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New Jersey is home to over 950,000 small businesses, making up 99.6% of businesses in the Garden State.1 These small businesses employ 1.9 million workers, which represents nearly 50% of all New Jersey employees.2 If you’re a small business owner of one of these many companies in New Jersey, The Hartford can help you understand your options for NJ business insurance. For 200+ years, we’ve been providing business insurance to help small businesses protect themselves and keep their employees safe.
To learn more about requirements for small business insurance in New Jersey, including business liability coverage, get a quote today.
Types of Business Liability Insurance in NJ
There are many business liability insurance options available in New Jersey. Depending on your type of business, you may elect to have several types of business insurance coverages.
General Liability Insurance
General liability insurance (GLI), also known as business liability insurance or commercial general liability insurance, protects your business from claims of:
- Bodily injury
- Property damage, including those rented to you
- Reputational harm
- Advertising errors, like copyright infringement
These claims can be very costly for your New Jersey small business if you don’t have the right coverage.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
If an employee has a work-related injury or illness, workers’ compensation insurance can help them recover. This coverage can help pay for:
- Medical treatment
- Lost wages
- Rehabilitation
- Disability benefits
Workers’ comp also protects you as a small business owner by helping you pay for legal costs if an injured employee or their family sues your company.
Commercial Auto Insurance
Commercial auto insurance helps pay the costs of an auto accident involving a company-owned car. For example, if your employee hits a pedestrian while making a delivery and causes that pedestrian bodily injury, this coverage can help pay for medical expenses. In New Jersey, this type of insurance is required for all business vehicles according to state law.
Professional Liability Insurance
Professional liability insurance protects your business from claims caused by:
- Negligence
- Misrepresentation
- Professional services errors
- Inaccurate advice
- Libel or slander
A client or customer can sue your business if they think you’ve made a mistake that has caused them a financial loss. Without professional liability coverage, you’ll have to pay any legal defense costs or settlements out of pocket.
Business Owner's Policy (BOP)
A Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) combines commercial property and business liability insurance into one policy. A BOP can protect your New Jersey business from fire, theft or other claims that can arise during day-to-day business operations like bodily injury or property damage.
You can also tailor your BOP to meet your business’ unique needs by adding optional coverages, like data breach insurance.
Data Breach Insurance
Data breach insurance is a type of cyber insurance that protects your business if personally identifiable information (PII) or personal health information (PHI) gets lost or stolen during a breach. It can help pay to:
- Notify affected customers or clients
- Hire a public relations firm
- Offer credit monitoring services to help protect victims
The Hartford can also help you customize your policy with additional coverage for extra protection. To learn more, get a quote today.
How Much Does NJ Business Insurance Cost?
Our customers paid an average of $1,067 annually, or about $89 a month, for business insurance coverage in New Jersey. For workers' compensation insurance, customers in New Jersey paid an average of $1,079 annually, or about $90 a month.4 Since every business is unique, small business insurance costs vary in New Jersey. Some factors that insurance companies look at when determining costs include:
- Type of business
- Size of payroll
- Location
- Policy limits
- Other types of insurance purchased
- Claims history
The best way to determine costs for your business is to get an insurance quote. You can also visit our “How Much Does Small Business Insurance Cost?” or “Save Money on Business Insurance” pages for additional information.
New Jersey Business Insurance Requirements
Not having the right insurance can put your business at risk, especially since New Jersey state law requires certain types of coverage. For example, NJ law requires all businesses with employees to carry workers’ compensation insurance as well as commercial auto insurance if those employees drive company-owned vehicles for work.3
For more information about New Jersey business insurance requirements, visit the state’s official website.
Professions We Insure in New Jersey
The Hartford covers a wide variety of businesses in New Jersey, including:
To learn more about the industries we insure, visit our business insurance industry page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Business Insurance Is Required in NJ?
New Jersey state law requires businesses to have certain types of business insurance. State law in New Jersey requires all businesses with employees to carry workers’ compensation insurance and commercial auto insurance if those employees drive any company-owned vehicles for work.5 For more information about New Jersey business insurance requirements, visit the state’s official website.
Does a LLC Need Insurance in NJ?
In NJ, all partnerships and limited liability companies (LLCs) must have business insurance coverage. Like most states, New Jersey requires all businesses to have workers’ compensation insurance. Even if your business only hires part-time or seasonal employees, you’ll still need workers’ comp in New Jersey. Workers’ compensation insurance can help cover medical costs associated with any work-related injuries or illnesses, and can also provide disability benefits to injured employees.
What Type of Insurance Do You Need To Run a Business?
Having the right type of small business insurance will help protect the livelihood you’ve worked so hard to build. Many small business owners start with a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) because it combines business property and general liability insurance into one policy. A BOP can be customized to fit your specific needs because we know that every business is unique. And if your business has any employees, most states will require you to have workers’ compensation insurance. Be sure to check with your state laws to find out what types of insurance you’re required to have.
Business Insurance for All of New Jersey
We offer business insurance coverage to many cities in New Jersey, including but not limited to:
- Newark
- Jersey City
- Toms River
- Clifton
- Paterson
- Elizabeth
- Edison
- Trenton
- Camden
- Passaic
Why Choose The Hartford?
For over 200 years, we’ve been dedicated to small business owners and protecting the companies they’ve worked so hard to build. We are proud to be widely recognized for leading with integrity, advancing sustainability and driving diversity, equity and inclusion.
Whether you have questions about insurance or need help with a claim, we’ve got your back. Get a quote today and learn how we can help protect your New Jersey business.
Last Updated: December 4, 2023
1,2 Small Business Administration (SBA), “2022 Small Business Profile – New Jersey”
3,5 Business.NJ.Gov, “Employer Requirements”
4 Premium amounts presented are based on monthly premium paid by The Hartford's Small Business customers between 1/1/22 and 9/14/23 for 12-month policies. Premium is derived from a number of factors specific to your business and may vary.
Additional disclosures below.