What is a retroactive date on a professional liability policy?

A retroactive date is the earliest date of work that your professional liability policy will cover. Any mistake tied to services you performed before that date is not covered, even if the claim is filed while your policy is active. For Georgia professionals, protecting this date is one of the most important parts of managing a claims-made policy.

Professional liability is usually claims-made, meaning the policy must be active when a claim is reported. The retroactive date adds a second condition: the work in question must have happened on or after that date. Together, these two rules define your coverage window.

The retroactive date sets how far back your coverage reaches:

• It sets your earliest covered work, so older services may have no protection.
• It should stay the same when you switch carriers, because a later date can erase years of past coverage.
• Prior acts coverage can sometimes push the date back to protect earlier work.

For example, a Georgia architect has carried professional liability since 2020, which is the retroactive date. In 2026 a client files a claim about a 2019 design error. Because the work predates the retroactive date, the policy will not respond. Had the architect maintained continuous coverage with the original date, the claim could have been covered.

When you change insurers, always confirm your retroactive date carries over so you do not quietly lose years of protection. We will review your policy and protect your retroactive date through any change. Request a free coverage review and a licensed advisor will confirm whether your past work stays covered.