Liability insurance

Two separate questions live here, and the second is the one that catches people. First: does your regulator require professional liability insurance at all, and at what limits? That answer is not uniform, even between colleges in the same province.

Second, and less documented anywhere: where does your coverage actually apply? Regulator by-laws are frequently silent on territory, while the insurance programs practitioners actually buy differ sharply — some follow you worldwide, some stop at the Canadian border, and some address travelling with your existing clients without ever addressing clients based elsewhere. The matrix separates what the regulator requires from what a policy is documented to cover, because conflating them is how a gap goes unnoticed.

8 records traced and verified for Liability insurance, across 3 jurisdictions. Every row below carries its own source and last-verified date.

Liability insurance — obligations by jurisdiction and profession, each sourced to its primary text and dated to the last check against it.
Jurisdiction	Applies to	The rule	Status	Last verified	Source & citation
Nova Scotia	Counselling therapist	All licensed registrants, INCLUDING those on leave, must maintain professional liability insurance covering all counselling-therapy services within their individual scope of practice. Coverage must be not less than $2,000,000 per claim and not less than $5,000,000 aggregate, WITH NO DEDUCTIBLE. Proof must be submitted at initial application and again at annual registration and licence renewal, as a copy of the current policy or a letter from the insurer verifying amounts and extent of coverage. Insurance provided through an employer or other third party is NOT sufficient to meet this requirement. Registrants providing telecounselling outside Nova Scotia bear sole responsibility for ensuring their coverage extends to out-of-province clients.	In Force	2026-08-17	NSCCT Professional Liability Insurance (Registration and Licensing Policy), Policy ss. 1.1, 1.1.1, 1.2, 2.0 Show statutory text "1.1.1 The coverage shall include a claim amount of not less than $2,000,000 and an aggregate amount not less than $5,000,000 with no deductible." ... "2.0 Insurance policies provided through an employer or other third party are not sufficient to meet the requirement of 1.1 of this policy." — NSCCT, Professional Liability Insurance, Registration and Licensing Policy (revised 2025-09-20) Regulatory model clinician_restriction Authority basis licensure Enforcement body Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists Enactment date not traced Effective date 2025-09-20 Penalties — Consent required No Documentation required Yes Confidence high Regulation Counselling Therapists Act, S.N.S. 2008, c. 6, s. 12(1)(f); Counselling Therapists Regulations, N.S. Reg. 287/2011, s. 7(2)(g) Record ID ca-ns-insurance-counselling-therapy
Nova Scotia	Psychologist	Hold professional liability insurance (or other malpractice coverage or liability protection) in the form and amount set by the Board. The minimum amount set by the Board is $1,000,000 per occurrence. Applies to holders of a Practising Licence AND a Candidate Psychologist Conditional Licence. Proof of coverage must be provided within 30 days of the licence being granted, and maintaining coverage is a condition of annual renewal. Employer-provided coverage does not automatically satisfy this — NSRP's position is that institutional coverage may not cover all acts of an employee and that psychologists employed by health institutions, school boards and universities still require personal coverage. One standing exemption exists: Correctional Service Canada employees practising only within CSC, under a monitored annual-declaration arrangement between NSRP and CSC. Other federal employees must submit proof of their own coverage. Retired, relocated or career-changed registrants are advised to maintain coverage or obtain extended-reporting ('tail') coverage, because policies are typically written on a claims-made basis.	In Force	2026-08-17	Psychology Regulations (Nova Scotia), N.S. Reg. 252/2025, s. 11(1)(a)(iii) Show statutory text "Under the Regulated Health Professions Act and the Psychology Regulations (s. 11(1)(a)(iii)), an applicant for a licence must have professional liability insurance or another form of malpractice coverage or liability protection in the form and amount set by the Board. This applies to holders of a Practising Licence and a Candidate Psychologist Conditional Licence. The minimum amount set by the Board is $1,000,000 per occurrence." — NSRP, Professional Liability Insurance Required of All NSRP Registrants Regulatory model clinician_restriction Authority basis licensure Enforcement body Nova Scotia Regulator of Psychology Enactment date not traced Effective date 2025-11-24 Penalties — Consent required No Documentation required Yes Confidence high Regulation made under the Regulated Health Professions Act, S.N.S. 2021, c. 8 Record ID ca-ns-insurance-psychology
Nova Scotia	Clinical social worker	Social workers IN PRIVATE PRACTICE must secure adequate malpractice, defamation, and liability insurance, and maintain registration with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers. No minimum dollar amount is specified. Those providing clinical social work services in a private setting must also hold Clinical Specialist registration and provide evidence of that status (s. 5.5.2).	In Force	2026-08-17	NSCSW Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, s. 5.5.1 (Guiding Principle 5.5 — social workers in private practice) Show statutory text "5.5.1 securing adequate malpractice, defamation, and liability insurance and maintaining registration with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers" — NSCSW Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, s. 5.5.1, under Guiding Principle 5.5 'Social workers in private practice act with integrity in all business practices' (effective 2026-02-01) Regulatory model clinician_restriction Authority basis licensure Enforcement body Nova Scotia College of Social Workers Enactment date not traced Effective date 2026-02-01 Penalties — Consent required No Documentation required No Confidence high Regulation Social Workers Act, S.N.S. 1993, c. 12 Record ID ca-ns-insurance-social-work
Ontario	Psychologist	MANDATORY. Registrants holding a certificate authorising autonomous, interim autonomous or supervised practice must hold or be covered by professional liability insurance IN ALL SETTINGS IN WHICH THEY PRACTISE. Minimum coverage $2,000,000. No deductible is permitted. The only exemption is for a registrant who resides outside Ontario AND provides no services within Ontario at any time during the registration year, nor supervises anyone providing services in Ontario.	In Force	2026-07-31	By-laws of the College of Psychologists of Ontario, By-law 22 (Professional Liability Insurance), ss. 22.1-22.3, 22.6 Show statutory text "22.1 Subject to Section 6, each member of the College registered with a certificate of registration authorizing autonomous practice, interim autonomous practice or supervised practice shall hold, or otherwise be covered by professional liability insurance in all settings in which the member practices. 22.2 The amount of insurance coverage shall be no less than $2,000,000. 22.3 The insurance shall have no deductible." — CPBAO By-laws, By-law 22 (revised 2024-03-21, effective 2024-07-01) Regulatory model clinician_restriction Authority basis insurance Enforcement body College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario Enactment date not traced Effective date 2024-07-01 Penalties — Consent required No Documentation required No Confidence high Record ID ca-on-insurance-psychology
Ontario	Psychotherapist	MANDATORY for all registrants except inactive registrants who have purchased run-off coverage. The policy must carry: at least $1,000,000 per occurrence; at least $5,000,000 annual aggregate; NO deductible; run-off coverage for a minimum of two years; an insurer licensed with FSRA Ontario or OSFI Canada; and a sexual abuse therapy and counselling fund endorsement covering persons eligible under s. 85.7(4) of the Code.	In Force	2026-07-31	By-laws of the College of Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario, s. 20.01 (Requirement to Carry Insurance) Show statutory text "(1) A Registrant, other than an Inactive Registrant who has purchased any run-off coverage contemplated by these by-laws, must carry professional liability insurance with the following characteristics: (i) a minimum of no less than $1,000,000 per occurrence; (ii) annual aggregate coverage of no less than $5,000,000; (iii) no deductible; (iv) run-off coverage for a minimum of two (2) years; (v) provided by an insurer licensed with the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario or the office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada..." — CRPO By-laws, s. 20.01 (made 2024-12-12, effective 2025-01-01, amended 2025-10-01) Regulatory model clinician_restriction Authority basis insurance Enforcement body College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario Enactment date not traced Effective date 2025-01-01 Penalties — Consent required No Documentation required No Confidence high Record ID ca-on-insurance-psychotherapy
Ontario	Clinical social worker	NOT MANDATORY. Professional liability insurance is not a registration requirement for OCSWSSW registrants. The College strongly encourages it but does not require it, and there is no by-law or regulation imposing it. A social worker in Ontario private practice may register and practise without professional liability insurance.	In Force	2026-07-31	Social Work and Social Service Work Act, 1998, no insurance provision — see notes Show statutory text "Although not required by the College, registrants are strongly encouraged to obtain professional liability insurance, which can be purchased through a professional association or another insurance carrier." — OCSWSSW, Private Practice page Regulatory model none Authority basis insurance Enforcement body Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers Enactment date not traced Effective date not traced Penalties — Consent required No Documentation required No Confidence high Regulation O. Reg. 383/00 (Registration) Record ID ca-on-insurance-social-work
Quebec	Psychologist	Psychologists, and holders of a psychotherapist permit who are not admissible to another professional order, must adhere to the collective professional liability insurance contract concluded by the Ordre. The minimum guarantee is $1,000,000 per claim (par sinistre) and $3,000,000 per guarantee period (par période de garantie); coverage may be increased optionally to $2,000,000 per claim and $4,000,000 per period. The obligation does NOT apply where the psychologist or psychotherapist-permit holder holds insurance through their employer and furnishes proof of it.	In Force	2026-08-17	Règlement sur l'assurance de la responsabilité professionnelle des membres de l'Ordre des psychologues du Québec, montants: 1 000 000 $ par sinistre / 3 000 000 $ par période de garantie Show statutory text "1 000 000 $ par sinistre et 3 000 000 $ par période de garantie" ... l'obligation ne s'applique pas "lorsque le psychologue ou le détenteur de permis de psychothérapeute détient une assurance via son employeur et qu'il en fournit la preuve." — Ordre des psychologues du Québec, Assurance responsabilité professionnelle : les obligations des professionnels Regulatory model clinician_restriction Authority basis licensure Enforcement body Ordre des psychologues du Québec Enactment date not traced Effective date not traced Penalties — Consent required No Documentation required Yes Confidence medium Regulation made under the Code des professions, RLRQ c. C-26 Record ID ca-qc-insurance-psychology
Quebec	Clinical social worker	Every social worker practising full-time, part-time OR OCCASIONALLY must adhere to the collective professional liability insurance contract concluded by the Ordre (a. 1). The collective contract must provide a minimum guarantee of at least $500,000 per claim and $1,000,000 for all claims arising in the guarantee period for which a claim is presented (a. 4(1°)); the contract must also cover claims presented against the insured's heirs after the guarantee period in which they die, pay third-party damages up to the guarantee amount, and take up the insured's defence and pay legal costs and interest in addition to the insured amount (a. 4(2°)-(4°)). In practice the Ordre's collective contract provides higher limits than the regulatory floor — currently up to $2,000,000 per claim and $2,000,000 for all claims per insurance period. Exemptions exist for social workers in the exclusive service of certain employers, subject to filing with the Ordre's secretary a certificate by which the employer stands as guarantor and answers financially for the member's faults or negligence, with a guarantee meeting the minimum stipulations of a. 4.	In Force	2026-08-17	Règlement sur l'assurance de la responsabilité professionnelle des membres de l'Ordre professionnel des travailleurs sociaux et des thérapeutes conjugaux et familiaux du Québec, RLRQ c. C-26, r. 283, a. 1 (adhésion obligatoire); a. 4(1°) (montants minimaux); a. 3 (exemptions) Show statutory text "1. Tout travailleur social qui exerce sa profession à temps plein, à temps partiel ou occasionnellement doit adhérer au contrat du régime collectif d'assurance de la responsabilité professionnelle conclu par l'Ordre professionnel des travailleurs sociaux et des thérapeutes conjugaux et familiaux du Québec [...]" ... "4. Le contrat d'assurance établissant un régime collectif d'assurance de la responsabilité professionnelle souscrit par l'Ordre doit prévoir les conditions minimales suivantes: 1° un montant de garantie d'au moins 500 000 $ par sinistre et de 1 000 000 $ pour l'ensemble des sinistres qui surviennent au cours de la période de garantie et pour lesquels une réclamation est présentée" — RLRQ c. C-26, r. 283, aa. 1 et 4 (à jour au 1er avril 2026) Regulatory model clinician_restriction Authority basis licensure Enforcement body Ordre des travailleurs sociaux et des thérapeutes conjugaux et familiaux du Québec Enactment date not traced Effective date 2000-04-01 Penalties — Consent required No Documentation required Yes Confidence high Regulation made under the Code des professions, RLRQ c. C-26 Record ID ca-qc-insurance-social-work

Not legal advice. This page states rules and quotes their sources; it does not apply them to your situation. Confirm anything that matters with your college or regulator, your accountant, or your insurer before acting on it.