Direct answer
A business servicing someone else’s autonomous vehicles should describe its exact work to a licensed broker and ask how customer-vehicle damage, third-party claims, its own vehicles and equipment, and inspection work would be treated. CONFIRMED: garagekeepers is an established customer-vehicle coverage topic. UNKNOWN: whether a particular policy accepts your AV work, locations and contracts. [1] [2]
Describe the work, not just the label
This is general educational information and a preparation checklist, not a coverage recommendation, quote or legal opinion. AV Steward does not sell or bind insurance. Policy wording and underwriting determine the answer for your business.
INFERRED — our recommendation: describe interior cleaning, exterior cleaning, inspection, vehicle movement, charging, towing and overnight custody separately. State whether workers touch sensor surfaces or report a vehicle as ready for service. Do not describe an unapproved activity as an existing capability.
Ask specifically about customer vehicles
CONFIRMED: IRMI describes garagekeepers coverage for liability arising from damage to customer vehicles left for service or repair. Its legal-liability description depends on establishing the insured’s liability and identifies the CA 99 37 endorsement for other auto-related businesses. [1]
INFERRED — our broker questions: does the proposed policy address vehicles you service but never drive? Is the basis legal liability, direct primary or direct excess? How does it treat work at a customer’s lot, temporary sites and overnight custody? Ask which terms apply rather than assuming the product name settles the issue.
Questions to resolve before accepting work
INFERRED — the following is AV Steward’s proposed discussion checklist. It identifies exposures to ask about; it does not establish that any policy covers them.
| Activity or exposure | Question for the broker |
|---|---|
| Customer vehicle damage | Which policy and basis would respond, subject to what exclusions, deductibles and vehicle/location limits? |
| Mobile work at a client lot | Are these locations and off-site activities within the policy’s scope? |
| Injury or property damage after service | How are completed-work claims and damage to the customer vehicle treated separately? |
| Inspection or sensor contact | Are these activities accepted, excluded or subject to additional terms? Is professional-liability coverage relevant and available? |
| Service van, tools and employees | What arrangements address the business vehicle, mobile equipment and employee exposures? |
| Towing or storage | How do loading, transit, custody and storage differ under the proposed policies? |
Where to begin the conversation
CONFIRMED: Travelers publishes insurance information for auto repair businesses, including garagekeepers and commercial auto among the coverage topics. That general service-business page does not establish eligibility for an AV cleaning or inspection company. [2]
CONFIRMED: Koop identifies itself as a licensed agency rather than an insurer and markets AV and robotics insurance services. UNKNOWN: whether it can place coverage for your particular physical-service business. [3]
UNKNOWN: this review did not establish a dedicated public insurance product or insurer-recognized certification specifically for AV cleaning and inspection vendors. That is a limit of our research, not proof that no such arrangement exists.
Prepare a clear description and written questions
INFERRED — our preparation recommendation: bring your task list, exclusions from your service scope, operating locations, maximum vehicles in your custody, customer contracts, subcontractor arrangements and existing policies. Include how you document work and report damage or defects.
Ask the broker to explain discrepancies between the contract and proposed insurance, including exclusions, limits, deductibles, covered locations and customer-vehicle valuation. For inspection or sensor-related work, request a specific answer. “Inspection only” does not establish that a business has negligible liability.
Do not treat an insurance discussion as authorization from the fleet operator to work on a vehicle. Confirm the operator’s service scope and procedures separately.
Frequently asked questions
Does general liability automatically cover damage to a customer’s robotaxi?
Do not assume that it does. Ask the broker to identify the policy that addresses customer vehicles in your care and explain exclusions. Garagekeepers is a separate topic to review. [1] [2]
Do we need a special AV certification to obtain insurance?
UNKNOWN for a particular insurer and operation. We have not established a universal insurer-recognized AV service credential. Ask for the actual training and underwriting requirements rather than relying on a directory badge.
Can a cleaning company use the fleet owner’s policy?
UNKNOWN without the policy and contract. Ask whether your legal entity and exact work are covered and what obligations remain yours. Do not assume coverage transfers with a service agreement.
What we don’t know yet
- Insurer appetite, price and terms for a small mobile AV cleaning or inspection business.
- Actual insurance requirements in a particular fleet operator’s vendor agreement.
- Treatment of sensor contact, missed defects, vehicle downtime and subcontractor work under a specific policy.
Sources
Related reading
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