Shooting range insurance

What is shooting range insurance coverage?

Shooting range insurance, also known as shooting range liability insurance, provides financial protection for those who own shooting or gun ranges. It prevents businesses from facing the financial repercussions that come with bodily injury and property damage claims. You could consider it a type of business insurance. Whether you have an indoor or an outdoor facility, you need insurance. You will need shooting range insurance coverage if you own any of the following types of businesses:

• Indoor shooting ranges
• Outdoor shooting ranges
• Shooting instructors
• Those hosting events and competitions
• Gun ranges
• Archery ranges
• Skeet or trap shooting ranges
• Specialty ranges

Shooting range insurance or gun club insurance makes a difference. It protects your business against third-party liability claims and many other risks. In Canada, general liability insurance is the minimum amount of coverage you need to have, but there are additional coverage options available. We discuss each of these in more depth below.

What types of shooting range insurance coverage are available?

Like its counterparts, shooting range insurance boasts a variety of coverage options. Although commercial general liability is the only mandatory one, you can protect yourself further by purchasing additional coverage. The majority of claims made at shooting ranges are covered by a general liability policy. Now, let’s review each type of coverage available and what makes them unique from one another:

Commercial general liability insurance

Suppose someone gets injured or has their property damaged while at your shooting range. This type of coverage can help. Commercial general liability insurance makes a difference as it will help cover legal fees in the event of a lawsuit, as well as medical expenses associated with said injuries. It doesn’t matter whether someone slips and falls while at your facility because you will be financially protected.

Product liability insurance

Some shooting ranges sell firearms, ammunition, targets, safety equipment and even food and beverages. If your shooting range offers any of these things, consider product liability insurance. It will help pay for the costs of injury or property damage that occurs as a result of using your products. This is important to have when at a shooting range where firearms pose a high risk and cost a lot of money to replace.

Commercial property insurance

The chances are your shooting range has computers, inventory, furniture and security systems. If this is the case, you’ll need commercial property insurance. It protects against damages that occur as a result of insured perils, including theft, fire, vandalism, windstorms, water damage and more. It’s better to be safe rather than sorry because paying to replace property damage isn’t cheap, depending on what happened.

Business interruption insurance

Life is unpredictable, and if your business has to close suddenly for any reason, you’ll lose money. Having business interruption insurance will help compensate you for the lost income that occurs during the closure. However, the closure has to be caused by an insured peril listed in your policy. If you’re unsure about whether or not you can make a claim, reach out to your insurance broker or company directly.

Errors and omissions insurance

If you fail to provide a service as a business that causes a customer to lose money, you could be sued. Errors and omissions insurance can help pay for the financial losses you may suffer in the event of a lawsuit. At a gun club, not providing proper safety equipment could fall into this category. That’s because it is considered an essential service when shooting and protects potential customers from harm.

Commercial auto insurance

Many businesses use commercial vehicles. Shooting and gun ranges are no exceptions to this. If you use a vehicle primarily for business purposes, you’ll need commercial auto insurance. You will need to purchase the types of coverage that are mandatory in your province to drive your business vehicle legally. If you have regular car insurance, you cannot use it to protect a vehicle intended for business use or a vehicle that will transport business supplies.

Umbrella liability insurance

Like other types of insurance coverage, shooting or gun range insurance has limitations. As a result, when you surpass your limits, you will have to pay for any bodily injury or property damage claims out of pocket. Umbrella liability insurance comes into effect after your general liability insurance limits are reached. Review your coverage limits with your insurance broker to ensure you don’t have to pay very much out of pocket if you surpass your coverage limits.

Cyber liability insurance

In modern times, storing customer and financial information on a computer isn’t uncommon. Although it allows you to keep everything in place, information about your shooting club floating around online can be dangerous. That’s why you need cyber liability insurance to protect you in the event of a cyberattack, hack or breach. Always ensure your database is secure to stop private information from getting into the wrong hands.

Choosing the type of coverage that suits your needs can be challenging. However, with the assistance of a BrokerLink broker, you shouldn’t have any issues. Your broker will ask you questions about the nature of your business and help you find an insurance company that offers a policy that suits your specific budget and needs. Now that you understand the types of coverage available, you might wonder why you need insurance at all — we’ll discuss this next.

Why do you need shooting range insurance?

Shooting sports are becoming common across Canada, which increases the need for gun club insurance. However, you might wonder why you need shooting range insurance at all. Yes, it’s mandatory, but there are many advantages to having it. Here are the main reasons to purchase shooting range insurance coverage:

It’s the law

In Canada, it’s illegal to run a shooting range without a proper insurance policy in place. There has to be a valid shooting range general liability insurance policy in place, and that’s the bare minimum. If you don’t have insurance, you risk getting shut down and facing massive fines. If you are caught running a business without an insurance policy, you will be in huge trouble.

Save money

There are many financial repercussions of being uninsured, and we’re not just talking about the fines. Even liability claims such as bodily injury or property damage can get expensive, especially if you are a small business. These could arise from something simple, such as someone slipping in your parking lot on a patch of ice. Paying for legal fees out of pocket isn’t cheap if someone sues you. That’s why it’s important to have an insurance policy to help pay for these costs.

Stay safer

Opening a shooting range is a risk on its own since firearms can harm people if they fall into the wrong hands or are misused. At a gun club or shooting range, safety measures such as additional security measures and instructors are in place. However, insurance provides protection in case something happens.

Having coverage includes many advantages, and insurance plays an active role in keeping your business afloat, even though you might not realize it. Although it’s illegal to open a shooting range without the minimum amount of coverage, it’s not the only reason to purchase insurance. Financial protection and peace of mind are also essential. Next, we will explore the costs of shooting range insurance and the factors that determine it.

How much does shooting range liability insurance cost?

Insuring shooting ranges isn’t always an easy task, even with the rise of shooting sports. Despite this, the costs are probably less than you think. While it’s impossible to nail down a coverage amount that will suit your specific needs, there are certain factors that affect the insurance quote you receive. Here are some of the aspects that your insurance company will use to determine the costs of your shooting range liability insurance:

Size and location of your shooting range

Where is your business located, and how big is it? If you’re in a high-crime area, there’s a higher likelihood of theft and vandalism, which increases your risk factor. Additionally, when you own a larger facility, bodily injury and property damage are much more likely. Even with officers coverage, you still have to worry about your customers and have someone there to supervise them.

Amount of annual and projected revenue

Successful shooting ranges and gun clubs have more to lose. Those who are making more money have several assets to protect, and even the smallest liability claims can dent your revenue. This is because even with the best types of liability insurance, you will have to pay a certain amount out of pocket. As a result of having more to lose, expect to pay more for insurance coverage. As you scale your business, increase your coverage limits.

Number of employees

The more employees you have, the more people you will have to train. Shooting ranges often have strict safety protocols, and this is for a good reason. Employees take a risk going to work each day because they are working with people handling firearms all day. Because of this, a large shooting range with more workers will pay more for protection.

Security measures

Shooting ranges need proper security measures in place because they handle firearms all day. It doesn’t matter whether your facility sells them or not; the idea that you and your employees are working with what is considered a weapon makes a difference. Taking extra measures to monitor those who come and go and keeping firearms securely locked away impacts your rates.

Your insurance coverage

Every shooting range insurance policy is different in the sense that there are many types of coverage available. Having more coverage will protect you from more perils but will cost you a bit more, much like higher coverage limits do. Your deductible is another important thing to keep in mind. A higher deductible can reduce your rates but will cause you to pay more out of pocket if you make a claim.

Overall, insuring your shooting range is quite important. If you don’t, you face many risks, including legal repercussions. However, if you shop around by getting quotes from various insurance companies, you can often get competitive rates. You shouldn’t let the cost of insurance hold you back from opening or continuing to run a shooting range. Those who are insured are not only more successful but safer too.

Contact BrokerLink to learn more about shooting range insurance today

You need a primary insurance policy if you own a shooting range or gun club. With shooting sports on the rise, you have to keep up with the competition. Even though it’s mandatory, letting potential customers know that you have insurance establishes a sense of trust. In turn, they are more likely to come back since they know they will be protected when shooting at your facility. Boosting your reputation is essential in competitive markets.

Where do you even start when it comes to gun club insurance? Firstly, you should reach out to a local insurance broker. By hiring a broker, you don’t have to shop around and get quotes from various insurance companies. BrokerLink is here to help you with all your insurance needs. All you have to do is call, use our online quote tool or visit one of our community branches today.

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