Get Appointed with Sterling Insurance Services
Sterling Insurance Services LLC is a wholesale insurance brokerage. We work only with licensed retail insurance agents and brokers, helping them find markets for commercial risks that standard insurers decline or that need a specialty or surplus lines market. An appointment sets up the working relationship between your agency and Sterling, so you can send us submissions and we can take them to market for you.
This page explains who can apply, what documents to have ready, and what happens after you submit the application below.
Who can apply
Appointments are open to:
- •Licensed retail insurance agencies and brokerages, including independent agencies, agency networks and clusters
- •Individual licensed producers operating their own agency
- •Agencies whose licenses are active for the lines and states in which they plan to place business
Sterling does not work directly with business owners or consumers. If you are looking for coverage for your own business, please contact a licensed retail insurance agent.
What an appointment with Sterling gives your agency
- •A place to send hard-to-place commercial risks. When an admitted market declines a risk, or a class needs a specialty market, you can submit it to Sterling and we will look for markets that may consider it.
- •Help with surplus lines placements. We handle the wholesale side of the placement and work with you on the documentation surplus lines business requires.
- •A team you can contact for submissions, questions and follow-up on your accounts.
Every quote comes from an insurer and is subject to that insurer's underwriting review and acceptance. Not every risk will find a market, and quotes, terms and pricing vary by risk and by insurer.
Documents to have ready
The application asks for the following. Gathering them before you start makes the process smoother:
- 1.Producer or agency license for your resident state, plus any non-resident licenses for states where you plan to place business
- 2.Broker's bond, if your state requires one
- 3.Errors and omissions (E&O) declarations page showing your agency's current coverage
- 4.W-9 for the agency
- 5.Signed producer agreement, which we provide during the process
The agency name on the producer agreement and W-9 must match the name on your agency license. Mismatched names are the most common reason an application is held up.
How the appointment process works
Step 1: Complete the application below. The form is in four short sections: agency information, principal and contact details, business profile, and disclosures. Upload your license, bond (if applicable) and E&O declarations page where indicated.
Step 2: We review your application. Our team checks your licensing and documents and may contact you if anything is missing or needs clarification.
Step 3: Producer agreement. We send the producer agreement for signature. It sets out how we work together, including how commissions and any broker fees are handled and disclosed.
Step 4: Welcome and access. Once your appointment is complete, we confirm by email and explain how to submit risks and reach our team.
Working with Sterling once you're appointed
After your appointment is in place, you send risks through the Submit a Risk page or by email to our team. We review each submission, tell you if anything is missing, and approach markets that may consider the risk. When quotes come back, we send them to you with the premium, insurer fees, any broker fee and applicable surplus lines taxes and fees itemized, so you can review them with your client. Your agency keeps the client relationship throughout. We support the placement, the required surplus lines paperwork and follow-up on the account.
Before you send your first submission
Strong submissions get to market sooner and give insurers what they need to consider a risk. Before you submit, see our E&S submission checklist. In short, include a completed application, five years of currently valued loss runs where available, current or expiring policy information, and a short narrative explaining the risk and why it needs a specialty market.
Frequently asked questions
Documents Required for Appointment
Click to upload or drag and drop
PDF, JPG, PNG, DOC (max 25MB)
Click to upload or drag and drop
PDF, JPG, PNG, DOC (max 25MB)
Click to upload or drag and drop
PDF, JPG, PNG, DOC (max 25MB)
The agency name on the producer agreement and W9 must match agency license.
Agency Information
Physical Address *
Mailing Address
Some coverage placed by Sterling Insurance Services LLC is written by nonadmitted ("surplus lines") insurers. Nonadmitted insurers are not licensed by the state where the insured is located and are not subject to that state's financial solvency regulation and enforcement. They do not participate in state insurance guarantee funds, including the California Insurance Guarantee Association, so those funds will not pay claims if the insurer becomes insolvent. Surplus lines placements are made only where permitted by law, after any required diligent search of admitted insurers, and are subject to surplus lines taxes, stamping fees, and state filing requirements. Required state notices (for example, the California notice under Insurance Code §1764.1) are provided with applications and policies.
Sterling Insurance Services LLC is a wholesale insurance brokerage. We work only with licensed insurance agents and brokers and do not sell insurance directly to the public. If you are a business owner or consumer looking for coverage, please contact a licensed retail insurance agent or broker.