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Public liability insurance
Commercial cover for injury or damage to other people. Not a universal legal certificate.
This is general information for UK goods-vehicle operators. It is not legal advice. Use the official source on this page, and your operator licence conditions, before you rely on it.
What it is
Public liability insurance covers injury to people, or damage to their property, that is not already covered by motor insurance or employers’ liability. Site rules, customers and landlords often require it. It is not a blanket legal duty in the way motor insurance and employers’ liability are. The policy schedule, the limit of indemnity, and any exclusions for loading, unloading or work away from your yard are the documents that matter.
Who holds it
The business holds the schedule and certificate the insurer issued. The person who sends vehicles onto customer sites should know the limit the customer asked for.
At a visit
This is rarely a DVSA roadside document. It is asked for at customer gates, in tenders, and after an incident in a yard or on a site. Keep the current schedule where contracts staff can produce it.