Last updated: September 14, 2026
Alaska state licensing does not mandate daycare liability insurance. Anchorage repealed purchase floors July 15, 2025—disclose coverage under AMC 16.55.160.
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Alaska daycare liability: no statewide purchase mandate
Statewide licensing under 7 AAC 57 (AS 47.32) does not require applicants to buy liability insurance. Cached application attachments under 7 AAC 57.030 do not list a liability-insurance item. Landlords, military and subsidy contracts may still demand coverage even when the state rule does not.
Municipality of Anchorage: the former purchase floors in AMC 16.55.115 (tiered CGL amounts by capacity, including transportation coverage) were repealed effective July 15, 2025 by AO 2025-070. Do not treat Anchorage as still having a separate purchase mandate.
Current Anchorage rule AMC 16.55.160 requires, at or before admission, a written statement of whether the facility has insurance and, if so, the amount, and a policy copy on parent request. Further AMC 16.55 tweaks noted for mid-2026 did not restore the purchase floors in cached materials.
How much liability coverage should you buy?
With no statewide dollar mandate—and Anchorage now on a disclose-whether-insured path—treat any limit you buy as a risk and contract decision.
Send the provider any lease, school agreement or other contract requiring higher limits. Ask for comparable options at lower and higher limits, with the same covered activities and deductible, so you can see the cost difference.
Review the per-occurrence limit and any aggregate or separate abuse-related limit. Ask how defense costs affect available protection. If considering an umbrella, have the agent identify the underlying policies it requires and the childcare exposures it excludes; do not assume it fills every gap in the base policy.
Coverage to compare for an Alaska daycare or preschool
| Operation or exposure | Coverage question to resolve |
|---|---|
| Children and visitors at your premises | Which liability coverage applies to injuries and property damage, and which activities are excluded? |
| Supervision, instruction and care | Is professional liability included or separate? How does the proposal treat abuse or molestation allegations? |
| Staff and volunteers | Who is insured, and what employee injury or employer-liability coverage is needed? |
| Furniture, supplies and play equipment | Who owns the property, what values are insured and which losses or locations are excluded? |
| School pickup and off-site activities | What vehicle and business coverage is needed for the drivers, trips and activities described? |
General liability, professional liability and abuse or molestation coverage answer different questions. Have the provider explain how the proposal handles a premises injury, a supervision allegation and a claim involving a staff member. Confirm that the services you offer are described and that the relevant people and locations are insured.
For a home, ask the residential insurer how business childcare affects its coverage and compare the proposed endorsement with a separate childcare policy. For a center or preschool, distinguish landlord-owned property from your furnishings, supplies and improvements. Ask which causes of loss and interruptions are covered before adding property or business-income protection.
How much does Alaska daycare insurance cost?
There is no single premium for every daycare. As a broad reference, Insureon’s national human-and-social-services customer medians are $91/month for general liability, $135 for a business owner’s policy and $99 for professional liability, checked September 14, 2026. That sample is broader than daycare; these are not state daycare averages or Simply Business prices.
Use those figures only to understand separate budget categories. A business owner’s policy can bundle liability and property, so do not add every figure as though it were a required package. Request a childcare-specific proposal using your program type, child count and ages, payroll, transportation, claims history and required limits.
Compare the total annual premium, deductible, included activities and any separate abuse-coverage limit. Ask about installment charges, endorsements and the cost of changes during the year. Two prices are comparable only after the provider explains the differences in protection.
Request quotes using your licensing path (state 7 AAC 57 versus Anchorage AMC 16.55) and disclose transport early. Alaska motor vehicle minimums are higher than many states—budget commercial auto separately from facility liability.
Workers’ compensation in Alaska
Employers with one or more employees in Alaska must obtain workers’ compensation unless approved as a self-insurer—see Alaska DOLWD employer requirements and AS 23.30.045 / .075. Assigned-risk/NCCI options exist if the voluntary market declines.
Keep workers’ compensation separate from any facility liability policy you choose to buy.
Transport: no daycare dollar floor; Alaska MV 50/100/25
7 AAC 57 does not publish a daycare-specific transport insurance dollar floor. If you use vehicles, Alaska motor vehicle financial responsibility commonly requires $50,000 / $100,000 / $25,000. The former Anchorage rule that folded transportation into the municipal CGL purchase mandate ended with the repeal of AMC 16.55.115.
A premises liability certificate does not establish vehicle coverage—ask about commercial auto or hired/non-owned exposures before school pickup or field trips.
Keep coverage and licensing evidence aligned through the year
If you carry liability insurance, calendar renewals with state or Anchorage licensing paperwork. Anchorage operators must keep the admission disclosure about whether insurance exists—and the amount—accurate for every family.
Update the agent before adding transport, capacity or locations so any certificate and parent disclosures still match the program.
Prepare your Alaska daycare insurance quote
- Legal operator name, address, permit or certificate type and requested coverage date.
- Licensed capacity, actual enrollment, ages served, hours and all locations.
- Staff, volunteers, payroll and screening/supervision procedures.
- Transportation, field trips, water activities and other services offered.
- Existing policy, claim history and insurance requirements from leases or contracts.
Ask each provider to identify the named insured, covered activities, limits, deductibles, exclusions and endorsements. Confirm whether defense costs reduce any relevant limit and how claims must be reported. If a quote cannot cover an activity, resolve that gap rather than assuming a certificate will make the proposal acceptable.
Get a daycare insurance quote
Start your daycare insurance quote with Simply Business. Answer a few questions about your business and let their team help you find coverage.
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Data for Alaska
Free research and planning tools for starting a daycare in Alaska. Most of the data pages compare every state, so look for Alaska in the table or map.
- Workplace injury rates by industry: how often workers get hurt in cleaning, landscaping, HVAC, daycare and other services.
- Independent contractor rules by state: the test Alaska uses to decide if a helper is a contractor or an employee.
- Health insurance for the self-employed: 2027 ACA premium requests in Alaska and where the subsidy cutoff sits.
- Insurance requirements for contracts: what limits, certificates and endorsements commercial and public buyers ask for.
- Daycare break-even calculator: how many enrolled children you need to cover costs and pay yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Does Alaska require daycare liability insurance?
Statewide 7 AAC 57 licensing does not mandate purchasing liability insurance. Anchorage repealed its AMC 16.55.115 purchase floors effective July 15, 2025 and now requires parent disclosure under AMC 16.55.160.
What changed for Anchorage daycare insurance in 2025?
AO 2025-070 repealed the tiered CGL purchase requirements in AMC 16.55.115. Facilities must disclose at admission whether they have insurance and, if so, the amount (AMC 16.55.160), and provide a policy copy on parent request.
What vehicle insurance applies when an Alaska daycare transports children?
No daycare-specific dollar floor appears in 7 AAC 57. Alaska MV minimums are commonly 50/100/25. Confirm commercial auto separately from any premises liability policy.
When must an Alaska daycare buy workers’ compensation?
Alaska generally requires workers’ compensation for employers with one or more employees unless approved as a self-insurer (AS 23.30 / DOLWD).
Related guides
Daycare Insurance · Alaska / Daycare
Requirements and source benchmarks checked September 14, 2026. Policy terms and availability depend on the insurer and your business.
