RLI

What they are known for

One thing, mostly, in the independent agent channel: a stand-alone personal umbrella written over any underlying carrier. RLI's own wholesale page puts it in those words. That is the whole reason the product exists in this channel, because it lets an umbrella be placed without moving the home and auto to get it.

Alongside that, RLI states it accepts new drivers with no age limit on drivers, allows up to one DWI or DUI per household, and offers excess uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on the umbrella, subject to policy terms and state availability.

The thing most people get wrong about stand-alone

Stand-alone means the umbrella does not depend on RLI writing your home and auto. It does not mean the umbrella works with no underlying coverage at all. RLI's own answer is that you can keep your existing homeowners and auto policies "provided applicable eligibility and underlying insurance requirements are met."

So there are still minimum liability limits you have to carry underneath, on every home, rental and vehicle. RLI does not publish what those limits are on any public page, and we are not going to guess at them here. That is a question for the application, and it is the single most common thing to get wrong when comparing umbrella quotes. An umbrella sitting above limits that do not meet its requirements is a document, not coverage.

Coverage at a glance

• $1 million to $5 million of additional personal liability, stated on both RLI's consumer and agent pages.
• Written over any underlying carrier. You keep the home and auto you have.
• Excess uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage offered, subject to policy terms and state availability. In Oregon this layer matters more than most people expect, because ORS 742.468 takes umbrella policies out of the state's uninsured motorist requirements, which means the coverage is optional and carrier-specific rather than automatic.
• New drivers accepted, no age limit on drivers, subject to underwriting.
• Up to one DWI or DUI per household.
• Exposures contemplated include home, car, boat and recreational vehicle, subject to policy terms, conditions and exclusions.
• Available in all 50 states, including every state we are licensed in.

Financial strength

AM Best upgraded the financial strength rating of RLI's insurance subsidiaries to A++ (Superior) from A+ effective February 20, 2026, with a stable outlook, citing balance sheet strength assessed as strongest and policyholder surplus of $1.9 billion as of the third quarter of 2025. A++ is the highest financial strength rating AM Best issues.

Two honest qualifications. That rating belongs to the insurance subsidiaries, not to RLI Corp., the publicly traded holding company, whose separate credit rating is lower. And in the same release AM Best flagged RLI's significant earthquake exposure and elevated common stock leverage. A rating is a considered opinion about the ability to pay claims, not a guarantee, and it can change.

When we may consider RLI

We may compare RLI when somebody wants a larger umbrella and their current carrier will not go there, when a household has a young or newly licensed driver that makes other umbrella markets difficult, when there is one DUI in the household history, or when the home and auto are already well placed and moving them to chase an umbrella would cost more than it gains. It is also a common answer for owners with several rental properties, where the umbrella has to sit over a schedule rather than over one house.

Good to know before you choose

RLI is a specialty insurer, not a standard-lines carrier. Its personal lines footprint is narrow: the personal umbrella, a Hawaii-only homeowners product, and a home-based business policy. There is no RLI homeowners or personal auto product in Oregon or any state we write. If a page anywhere gives you the impression RLI is a full personal lines carrier, it is wrong.

The umbrella is excess coverage. It pays after an underlying policy's applicable limit has been exhausted by a covered claim, and it is subject to that policy's terms, conditions and exclusions. The maximum is $5 million, so a household that needs $10 million or more needs a different market or a layered structure.

RLI also sells this product directly to consumers, so you can buy it without an agent. What we add is checking that the limits underneath it actually satisfy the requirements, across every property and vehicle, and comparing it against the umbrella options attached to your existing carriers.

RLI is also one of the carriers behind the Steadily landlord program following a distribution partnership announced in June 2026, which is worth knowing if you are looking at both.

Explore related coverage

• Umbrella insurance
• How much umbrella insurance you need
• Why most families need a personal umbrella
• Do I need an umbrella as a landlord
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage
• A real Oregon umbrella comparison

Service and claims

Claims are filed directly with RLI, not through us. The claims line is 800-444-0406, the preferred email is New.Claim@rlicorp.com, and personal umbrella claims have a dedicated form at rlicorp.com/claims. Policyholders can pay, renew and manage the policy at mypolicy.rlicorp.com. RLI asks for the policyholder name, policy number, contact information, the location and directions, and a description of the damage or injury. For anything else, use the Carrier Directory or the Service Center.

Visit the official RLI website →