Small business insurance in Minnesota
Required coverages, regulatory framework, top carriers, and cost benchmarks for small business insurance in Minnesota.
Get matched with carriers licensed in Minnesota.
Tell us what your business does. We'll rank carriers that actually write coverage in MN.
Regulatory framework
| Workers' comp market | Private market Standard private commercial insurance market. Buyers shop carriers and brokers freely. |
|---|---|
| State insurance regulator | Minnesota Department of Commerce |
The Minnesota Department of Commerce regulates the commercial insurance market in Minnesota. Visit Minnesota Department of Commerce →
Cost benchmarks for Minnesota
State-specific cost data for Minnesota is not currently published by the major small business insurance marketplaces. National medians ($45/month for general liability, $83/month for a BOP, ~$45–$70/month for workers' compensation) generally apply, with adjustments for Minnesota's specific litigation environment, regulatory framework, and class-code rates. For full national cost methodology, see our 2026 small business insurance cost guide .
Top carriers writing coverage in Minnesota
Carriers in our coverage set ranked by overall score, filtered to those with confirmed availability in Minnesota. For our full ranking methodology, see our methodology page.
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Travelers Small Business
Small businesses seeking the strongest combination of credit quality, coverage breadth, and at-market pricing on direct-bind paper — especially growing businesses that need D&O, EPLI, or commercial umbrella alongside primary liability; trades, contractors, and field-services businesses needing the full GL + WC + auto + umbrella package on A++ paper.
- A++ (Superior) A.M. Best paper across the full ten-line product ladder — the only direct carrier in our coverage set combining the highest rating with the broadest ladder
- At-market pricing per Insureon medians ($42 GL, $57 BOP, $45 WC) — neither cheapest nor premium, sitting at marketplace medians
- NYSE-listed publicly-traded parent (TRV) with quarterly statutory-statement disclosure — primary-source financial transparency deeper than private direct-to-business peers
- 172-year continuous operating history; one of the largest commercial claims organizations in U.S. P&C insurance; published workplace-safety research
Read review8.1/10Good -
Simply Business
Small businesses whose profile could reasonably land on multiple panel carriers — especially buyers with mixed exposure (GL + PL + WC + cyber) where different panel carriers fit different lines — and who value broker-channel claims advocacy plus multi-carrier comparison pricing. Strong fit for micro-businesses in trades, services, professional services, and e-commerce outside Alaska and Hawaii.
- Broad 8-carrier panel with all Excellent-band paper — Travelers (A++), Hiscox (A), Markel (A), Liberty Mutual (A), Accredited America (A), Cerity (A), Clear Blue (A), plus Harborway (Simply Business own-branded admitted program)
- Travelers ownership provides operational stability and parent backing — $490M acquisition by NYSE-listed parent in August 2017
- Honest pricing-disclosure methodology — "from $20.75/mo GL" explicitly defined as 10th-percentile quotes sold Jan–Jun 2025, not a teaser floor
- Genuine claims-advocacy value-add — broker-of-record relationship pushes carrier for response in disputes, documentation, and resolution escalation
Read review8.1/10Good -
The Hartford
Growing small businesses that need a single-carrier program across five or more commercial lines — especially those needing D&O, EPLI, commercial umbrella, native workers' comp, or commercial auto in the same placement; contractors, trades, and field-services businesses needing GL + WC + commercial auto + umbrella on one carrier; buyers who value 215-year claims-relationship depth over lowest premium.
- Broadest direct-bind SMB product ladder in our coverage set — 10 commercial lines including D&O, EPLI, umbrella, native WC, and commercial auto
- A+ (Superior) A.M. Best rating, upgraded from A in July 2025 — recent affirmation of underwriting and reserve discipline
- 215-year continuous operating history; NYSE-listed publicly-traded parent (The Hartford Financial Services Group, HIG) with SEC-filed financials
- Deep claims organization with phone and field-adjuster access beyond direct-to-business insurtech peers
Read review7.9/10Good -
NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT)
Micro-businesses and freelancers under ~$1M revenue in service classes (cleaning, landscaping, personal training, photography, light contracting, consulting, professional services) that want online quote-to-bind in minutes on admitted paper with strong credit behind it.
- A+ Superior A.M. Best rating (upgraded September 2025), Munich Re / ERGO parent post-acquisition
- Transparent starting prices published for GL, BOP, WC, and cyber on the carrier site
- Admitted direct carrier (NAIC 16285) writing in all 50 states + DC, not an MGA
- Online quote-to-bind in minutes with mobile certificate-of-insurance self-service
Read review7.8/10Good -
Coalition
Tech, SaaS, fintech, e-commerce, and regulated-data businesses where cyber is the primary insurance exposure — especially buyers who want active cyber risk monitoring and pre-negotiated incident response integrated with the policy rather than a generic cyber add-on to a primary liability carrier.
- Category-leading cyber specialty: Active Insurance integration, pre-negotiated breach counsel, regulatory defense depth, ransomware coverage evolution
- Strong backing paper panel — Arch (A+), Allianz (A+), Swiss Re (A+) majority, with Coalition Insurance Company (NAIC 29530) admitted sub acquired 2022
- Transparent published pricing for its one line: $83/mo floor and $625/mo ceiling, below Insureon cyber market median at the low end
- Admitted (CIC) + surplus-lines (panel) placement optionality — buyer can prefer admitted where state guaranty fund protection matters
Read review7.7/10Good -
Thimble
Gig workers, event-based micro-businesses (photographers, fitness instructors, weekend tradespeople, pop-up retailers), seasonal contractors, and early-stage side businesses whose actual liability exposure is intermittent rather than continuous — and whose state is not in the 14-state Thimble cyber unavailability list if cyber is a material need.
- Category-defining on-demand / short-duration commercial insurance — hourly, daily, and monthly policy options not offered by any direct-carrier peer we cover
- $17/mo GL starting price is the cheapest direct-bind premium in our coverage set, roughly 40% of Insureon market median
- A+ (Superior) A.M. Best backing paper via Arch Insurance Company (NAIC 11150), FSC XV surplus, admitted in all 50 states + DC + PR + Guam + USVI
- Mobile-first UX with fast quote-to-bind and on-demand rebind capability; digital-native platform built for micro and gig-economy buyers
Read review7.4/10Good
Frequently asked questions
- Who regulates business insurance in Minnesota?
- The Minnesota Department of Commerce regulates the commercial insurance market in Minnesota. Including carrier licensing, rate filings, complaint handling, and surplus-lines regulation. The DOI is also the primary channel for buyers with unresolved disputes against carriers.
- What carriers write small business insurance in Minnesota?
- Most major commercial small-business carriers write coverage in Minnesota. Though Pie Insurance has an 11-state footprint that excludes some states, and the four monopoly-fund states (OH/ND/WA/WY) limit WC writers to the state fund only. For our full ranked list of carriers in our coverage set with confirmed availability in Minnesota, see the "Top carriers writing coverage" section above.
Get matched to carriers in Minnesota
Tell us what your business does and we'll surface the carriers from our coverage set that write the lines you need in Minnesota.