Sexual Abuse Liability · California

The exclusion most organizations miss.

Coverage for abuse and molestation claims, which many general liability policies exclude or limit, for organizations that serve children and vulnerable adults.

Quick answer Abuse and molestation insurance is coverage for abuse and molestation claims, which many general liability policies exclude or limit, for organizations whose staff or volunteers serve children and vulnerable adults.

Many general liability policies exclude abuse and molestation claims entirely or cap them at a low sublimit, and organizations often learn this only when a claim arrives.
Abuse and molestation coverage is needed by any organization where staff or volunteers work with children or vulnerable adults, such as schools, daycares, churches, camps, youth sports, care providers and nonprofits.
Abuse and molestation liability can be placed as an endorsement or as a separate policy, depending on the organization.
California gives survivors of childhood sexual abuse much longer to bring claims than in the past, so organizations need coverage that fits.
Carriers writing abuse and molestation coverage look for background checks, training, written policies, and rules that keep one adult from being alone with a child.

By Sam Alishahi · CA Insurance License #4348151 · Reviewed November 2026 · How this page is researched

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Why it matters

General liability often excludes it

Many general liability policies exclude abuse and molestation claims entirely, or cap them at a low sublimit. Organizations often learn this only when a claim arrives.

California gives survivors of childhood sexual abuse much longer to bring claims than in the past, so organizations need coverage that fits. I place abuse and molestation liability as an endorsement or a separate policy, depending on the organization.

Dedicated limitA real limit, not a small sublimit.
Who's coveredStaff, volunteers and the organization.
DefenseLegal defense costs, and whether they reduce the limit.
Claims-made or occurrenceHow the policy responds to older claims.

Who I help

Organizations I insure

Nonprofits and social services

Programs serving youth and families. See details

Schools and daycares

Private schools, preschools and child care. See details

Churches

Youth ministries and volunteers. See details

Camps and youth sports

Leagues, camps and academies. See details

Residential care

Group homes and care facilities. See details

Home care agencies

In-home care for seniors and adults. See details

Before you call

What underwriters will ask

Having these ready means I can go to market on the first call. The quote form asks for the same things, and anything you don’t know yet can wait.

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Organization: type and what you do.
Who you serve: minors, vulnerable adults or both.
People: number of staff and volunteers.
Screening: background checks and training.
Policies: written abuse prevention procedures.
Current coverage: your general liability policy and any abuse sublimit.

How the exclusion is written

When I review a general liability policy for a group that works with children or vulnerable adults, I look for the endorsement number, not just the word “abuse.” IRMI describes two ISO endorsements that are written differently.

CG 21 46, Abuse or Molestation Exclusion. IRMI describes it as applying to all activities of an insured, provided the alleged abuse or molestation is to a person in the care, custody or control of any insured.
CG 21 97, Abuse or Molestation Exclusion (Specified Professional Services). IRMI says ISO introduced this optional endorsement with its December 2007 changes. It excludes abuse or molestation only for the professional services described in its schedule, again where the person alleging it is in the care, custody or control of any insured. IRMI calls it less restrictive than CG 21 46 because it does not apply to all of the insured’s operations or activities.
Defense wording. IRMI’s glossary says a sexual abuse exclusion precludes coverage for claims alleging sexual abuse, and that favorable versions also state that coverage to defend against those allegations is provided. Look for that sentence in your own form.

What to do with this: pull the forms schedule from your current policy and list every endorsement with “abuse,” “molestation” or “sexual” in its title, along with its form number and edition date. Send that list with your application so the underwriter sees exactly which wording you have now, and check the forms schedule on your umbrella the same way. How any form applies to a specific claim depends on the full policy wording and the facts, and the insurer makes that decision; questions about your legal exposure belong with your attorney.

California youth groups: B&P Code 18975

California Business and Professions Code section 18975 sets baseline duties for a “youth service organization,” defined as one that employs or uses people who, because of their relationship with the organization, are mandated reporters under Penal Code 11165.7(a)(7). That paragraph names administrators and employees of public or private youth centers, youth recreation programs and youth organizations. The section requires:

Training. Administrators, employees and regular volunteers must complete training in identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect. The online mandated reporter training from the Office of Child Abuse Prevention in the State Department of Social Services can meet this.
Background checks. The same people must undergo a background check under Penal Code 11105.3 to identify and exclude anyone with a history of child abuse. A phase-in for groups that had not required these checks before January 1, 2022 ran only until January 1, 2024.
Outside reporting. Policies must ensure suspected child abuse is reported to persons or entities outside the organization, including reports required under Penal Code 11165.9.
Two mandated reporters. Policies must require, to the greatest extent possible, at least two mandated reporters present whenever administrators, employees or volunteers are in contact with or supervising children. This does not apply to a one-to-one mentoring organization that has the outside-reporting policies plus policies for comprehensive volunteer screening, training of volunteers and parents or guardians, and regular contact with both.

A “regular volunteer” is 18 or older and has direct contact with or supervision of children for more than 16 hours in a month or 32 hours in a year. The section also says that before writing liability insurance for a youth service organization in California, an insurer may request information showing compliance as part of its loss control program. I ask clients to keep training certificates, background check records and the written policies in one file so they can be sent when asked. Congregations with youth programs can also see the church insurance page.

Sports clubs and federal SafeSport rules

A youth sports club does not have to be a national governing body to have federal duties. Under 36 U.S.C. 220530, an “applicable amateur sports organization” is one that is not otherwise subject to certain other requirements of that chapter, participates in interstate or international amateur athletic competition, and has adult members in regular contact with an amateur athlete who is a minor. It must:

Comply with the reporting requirements of 34 U.S.C. 20341. That law covers adults authorized by a national governing body, one of its members, or such an amateur sports organization to interact with a minor or amateur athlete at an amateur sports organization facility or at a sanctioned event. A covered adult who learns of facts that give reason to suspect child abuse must report as soon as possible, defined as within a 24-hour period, to the agency the U.S. Attorney General designates.
Set reasonable procedures to limit one-on-one interactions, including communications, between a minor athlete and an adult who is not the minor’s legal guardian at a facility under the organization’s jurisdiction that are not within observable and interruptible distance of another adult, except in emergency circumstances.
Offer and provide consistent training on preventing and reporting child abuse to adult members in regular contact with minor athletes and, subject to parental consent, to members who are minors.
Prohibit retaliation against anyone who makes a child abuse report or any other report of abuse of an amateur athlete.

For the Olympic and Paralympic system, 36 U.S.C. 220541 makes the U.S. Center for SafeSport the independent national safe sport organization, with jurisdiction over the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and each national governing body. It must keep an office for compliance and audit, audit them at least once a year, and publish a public list of adults it has barred. When a sports club applies for abuse and molestation coverage, I note which of these rules applies and attach its one-on-one and reporting policies, so the underwriter does not have to guess.

CDC’s six-part prevention framework

For organizations in any state, a common starting point is CDC’s 2007 publication, Preventing Child Sexual Abuse Within Youth-serving Organizations: Getting Started on Policies and Procedures. CDC says many youth-serving organizations have implemented policies and procedures based on it. It describes six key components, each with prevention goals, critical strategies and additional strategies an organization might consider depending on its context and resources:

Screening and selecting employees and volunteers
Establishing guidelines on interactions between persons
Monitoring behavior
Ensuring safe environments
Responding to inappropriate behavior, breaches in policy, and allegations and suspicions of child sexual abuse
Training in child sexual abuse prevention

I use these six headings to organize the narrative that goes with an abuse and molestation application: how you screen, what your rules say about one adult alone with a child, who watches for warning signs, how your rooms and vehicles are set up, what happens when someone raises a concern, and who has been trained and when. A short paragraph under each heading, with the date it was last reviewed, answers most of what an underwriter wants to see. Check CDC for the latest edition before rewriting your policies. Groups serving vulnerable adults, such as nursing homes and human services agencies, can adapt the same headings.

Questions

Abuse and molestation liability, answered

Doesn't my general liability cover abuse claims?

Often not. Many policies exclude abuse and molestation or limit it to a small sublimit. Check your policy's exclusions, or send it to me and I'll check.

Who needs this coverage?

Any organization where staff or volunteers work with children or vulnerable adults: schools, daycares, churches, camps, youth sports, care providers and nonprofits.

What do carriers look for?

Background checks, training, written policies, and rules that keep one adult from being alone with a child.

Is it expensive?

It depends on who you serve and your controls. Strong screening and written procedures help.

Do you offer abuse and molestation liability insurance outside California?

Yes. Clients across the country send the same quote form. Sam Alishahi is licensed in all 50 states and Washington, DC and places policies there directly. The shopping across carriers works the same way. Rules, minimums and markets differ by state — see insurance requirements by state.

Official sources

Often placed alongside this

Coverage

Nonprofit insurance

Liability, D&O and property for charities, churches and community groups.

See coverage Coverage

Daycare & private school insurance

Liability, abuse coverage, property and workers' comp for child care and schools.

See coverage Coverage

Church insurance

Property, liability, abuse coverage and D&O for churches and religious organizations.

See coverage

Also covered with this: Adult day care insurance After-school and youth program insurance Counseling and outpatient program insurance Day spa insurance Group home insurance Homeless shelter insurance Private and charter school insurance Nursing home and skilled nursing insurance Tutoring insurance Vocational school insurance

By state: Insurance requirements by state

Abuse and molestation liability

Send your current policy. I'll check the gap.

Your organization type, who you serve and your current policy are enough to start.

Get a Quote Call (877) 711-4545

Alishahi Insurance · Saman Alishahi, independent insurance broker, California License #4348151. General information, not a quote or a promise of coverage; coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued. Some policies may be placed with nonadmitted (surplus lines) insurers, which are not members of the California Insurance Guarantee Association (CIGA).

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