underwrite tire dealers helps you get a competitive tire shop insurance cost.

Get Your Tire Dealer Insurance Quote Today

Whether you run an independent shop, a franchise location, a used tire business or a waste tire hauling operation, we can build a program around your risks. We work with “A” rated carriers, welcome new ventures and help businesses with no prior insurance, including California tire dealer insurance and California tire shop insurance for operators across the state. Call 323-771-0777, contact us or fill out the quote form on this page for a tire shop insurance quote in California.

Get a Free Tire Dealer QuoteCall (323) 771-0777

Maywood: 4445 Slauson Ave, Maywood, CA 90270  |  Corona (by appointment): 4160 Temescal Canyon Rd Ste 401, Corona, CA 92883
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