Glossary

Retroactive date

The date in a claims-made policy before which wrongful acts are not covered, even if the claim is made and reported while the policy is in force.

Also called: retro date, retroactive coverage date, prior acts date

The retroactive date is the cutoff in a claims-made policy. The policy covers a claim only if the wrongful act, error or offense happened on or after that date. It is printed on the declarations page. A claim over an act that predates it is excluded, even when the claim arrives and is reported during the policy period.

It is normally set at inception of your first claims-made policy and held constant at each renewal with the same insurer, so the period of covered work grows every year. Say a design firm's retroactive date is March 1, 2022. A claim in 2026 about drawings issued in November 2021 falls before the date and is not covered. A claim about drawings issued in June 2022 is.

The risk is that the date moves. Changing carriers, a gap in coverage or a renewal that advances the date can drop years of past work from the policy. Ask the new carrier to match the old retroactive date, which is prior acts coverage, and check the declarations at every renewal. An extended reporting period lets you report claims after the policy ends, but it does not reach back past the retroactive date.

The guide on prior acts coverage and retroactive dates shows how to carry the date through a carrier change, and claims-made policy explains the form. The tail coverage cost calculator estimates the cost of closing a policy out.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026

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Related terms

Claims-made policy A liability policy that covers claims first made against you and reported to the insurer during the policy period, whenever the underlying act occurred. Prior acts coverage Coverage under a claims-made policy for wrongful acts committed before the policy began, reaching back to its retroactive date or without a limit. Extended reporting period A window after a claims-made policy ends during which claims can still be reported for incidents that happened while the coverage was in force. Tail coverage An option that lets a claims-made policyholder report claims after the policy ends, for wrongful acts that happened while it was in force. Errors and omissions (E&O) Insurance for claims that a professional or service business's mistakes, missed work or bad advice caused a client a financial loss.

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Related tools

Tail coverage cost calculator Prices an extended reporting period on a claims-made policy at your policy's percentages and compares it with nose (prior-acts) coverage from a new insurer.

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