Girl Scout Insurance

All registered members are automatically covered with basic activity insurance. Sometimes, however, additional insurance is needed. See the chart to:

Discover what insurance is needed

Find forms and instructions to complete them

Learn about collecting certificates of insurance from vendors and experts

Types of Activity Insurance

Members

Every registered Girl Scout member is automatically covered with basic accident insurance coverage. This coverage:

Provides accident protection only for approved, supervised Girl Scout activities, including events lasting two consecutive nights or less.
Is included with annual membership dues.
Is secondary. The insured party’s family insurance plan is primary. Mutual of Omaha pays the first $130 of an approved claim and will continue (after the family insurance plan has reached its coverage limit) up to a total of $20,000.

Cost: Included in membership
Plan: Basic (1)

Non-Members

Purchase this insurance any time non-member adults or girls are participating in a Girl Scout event or program (like She and Me camping, Thinking Day events, events open to girls’ guests, etc.).

This coverage:

Provides accident insurance for non-member participants in approved, supervised activities/events at which registered girls and adults would be covered under the basic plan.
Provides accident insurance for activities/events lasting two nights or less.
Counts each calendar day. Overnights count as two days, even if less than 24 hours.
Is not needed when Girl Scouts participate in public events. For example, it isn’t necessary to obtain coverage when Girl Scouts host a booth at a street fair, you do not have to get coverage for people stopping at the booth.

About tag-alongs: Tag-a-longs (siblings who tag along) are generally not covered, unless program activities are planned for them. For example, coverage is not available for a younger brother who comes along on a troop field trip. But the brother would be eligible for coverage if he were in a “small fry” unit at a day camp where his father volunteers. Tag-a-longs are the responsibility of the parent attending. Any damage/harm caused by the tag-a-long is also the parents' responsibility.

Cost: $0.11 per non-member participant per day; $5 minimum.
Plan: Plan 2

Extended Events

Purchase this insurance when an event is longer than two nights, regardless of whether travel is in or outside of council boundaries. The insurance covers members and non-members. As a result, Plan 2 is not needed when you get Plan 3P.

This coverage provides accident and sickness insurance for approved, supervised activities and events. All participants (registered and non-registered) must be covered.

Cost: $0.70 per participant per day; $5 minimum.
Plan: Plan 3P

International Travel

This coverage provides accident and sickness insurance for approved, supervised, international activities/events lasting more than two nights. There are other benefits, too. Be sure to include a roster of all participants, including their ages at date of travel.

Cost: $1.17 per participant per calendar day or portion thereof; $5 minimum.
Plan: Plan 3PI

Insurance How-Tos

Get Activity Insurance

See the chart to determine the type of insurance you’ll need.
Figure the days you’ll need coverage by marking dates on a calendar. Include travel days.
Count registered participants and estimate the number of non-members.
Gather names and ages if travel is international.
Complete the correct enrollment form.
Send enrollment form to Girl Scouts San Diego, 1231 Upas Street, San Diego, CA 92103-5199 at least two weeks prior to the event.
- If paying by check, make check payable to Girl Scouts San Diego or submit the completed from via email to accountspayable@sdgirlscouts.org and then call 619-610-0752 to complete your payment.
- Do not upload your insurance enrollment form in the approval portal or email it.

File a Claim

Keep Accident/Incident Report forms at troop meetings and program events. If an accident occurs, follow the steps for reporting and filing a claim.

Certificate of Insurance

A certificate of insurance is a document that provides information about insurance coverage. The certificate verifies that a vendor or venue is insured. The document also provides info about coverage limits, the period of coverage, the insurance provider’s name, and the policy number. When working with a vendor or holding a Girl Scout event at a venue, follow the instructions below to ensure that the vendor, venue, or expert holds a valid certificate of insurance.

Vendors and Venues

Is your troop learning something new from an expert vendor, or holding an event at a venue? If it’s a higher-risk activity (see the Safety Activity Checkpoints), you’ll need proof of the vendor’s liability insurance. Check our list of insurances certificates first. If the vendor isn’t listed, contact the vendor and ask them to upload their certificate of liability insurance.

Things you should know:

If a venue does not carry liability insurance, it may not be safe. Select another venue.
Some venues do not provide proof of insurance or will only provide proof to large groups
It’s a good idea to check the certificate of liability insurance to see that it has the coverage outlined in your contract with the vendor
You should ask to see proof of auto liability insurance when chartering vehicles like buses.

Troop leaders are responsible for reviewing Safety Activity Checkpoints with vendors and ensuring that the checkpoints are followed. If you’re not sure about an expert, contact your service unit activity consultant. Or, consider a community partner. They’ve already been approved and have insurance certificates on file.

Experts and Instructors

For some activities, an expert must be on hand to help girls learn and/or keep them safe. For example, a lifeguard keeps girls safe while swimming. A climbing instructor helps girls learn and keeps them safe while rock climbing. The Safety Activity Checkpoints will tell you when an expert is needed and will provide guidance on what makes a qualified expert.

An expert should:

Have the knowledge and experience to make appropriate judgments about participants, equipment, facilities use, safety, and procedures for a given activity
Have the proper skill set
Be mature—maturity and years of experience matter. For example, a 21 year-old qualified lifeguard is preferable to an 18 year-old lifeguard.
Be able to give clear instructions
Troubleshoot unexpected scenarios
Take appropriate action in an emergency

The event or troop leader is responsible for sharing Safety Activity Checkpoints with experts, reviewing safety plans, and confirming that safety guidelines will be followed. Contact the adult learning manager with questions about experts or instructors.

To find an expert:

Review our list of community partners. Our partners have demonstrated a commitment to Girl Scouting. They also have documented experience and have provided proof of liability insurance. You can also check out our additional vendors who have provided a certificate of liability insurance. Providing proof of insurance is the minimum compliance level for activities that require approval. When selecting from additional vendors, make sure that activities high quality and a good value.

Want to use another expert? Have the expert upload their certificate of insurance. Then, let your activity consultant know you’ve taken this step. Note that certificates of liability don’t need to be collected for government entities, like city, state, or national parks.

If you’ve identified an expert who has experience but doesn’t hold the certification described in the SACs, contact training@sdgirlscouts.org. Often, a comparable resume or certification can be accepted.

Request GSSD Certificate of Liability

Some locations, like schools and libraries, will request a copy of Girl Scouts San Diego’s certificate of liability. Contact receptionist@sdgirlscouts.org or 619-610-0689 for a copy.

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