Videographer Insurance

General Liability For Videographers

General liability handles third-party claims: a guest trips on your cable run, a C-stand scratches a client's hardwood, or a rig dents a rented venue wall. It also responds to certain advertising-related claims tied to your work.

Expert insight. Most videographers GL sit on a standard occurrence form that pairs Coverage A (bodily injury and property damage) with Coverage B, personal and advertising injury. Coverage B can respond if a client says your promo reel defamed them or lifted a slogan, but broad copyright and music-licensing claims are usually carved out. That gap is one reason we flag advertising-injury exposure for content-heavy shooters.

Does general liability cover my camera if I drop it?
No. GL covers other people's injuries and property, not your own gear. Equipment coverage handles your cameras and lenses.

Commercial Auto Insurance For Videographers

Drive to shoots with gear in the vehicle, and you're in business use, which personal auto policies often exclude. Commercial auto covers accidents and liability and can extend to some equipment while it's in transit for work.

Expert insight. Renting a cargo van for a big corporate shoot? A hired and non-owned auto endorsement extends liability to vehicles you rent or borrow, and to a crew member running errands in their own car for you. Solo shooters who only drive a personal vehicle sometimes add a business-use endorsement instead of a full commercial policy.

Claims example. A Denver videographer rear-ended a car on the way to a shoot with gear loaded in the back. His personal insurer denied it as business use. Because he carried commercial auto, the third-party damage (about $9,200) and his own repair were covered, and he still made call time.

Do I need commercial auto if I only use my personal car?
Maybe. Some personal policies allow limited business use; many don't. Confirm it with your agent before you rely on it for paid work.

Equipment and Camera Gear Coverage For Videographers

Your cameras, lenses, lighting, audio, drones, and computers move constantly. Inland marine (often called an equipment floater) covers this gear against theft, damage, and loss on location, in transit, and in storage, well beyond what a property policy does.

Expert insight. Two settings decide how useful this coverage is. First, valuation: replacement cost buys a new equivalent, while actual cash value (ACV) subtracts depreciation, which stings on a five-year-old cinema body. Second, whether rented or borrowed gear is included, since videographers rent lenses and bodies all the time. A scheduled equipment floater with rented-gear coverage keeps a smashed rental from becoming your problem.

Does equipment coverage include rented lenses?
Only if the policy says so. Add rented and borrowed equipment or bailee coverage if you rent gear or hold a client's property.

Workers' Comp Insurance For Videographers

Hire employees, and most states require workers' compensation. It pays medical bills and lost wages when a crew member is hurt on set, a real risk around heavy cases, C-stands, rigging, and long load-ins.

Expert insight. Video crews often get rated under class code 4361 (Photographer) for workers' comp, though independent-bureau states such as California and New York map their own codes. One trap: a regularly used 1099 second shooter can be reclassified as an employee at audit, which changes what you owe. Keep contracts and payment records clean.

Do solo videographers need workers' comp?
Usually not if you have no employees, though some states let sole proprietors opt in. Certain clients may still require it before hiring you.

Other Coverage Needed For Videographers

Depending on how you shoot, a few extra coverages close real gaps:

• Drone and UAS liability. Standard GL and BOP forms contain an aircraft exclusion, and the FAA treats drones as aircraft. Fly for paid work, and you need a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, a registered and Remote ID-compliant drone, and usually a non-owned aircraft or UAS liability endorsement to cover crashes and privacy claims.
• Media and content liability. Using music, showing identifiable people, or catching a logo in frame can spark copyright, likeness, or privacy claims that general liability often excludes. Sync licenses, model releases, and property releases lower the odds; media liability covers what's left.
• Rented and borrowed equipment (bailee) coverage. Rent bodies and lenses, or hold a client's props and footage, and this covers property in your care that you don't own.
• Additional insured and waiver of subrogation. Venues, brands, and production companies often ask to be named additional insured, frequently primary and noncontributory, with a waiver of subrogation. Read the contract's insurance page before signing; it drives what you actually buy. Our guide on what clients look for on a certificate of insurance covers the paperwork side.