Can You Get Liability Insurance for a Pit Bull? Here’s How Coverage Works
Sarah called her homeowners carrier to add her 2-year-old pit bull mix to her policy and got a flat no. The next carrier she tried quoted her, then tacked on a surcharge that nearly doubled her premium once she mentioned the breed. Two declines in, she assumed no insurer would take on her dog until she learned that a pit bull liability insurance policy could solve the exact problem she’d run into: coverage underwritten on the individual dog rather than the breed.
Why Mainstream Carriers Often Say No to Pit Bulls
Many homeowners and renters insurers maintain a breed exclusion list, and pit bulls frequently appear on it. According to the Insurance Information Institute, some companies won’t write policies for homeowners with certain breeds. In contrast, others make decisions on a case-by-case basis, depending on whether that specific dog has been deemed vicious.
A decline from one company reflects how that company chose to underwrite, not a verdict on your dog. Another insurer, including one built around a standalone canine liability policy, can look at the same animal and reach a different answer.
How Individual Bite-History Review Works
A standalone canine liability policy, such as the one Dog Bite Quote offers, skips the breed list and reviews every dog on its own record. The underwriter looks at what that specific animal has done: whether it has bitten before, and if so, under what circumstances.
A pit bull with a clean history goes through the same review as a Labrador or a Great Dane. Underwriters ask what happened, not just which breed was involved, so a prior incident doesn’t automatically trigger denial. A dog labeled by local authorities after an incident can still qualify for coverage once that review is complete.
What Pit Bull Owners Should Know Before Buying
Coverage comes in four fixed limits: $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, and $300,000, with no deductible. You can compare pricing details across those tiers before you buy.
Off-premises coverage applies regardless of breed. A bite that happens at a dog park or during a walk falls under the policy the same way one at home would, which fills a gap many homeowners policies leave open.
Renters can typically add their landlord as an additional insured, and that option works the same for a pit bull owner as it does for any other tenant. If your lease requires proof of liability coverage before you can keep the dog in your unit, this is usually how landlords want to see it satisfied.
Leaving your pit bull off your application, or describing your dog as a mixed breed to avoid the word “pit bull,” can put coverage at risk. If a claim comes in and the insurer discovers the dog wasn’t accurately disclosed, that mismatch can be grounds to deny the claim.
Pit Bull FAQ
Can homeowners insurance exclude pit bulls?
Some homeowners insurers maintain breed exclusion lists that specifically name pit bulls. Others evaluate each dog individually. The exclusion, where it exists, comes from the insurer’s underwriting rules rather than from any federal or state law that bans coverage for the breed.
Do all insurance companies charge more for pit bulls?
Pricing varies by carrier. Some add a breed surcharge or decline the application outright. Others price the policy on the dog’s history rather than a flat breed rate, which is how a standalone canine liability policy typically works.
Is a pit bull considered a restricted breed for liability insurance?
Many mainstream homeowners and renters carriers list pit bulls as restricted or excluded. A policy underwritten by individual bite history doesn’t carry that restriction, since eligibility comes from the dog’s own record.
Coverage Isn’t a Breed Decision — It’s a Bite-History One
A no from one carrier tells you about that carrier’s underwriting rules, not about your dog. Whether your pit bull has a clean record or a single past incident you can explain, a policy built around individual review can offer coverage without the breed surcharge or flat refusal you may have already encountered. Get a free quote from Dog Bite Quote to find out what coverage looks like for your dog, rather than assuming the next carrier will say no to it.
About the Author
Debbie Turner is the president of Florida-based Dean Insurance Agency, where she has spent more than three decades specializing in canine liability insurance. Driven by a deep passion for dogs and a strong understanding of their behavior, she developed the Canine Liability Insurance Policy (formerly known as F.I.D.O.) to help protect dog owners from unexpected risks. Since founding the agency in 1994, Debbie has helped issue thousands of policies nationwide, offering coverage for all breeds and supporting responsible pet ownership. Dean Insurance is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau and serves clients across the U.S., except Alaska and Kentucky.
About Dog Bite Quote
At Dean Insurance Agency, we’ve been providing protection to dog owners since 2012, with more than 10,000 policies issued. Our underwriting criteria and years of experience providing this coverage enable us to offer competitive and fair policy premiums. Our policies are available in every state except Alaska and Kentucky. The quote is free, and there is NO obligation to purchase!