Restaurant Insurance in North Dakota
The policies a North Dakota restaurant, bar, food truck, or catering operation needs — what the state requires, what's strongly advised, and what it costs.
Reviewed by J. Robert Smith, Licensed Insurance Agent (NPN 10378680). Last updated .
In North Dakota, a restaurant's core program is general liability, a property or business-owner's policy (BOP), and commercial auto for any delivery. Workers' compensation is mandatory once you hire staff, and dram-shop law exposes any alcohol-serving business, so liquor liability is strongly advised. This hub compares North Dakota's workers' comp and liquor-liability rules and cost alongside the coverages every restaurant and bar should carry.
- Workers’ comp
- Required once you hire staff
- Liquor liability
- Dram-shop law applies — strongly advised
- Dram-shop law
- Yes
- Suggested liquor limits
- $1M/$2M (no damage cap; higher for high-volume venues)
Workers’ compensation in North Dakota
Yes. North Dakota mandates workers' compensation for every employer the moment it hires its first employee, full-time, part-time, seasonal, or occasional. Coverage cannot be bought from a private carrier; North Dakota is a monopolistic state-fund state, so you must insure through Workforce Safety & Insurance (WSI). Owners, partners, and corporate officers are exempt but may elect coverage.
Full North Dakota workers’ comp guide — thresholds, exemptions, and rates →
Liquor liability & dram-shop law in North Dakota
North Dakota has a broad dram-shop law (N.D.C.C. § 5-01-06.1): anyone injured by an obviously intoxicated person may sue any person — commercial vendor or social host — who knowingly furnished alcohol to someone under 21, an incompetent, or an obviously intoxicated individual. There is no statutory damage cap; the intoxicated person and adult passengers cannot recover.
Full North Dakota liquor-liability guide — the statute, limits, and cost →
Coverages every North Dakota restaurant should weigh
- General liability
Third-party slip-and-fall and property-damage claims — the foundation policy.
- Business owner’s policy (BOP)
Bundles general liability with property coverage for your building, equipment, and contents.
- Commercial property
Kitchen equipment, tenant improvements, signage, and inventory.
- Commercial & hired/non-owned auto
Delivery, catering runs, and errands in owned or employee vehicles.
- Employment practices (EPLI)
Harassment, discrimination, and wrongful-termination claims from staff.
- Umbrella
Extra limits above your liquor, auto, and general liability policies.
North Dakota regulators
Talk to an agent who insures food & beverage every day
A licensed commercial-lines agent who specializes in restaurants and bars will review your coverage, close the gaps that catch owners, and show you what a program actually costs — before anything is bound.