Risk Purchasing Group

​​Last Updated: April 11​​, 2024​​
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Risk Purchasing G​roup

​A Risk Purchasing Group (RPG) is a group of individuals, together for the purpose of purchasing commercial or public entity liability insurance on a group basis from an insurance company. The group must be comprised of members, which share similar liability exposure because of related, similar or common business activities, products or services or premises. The members of an RPG must also share a commonality of purpose and risk.

An RPG may not do any insurance business or engage in any insurance activity in this state until it registers with the commissioner and designates the commissioner as it​s agent for the purpose of service of process for legal documents per s. 601.72 (2m), Wis. Stat. ​​

 

An RPG who purchases liability insurance with a ​nondomestic insurer which has not obtained a certificate of authority, must designate a Wisconsin licensed producer who holds an active Wisconsin surplus lines license.

 

Attention: Our office recently moved its internal processes for Risk Purchasing Group registrations and annual updates to the agent licensing section. Registration will now be offered both electronically and via paper.


Applying for a Risk Purchasing Group Registration

Initial Entity Registration Steps​

  1. Apply online at nipr.com or via paper. No registration fee is required however, a minimal NIPR processing fee will be included. The paper application must be emailed to ociagentlicensing@wisconsin.gov.​
  2. A reciprocal RPG license in the resident state is required to apply electronically in Wisconsin. If the entity does not hold a resident RPG license, the paper registration is required.​ (nonresident applicants)​​
  3. Complete and submit registration form OCI 26-044Form includes requests for information on the following:
    1. Demographic Information
    2. Estimated Premium
    3. Classification of Insurance Written
    4. Wisconsin Licensed Agent Information
    5. Insurance Company Information
  4. Complete and submit Form OCI 26-802 Agreement for Service of Process to our office via email to ociagentlicensing@wisconsin.gov.

Annual Update & Reporting Requirements​

Annual updates must be sent to the Office of​ the Commissioner of Insurance by April 30 of each year (i.e., new agents, changes in agent surplus lines, termination of affiliation). If no updates have occurred since last renewal, a notification with “no updates” is still required to ensure compliance. A renewal notification will be sent out 90 days prior to the deadline to the business email address on record.

 

Failure to submit an annual update by the deadline will result in the inactivation of the entity registration and authority to operate in Wisconsin as a risk purchasing group.

 

In addition, the RPG must notify the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance of any changes that occurred since initial registration or previous annual update of the items listed below:​

  • Changes in domicile state
  • Changes in lines or classifications of liability insurance which the RPG intends to purchase
  • Change with the insurance company from which the group intends to purchase
  • Change in domicile state of insurance company from which the group intends to purchase
  • Change in location of principal place of business of the RPG ​

If no changes have occurred, a written statement must be submitted t​o our office stating that i​dentifying no changes have occurred.


Annual Update (Renewal) Steps:

  1. Select renew online at nipr.com or submit via paper. No renewal/annual update fee is required however, a minimal NIPR processing fee will be included.
  2. Complete and submit annual update form OCI 26-045W to our office via email to ociagentlicensing@wisconsin.gov. The form requests the following:
    1. Demographic Information
    2. Changes in Wisconsin Licensed Agent Information
    3. Changes in Insurance Company Information

Please note: Failure to submit an update by the deadline will inactivate the registration and require the risk purchasing group to register again, including any applicable processing fees.
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