Pizzerias in Maryland typically need hired and non-owned auto for drivers using their own cars, commercial property with fire and equipment breakdown coverage for deck or wood-fired ovens, general liability for dine-in and carryout customers, and workers’ compensation for every cook and driver. Pizzerias that sell beer or wine by the glass should also carry liquor liability.
Whether you run a slice shop near the University of Maryland, a family pizzeria in Hagerstown or a wood-fired spot in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood, delivery usually drives the biggest gap. This page walks through it, along with the state rules that apply. See also our Maryland restaurant insurance overview.
Delivery drivers, Maryland auto minimums and the non-owned auto gap
Maryland’s minimum auto liability limits are 30/60/15 (in thousands of dollars): bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Those are the floor for any car on the road, and they are thin for a serious crash. More important, many personal auto policies exclude or restrict coverage when a car is used to deliver goods for a fee. When a driver running a large order to a dorm runs a red light, the injured party will look past the driver’s policy to your business.
Hired and non-owned auto (HNOA) liability protects the pizzeria when employees drive their own cars on your business. It does not repair the driver’s car, so set a written policy on minimum personal auto limits and review motor vehicle records at hire. If the shop owns a delivery car, it belongs on a commercial auto policy. Third-party apps change the picture, since their drivers are not your employees, but check your app agreement for the insurance it requires from you. Our restaurant delivery insurance guide goes deeper.
Other Maryland rules that apply to a pizzeria
Your county health department, or the Baltimore City Health Department, licenses and inspects the kitchen under Maryland Department of Health regulations in COMAR 10.15.03, and local departments generally require a Certified Food Service Manager at medium- and high-priority facilities. Maryland requires workers’ compensation for every employer with one or more employees, delivery drivers included, and a 2024 law raised the maximum fine for employers without it; see Maryland restaurant workers’ comp.
If you serve beer or wine, your license comes from the county liquor board, and Alc. Bev. § 4-505 requires the license holder or a designated employee to complete approved alcohol awareness training and retrain every four years. Maryland does not recognize dram shop claims for off-premises harm, but liquor liability still pays to defend alcohol-related suits.
Pizzeria-specific claims: ovens, slicers and late-night rushes
A wood-fired oven’s flue has not been cleaned in months and creosote ignites, spreading fire into the ceiling space; that is a large property and business income loss, and underwriters will ask about your cleaning schedule. A cook reaching across a 600-degree deck oven burns a forearm, and a prep cook is cut badly on a cheese grater or meat slicer.
Carryout counters see slips on tracked-in rain and snow. A delivery driver is robbed on a late-night run and injured, which is a workers’ comp claim. A dough mixer motor burns out during a Friday rush, and the walk-in cooler holding cheese and toppings quits during a summer heat wave.
Coverage list for a Maryland pizzeria
- Hired and non-owned auto — covers the business when drivers use personal vehicles.
- Commercial auto — any delivery car the pizzeria owns.
- Commercial property — ovens, hood system, furniture and leasehold improvements.
- Equipment breakdown and spoilage — mixers, walk-ins and the cheese and dough inside them.
- General liability — dine-in and carryout customer injuries.
- Workers’ compensation — required in Maryland for cooks, counter staff and drivers.
- Liquor liability — if you pour beer or wine.
- Business income — lost sales after an oven fire or other covered shutdown.
- Cyber — online ordering and stored payment data.
Pizzeria premiums: what carriers look at
Carriers rate a pizzeria on sales, the share of sales from delivery, number of drivers and their records, oven type (wood and coal ovens get extra scrutiny), hood suppression, hours and alcohol sales. Claims history and building construction matter too.
To help your pricing, keep flue and hood cleaning invoices, run driver MVR checks every year, cap delivery radius, use slicer guards and cut-resistant gloves, and keep an incident log for driver robberies and on-premises falls.
How we shop pizzeria coverage
Provident Financial Group is an independent agency. One application lets us compare multiple carriers side by side, and once coverage is bound you get live certificates of insurance for your landlord or delivery partners. Call (866) 964-6660.
Frequently asked questions
Does my driver’s personal auto insurance cover pizza deliveries?
Often not, because many personal policies exclude or limit delivery for a fee. Hired and non-owned auto protects the pizzeria when a claim comes back to the business.
Are Maryland’s auto minimums enough for a delivery driver?
The minimums are 30/60/15 (in thousands of dollars), which can be used up quickly in a serious injury crash. Most owners set higher personal limits for drivers and carry HNOA on top.
Does my policy cover a fire in a wood-fired oven?
Fire is generally a covered cause of loss, subject to policy terms, but carriers expect regular flue cleaning and may decline or surcharge ovens without it.
Are delivery drivers covered by workers’ comp in Maryland?
Yes, if they are your employees. Maryland requires coverage once you have one employee.
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