For years the Amazon insurance rule was easy to remember: once your sales passed $10,000 in a month, you had 30 days to put a $1 million liability policy on file. Smaller sellers could ignore it. On November 2, 2026 that changed for a large part of the catalog. Amazon now requires the same $1 million coverage from any seller with a listing in one of its “enhanced safety” categories, regardless of sales volume — and the rule applies to existing listings, not just new ones. Amazon announced the change on its U.S. Seller Forums on September 3, 2026.
This guide covers who is affected, the exact policy terms Amazon checks, the additional insured wording, how the old $10,000 rule still works for everyone else, and how to think about the cost per unit. Requirements on other marketplaces are compared in our seller insurance requirements by marketplace guide.
The Two Rules That Now Apply
| If you… | You need $1M coverage on file | Source of the rule |
|---|---|---|
| Have any ASIN in an enhanced safety category | Now, regardless of sales (from November 2, 2026) | Enhanced safety category update |
| Sell only in other categories | Within 30 days of exceeding $10,000 in gross proceeds in a month, or sooner if Amazon asks | Business Solutions Agreement, section 9 |
| Are based in Mainland China | Same triggers, but new policies must come through the Amazon Insurance Accelerator | November 2, 2026 update |
One listing is enough. A seller of phone cases who also lists a single power bank is a lithium-battery seller for this purpose, and a brand with one supplement SKU among dozens of kitchen tools is a consumables seller. Old, low-volume or inactive listings count as long as they are live, so the first job is a catalog audit.
The 11 Enhanced Safety Categories
| Category | Typical products |
|---|---|
| Children’s products | Toys, baby gear, nursery items, kids’ furniture |
| Consumable and ingestible products | Supplements, foods and beverages, cosmetics and other topicals |
| Lithium battery products | Power banks, e-bikes and scooters, battery-powered tools and gadgets |
| General household devices | Small kitchen appliances and other plug-in home devices |
| Home medical devices | Monitors, mobility and transfer aids, therapy devices |
| Personal safety equipment | Helmets, protective gear |
| Sleep products | Mattresses and similar sleep surfaces |
| Transport-related products | Tires and other vehicle safety parts |
| Outdoor power and heating equipment | Generators, heaters, outdoor power tools |
| Fire-related products | Fire extinguishers, smoke and fire safety items |
| Water and marine safety products | Life jackets, flotation devices |
Amazon’s notice names children’s products, cosmetic and ingestible products and lithium battery products and says the categories “include, but are not limited to” these; the full list of 11 is on the Seller Central page “Product categories with enhanced safety listing requirements” and Amazon has said it will grow. Example products are ours, for orientation.
What the Policy Must Say
Amazon reviews the certificate of insurance you upload, so the policy details have to match its checklist exactly. Most rejections come from small mismatches rather than missing coverage.
| Requirement | What Amazon looks for |
|---|---|
| Policy type | Commercial general liability, umbrella or excess liability |
| Limits | At least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $1,000,000 in the aggregate |
| Coverage form | Occurrence basis; claims-made has been accepted for certain product categories that can’t be insured on an occurrence form |
| Products covered | All products you sell on Amazon.com — including the enhanced-category ones |
| Deductible | No more than $10,000, and shown on the certificate |
| Additional insured | “Amazon.com Services LLC and its affiliates and assignees” |
| Named insured | Must match the legal entity name on your seller account (single-member LLCs and sole proprietors have some flexibility) |
| Insurer | A carrier able to handle claims globally; brokers generally look for an A.M. Best A− or S&P A− rating |
| Dates | Policy period on the certificate must match what you enter in Seller Central |
Upload the certificate and check its status under Settings → Account Info → Business Insurance in Seller Central. The same screen links to quotes from the Amazon Insurance Accelerator, a panel of insurers Amazon assembled with Marsh. Using it is optional for sellers outside Mainland China. For background on the additional insured endorsement and why a certificate alone doesn’t create coverage, see additional insured vs. certificate holder and certificates of insurance explained.
Deadlines and Enforcement
- Effective date: November 2, 2026, for new and existing listings in the enhanced categories.
- Notice and grace period: Amazon’s notice doesn’t state one. Seller-service firms report that affected sellers receive an email and roughly 45 days to submit proof before enhanced-category listings can be deactivated; listings in other categories are not affected by this rule.
- China-based sellers: from November 2, newly submitted policies not obtained through the Accelerator are rejected. A compliant policy already on file stays valid until it expires.
- Everyone else: the 30-day clock after a $10,000 month still runs as before.
Amazon’s earlier insurance tightening in 2021 was widely described as loosely enforced, and some sellers expect the same now. Betting on that is risky: the listings at stake are the ones in the categories Amazon has spent 2026 tightening with testing and documentation rules, and reinstating a deactivated listing usually takes longer than buying a policy.
What Coverage Costs — and What It Means per Unit
Product liability for online sellers is usually priced on annual gross sales and product category, with a minimum premium. Published figures give a rough range:
| Seller profile | Reported annual premium |
|---|---|
| Small seller, pay-as-you-sell program | From about $26 a month, rising with sales |
| Traditional annual policy, lower-risk products | Often $500 to $1,500+ |
| $500,000 to $1,000,000 in revenue (quotes reported by EcomCrew) | $837 to $2,200 |
| Supplements, children’s products, lithium batteries | Toward the top of these ranges or above; some carriers decline certain products or countries of manufacture |
Ranges come from broker and seller-community reporting, not a rate filing. Actual quotes depend on products, sales, claims history and where products are made.
The number that matters for a small brand is the premium spread across units. If the policy has a minimum premium, a low-volume seller pays nearly the same as a much larger one:
| Annual premium | 500 units a year | 2,000 units a year | 10,000 units a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $600 | $1.20 / unit | $0.30 / unit | $0.06 / unit |
| $1,000 | $2.00 / unit | $0.50 / unit | $0.10 / unit |
| $1,400 | $2.80 / unit | $0.70 / unit | $0.14 / unit |
| $2,200 | $4.40 / unit | $1.10 / unit | $0.22 / unit |
Premium divided by annual units sold. Compare against your contribution margin per unit, after fees and advertising.
For a seller with one or two slow-moving SKUs in an enhanced category, that math can make the listing unprofitable — which is why some sellers are removing those ASINs rather than insuring them. If the products are core to the business, a policy that covers every sales channel (Amazon, your own site, Walmart, wholesale) spreads the cost further. Our business insurance calculator gives a starting estimate for general liability.
A Checklist Before You Buy
- Audit every live ASIN against the enhanced safety category page, including variations and listings you’ve forgotten about.
- Decide which listings to keep — insure, or close the few that don’t justify a premium.
- Get at least two quotes: one through the Accelerator and one through an independent broker who writes e-commerce product liability. Prices for the same risk vary widely.
- Ask for the exact Amazon wording on the additional insured endorsement, and confirm the deductible is $10,000 or less.
- List every product and channel on the application. A policy that excludes a product line you sell on Amazon fails the “all products” test and may not respond to a claim.
- Check the certificate before uploading: legal name, policy dates, limits, deductible and additional insured line.
- Put the renewal date in your calendar. An expired policy puts you back out of compliance.
Why the Policy Is Worth Having Anyway
The requirement exists because Amazon has been pulled into product injury suits over third-party products, and it wants a solvent insurer between the injured customer and itself. The same logic protects you. A defense against a single injury claim from a battery fire, a choking hazard or a contaminated supplement can cost more than years of premiums, and product liability policies pay defense costs in addition to settlements. If you also sell through other channels or to retailers, the same policy usually satisfies their certificate requests — see insurance requirements in contracts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need insurance to sell on Amazon in 2026?
It depends on your categories and sales. From November 2, 2026, any seller with a listing in one of Amazon's enhanced safety categories, such as children's products, supplements and other ingestibles, cosmetics or lithium battery products, needs $1 million liability coverage regardless of sales. Sellers in other categories still need it within 30 days of exceeding $10,000 in gross proceeds in a month, or sooner if Amazon asks.
What are Amazon's enhanced safety categories?
Amazon lists 11: children's products, consumable and ingestible products, fire-related products, general household devices including small kitchen appliances, home medical devices, lithium battery products, outdoor power and heating equipment, personal safety equipment, sleep products such as mattresses, transport-related products such as tires, and water and marine safety products. Amazon has said the list may grow.
What insurance does Amazon require?
Commercial general, umbrella or excess liability with at least $1 million per occurrence and $1 million aggregate, normally on an occurrence basis, covering all products you sell on Amazon.com, with a deductible of no more than $10,000 and Amazon.com Services LLC and its affiliates and assignees named as additional insureds. The named insured must match your seller account's legal entity.
How long do I have to upload proof of insurance to Amazon?
Under the standing rule, 30 days after a month in which gross proceeds exceed $10,000. For the November 2026 enhanced safety category rule, Amazon's notice gives no grace period; seller-service firms report that affected sellers are emailed and given about 45 days before enhanced-category listings can be deactivated.
How much does Amazon seller liability insurance cost?
Reported premiums range from about $26 a month on pay-as-you-sell programs to $500 to $1,500 or more a year for a traditional policy, with quotes of $837 to $2,200 a year reported for sellers with $500,000 to $1 million in revenue. Supplements, children's products and lithium batteries cost more, and some carriers decline them.
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or insurance advice. Amazon's requirements are set in its Business Solutions Agreement and Seller Central help pages, which can change without notice; confirm current requirements in Seller Central and with a licensed insurance professional before buying or relying on a policy.