This guide is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Talk to a licensed insurance agent and an attorney in your state.
What hunting lease insurance covers
A hunting lease liability policy pays for legal defense and damages if a member, guest, or third party claims they were injured, or their property was damaged, because of the hunting activity on the lease. Typical claims involve tree stand falls, firearm accidents, and vehicle or ATV accidents. It is separate from each hunter's own health insurance and from the landowner's farm or timber policy.
Who should buy it?
In most leases, the club (the lessee) buys the policy and names the landowner as an additional insured. Mississippi and Missouri extension publications both recommend this, and sample leases commonly require a $1,000,000 policy (MSU P3416, MU G9420). If the landowner is not added as an additional insured, the club's policy may not protect them at all.
Alabama Extension notes that landowners commonly require this coverage and advises clubs to build the premium into annual dues (ANR-0537). The dues calculator includes a line for it.
Typical coverage and cost
Forestry-association group programs are a common, affordable route. For example, the North Carolina Forestry Association program offers $1 million or $2 million per occurrence with a $2 million aggregate, plus small amounts for damage to rented premises and medical payments. It names the club, members, guests, and landowner as insureds (NCFA Tree Line, 2023).
Some published example rates, for scale only:
- Alabama Forest Owners' Association, 2026–27: $1M/$2M coverage at 18 cents per acre, $156 minimum (AFOA application).
- Louisiana Forestry Association, 2022: 16 cents per acre, $220 minimum, plus a per-landowner charge to add additional insureds (LFA application).
Rates change every year and vary by state and carrier. Get a current quote.
Recreational use statutes, and why paid leases usually aren't covered
All 50 states have a recreational use statute that limits a landowner's liability when people use their land for recreation (National Agricultural Law Center). The catch: these laws generally protect landowners who allow recreation free of charge. Georgia's statute, for example, applies to land made available "without charge" (O.C.G.A. §51-3-20 to 26), and Missouri Extension notes that its statute does not apply to lease hunting (G9420).
Once a landowner charges a lease fee, they generally can't count on the recreational use statute and need insurance instead. Check your own state's statute with an attorney.
Certificates of insurance (COI)
A certificate of insurance is a one-page summary from the insurer showing the policy number, coverage limits, policy dates, and who is insured. The landowner should get a COI showing them as additional insured before hunting starts, and a new one every renewal. Many group programs issue certificates to both the club and the landowner (NCFA, LFA).
Insurance is one layer
Insurance works alongside a written lease agreement, signed liability waivers, and safety rules such as required harnesses in tree stands.