In brief
City of Long Beach contracts, leases and purchase orders must carry the insurance and bonds that Administrative Regulation 8-27 sets, and a contract “shall not be effective until such bond or insurance has been approved as to sufficiency by the City’s Risk Management Bureau”. The standard limits in the regulation, as read from a table that extracts out of order, start at $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in aggregate for commercial general liability.
- Insurers admitted in California need an A.M. Best “A (Excellent) or better” rating and a size category of “V” or greater; workers’ compensation insurers must be admitted1.
- Additional insured wording: “The City of Long Beach, its boards, their officials, officers, employees, and agents.”1
- Cancellation notice: “twenty (20) days prior written notice (or … ten (10) days written notice for nonpayment of premium only)”1.
- Before a contract is executed the bidder files a payment bond and a performance bond with sureties “licensed to underwrite surety in California”1.
- An Alliant Insurance Services program offers low-cost coverage for small, low-risk city and Port projects4.
Insurance and bonds decide whether a signed contract can start: the city will not make an agreement effective until its Risk Management Bureau has approved the coverage. The rules sit in one regulation, revised in 2024, and this page sets out what it says about insurers, endorsements, limits, waivers and bonds, then what is and is not published for the Port. It belongs with the pillar, Selling to the City of Long Beach and the Port, and follows How City of Long Beach Bidding Works. Everything below is as of October 2026.
The short answer
| If you are… | Do this |
|---|---|
| A vendor asking what coverage is required | Read Administrative Regulation 8-27; the standard general liability limit is $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in aggregate1 |
| A contractor on a public-works job | Expect two surety bonds, payment and performance, before execution1 |
| A consultant or engineer | The regulation assigns professional liability to consulting, engineering and architectural services1 |
| A small contractor with costly coverage | The city points to an Alliant Insurance Services program for small, low-risk city and Port projects4 |
| A Port contractor | AR 8-27 says to refer to the Harbor Department for Port insurance requirements1 |
| Without employees or vehicles | Workers’ compensation or auto liability can be waived in the cases the regulation lists1 |
Where the rules live
Municipal Code section 2.84.040 requires all city contracts, leases and purchase orders to carry the insurance, bonds and letters of credit set by City Manager regulations. The regulation “may only be modified or waived by the City’s Risk Manager”2. The Human Resources Risk Management page links three documents (“Insurance Requirements”, a “Checklist for Insurance Reviews” and “Insurance Requirements for DPOs”) and gives [email protected]; its linked regulation is the February 2024 revisions to Administrative Regulation 8-27, revised March 6, 2024 and approved March 29, 202413.
Where to check The city’s AR 8-27 PDF is the document of record. Questions about a specific contract go to [email protected]13.
What AR 8-27 requires
| Topic | Requirement as written |
|---|---|
| Insurer rating | Admitted in California: A.M. Best “A (Excellent) or better” and size category “V” or greater; non-admitted: “A” and “VIII” or greater; workers’ compensation insurers must be admitted |
| Additional insured | “The City of Long Beach, its boards, their officials, officers, employees, and agents.” The ISO forms CG 20 10, CG 20 12 and CG 20 26 are the comparison forms |
| Cancellation notice | “twenty (20) days prior written notice (or … ten (10) days written notice for nonpayment of premium only)” |
| Primary coverage | “primary, noncontributing”; severability of interests; waiver of subrogation on workers’ compensation and general liability |
| Delivery | Certificates and endorsements by email for approval “prior to the effective date”; renewal evidence “at least thirty (30) days prior to expiration” |
| Claims-made policies | Not acceptable except professional, errors and omissions and environmental policies, unless the Risk Manager finds occurrence policies unavailable; then an extended reporting period of at least three years |
| Subcontractors | Must carry insurance or surety “in compliance with the provisions” of the city contract |
Source:1. The regulation also says: “The City of Long Beach shall not require that any person or entity obtain any insurance or bond from a particular insurance company, agent, or broker or from a particular surety.”1
The standard limits
The regulation’s “Basic Limits” column sits in its “Guide to Abbreviations” table, revised March 2024; the figures below are the ones that table prints1:
| Coverage | Basic limit |
|---|---|
| Commercial general liability | $1,000,000 per occurrence; $2,000,000 in aggregate |
| Automobile liability | No less than $1,000,000 per accident for bodily injury and property damage |
| Workers’ compensation | Statutory; employer’s liability $1,000,000 per accident for bodily injury and disease |
| Professional liability | $1,000,000 per claim |
| Cyber | Not less than $5,000,000 per occurrence and in general aggregate, “adjustable at the discretion of Risk Management” |
| Airport contractors | Liability of $1,000,000 |
The table in the regulation also assigns each type of activity a string of coverage codes: consulting, engineering and architectural services need “CGL with AI, PL, AL, WC”; general public-works contracts “CGL with XCU and AI, AL, WC, BR”; direct purchase order vendors “CGL with AI, PL, if applicable, AL, WC”. Large construction (over $1,000,000), airport, marine and high-rise work are marked “Refer to Risk Management”1. The city’s AR 8-27 PDF is the document of record.
Waivers and deviations
Auto liability may be waived if the vendor states in writing that no autos will be used and it will not drive on city property. Workers’ compensation is not required of sole proprietors or entities with no employees. The regulation adds: “Deviations … are rarely given and never automatic”1.
Bonds
Under Charter section 1801, the newspaper notice for a bid must state “the amount of bonds required of the successful bidder”6. AR 8-27 section V.B.2 says: “Before execution of a contract, the bidder shall file two surety bonds with the City of Long Beach”: a Payment Bond (material and labor) and a Performance Bond that “shall remain in effect as prescribed within the Contract, until the end of all warranty periods”. Bonds go on city forms or ones the City Attorney accepts, and sureties must be “licensed to underwrite surety in California”1. The code also lets the city “deposit the bidder’s security in the general fund” (section 2.86.080)7.
The payment bond has one stated amount. A Parks, Recreation and Marine text, reproduced on the city’s Compliance page, says: “If the total bid price for the work required herein is greater than $25,000 the bidder shall provide a labor and material bond”; “The amount of the bond shall be 100% of the contract amount and shall be submitted within ten (10) days of Notice of Award”5.
Official pages disagree The Compliance page’s $25,000 floor and 100 percent amount come from one department’s text5. AR 8-27 says the bidder files both bonds before a contract is executed1. Treat the $25,000 figure as an example from that department, and expect the solicitation to state the bond amounts, as the Charter requires6. A performance bond percentage is not stated on any page read.
A general contractor’s public-works bid must also name each subcontractor over “one-half of one percent (0.5%) of the general contractor’s total bid” (section 2.87.020)8.
The Port's requirements
AR 8-27 says: “Operations and activities of the Port of Long Beach are administered by the City’s Harbor Department. Refer to that department for specific Port insurance requirements.”1 The Port’s permits page lists nine “Special Endorsement” forms dated 5-22: aircraft, auto, excess, general, pollution, professional, property, watercraft and workers’ compensation9. The Port’s vendor guide says only: “Submit required insurance, when requested.”10 Port contract insurance limits and Port bonding rules are not stated on the pages read.
Help for small contractors
The city announced “an agreement with Alliant Insurance Services to provide a low-cost insurance alternative aimed at assisting small business enterprises in meeting the City’s insurance requirements for bidding on small, low risk projects for the City and Port of Long Beach”; coverage is “bound for City and Port projects only”, and the vendor “must contact Alliant Insurance Services directly”4. The city also says the U.S. Small Business Administration “can guarantee bonds for contracts up to $2million” for small and emerging contractors who cannot get surety bonds through regular commercial channels4.
The site earns a commission on some links to business services, which does not affect what is recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
What insurance does the City of Long Beach require of contractors?
The standard limits in AR 8-27 include $1,000,000 per accident for auto and $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in aggregate for commercial general liability; a solicitation can set different figures, and the regulation is the document of record1.
What must the additional insured wording say?
“The City of Long Beach, its boards, their officials, officers, employees, and agents.”1
How much notice must an insurer give before cancelling?
“twenty (20) days prior written notice”, or ten days for nonpayment of premium only1.
Does the city accept claims-made policies?
Not except professional, errors and omissions and environmental policies, unless the Risk Manager finds occurrence policies unavailable; then an extended reporting period of at least three years applies1.
Does a sole proprietor need workers' compensation?
The regulation says workers’ compensation is not required for sole proprietors or entities with no employees1.
Can the city require a particular insurer or broker?
No: it “shall not require that any person or entity obtain any insurance or bond from a particular insurance company, agent, or broker or from a particular surety”1.
Is there help with insurance for small contractors?
Yes, an Alliant Insurance Services program for small, low-risk city and Port projects; the vendor contacts Alliant directly4.
Related Articles
Sources
- Administrative Regulation 8-27, Minimum Insurance Requirements (revised March 2024, PDF) — City of Long Beach, Human Resources. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Long Beach Municipal Code, Chapter 2.84 Contracts — Municode. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Insurance Requirements — City of Long Beach, Human Resources. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Local and Small Business Assistance — City of Long Beach, Purchasing Division. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Compliance — City of Long Beach, Purchasing Division. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- City Charter, Article XVIII Contracts — Municode. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Long Beach Municipal Code, Chapter 2.86 Public Contracts — Municode. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Long Beach Municipal Code, Chapter 2.87 Public Works Contracts and Wages — Municode. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Port of Long Beach Permits — Port of Long Beach. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Vendor Guide to Understanding the POLB Procurement Process (PDF) — Port of Long Beach. Accessed 2026-10-02.