After two years of state investigations and numerous lawsuits, the National Rifle Association has stopped offering its Carry Guard self-defense insurance products.
The Carry Guard website has been stripped of all mentions of insurance. Contacted by The Trace, a representative confirmed that no new policies would be issued through Carry Guard, but said the NRA planned to launch a new insurance product in the future.
In addition to insurance, Carry Guard includes a training program, designed to teach gun owners how to “effectively confront today’s evolving conflict environment.”
The NRA rolled out Carry Guard to great fanfare at its annual convention in 2017. The multitiered insurance program offered policies with up to $150,000 in criminal-defense reimbursement and $1 million in civil liability protection.
The program was marketed and distributed by Lockton, the world’s largest privately held insurance brokerage. It was underwritten by the insurance giant Chubb.
Carry Guard quickly drew the attention of state regulators. In New York, where insurers are prohibited from providing defense coverage for criminal actions, the Department of Financial Services deemed Carry Guard’s offerings improper. State financial regulators also said the NRA had marketed the program without a license to do so.
Lockton agreed to pay New York $7 million for the violations and terminate Carry Guard policies held by New Yorkers. According to the Department of Financial Services, the NRA issued 680 Carry Guard policies to New York residents between April and November 2017.
In their own investigations, Washington State and California deemed Carry Guard policies to be violations of state law.
Following the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, Chubb disclosed that it had decided not to renew its contract to underwrite Carry Guard. Lockton also stated its intention to no longer act as broker and administrator.
