How to Name the City of New York as an Additional Insured on Drone Insurance (2026)

One requirement trips up more NYPD permit applications than almost any other: correctly naming the City of New York as an Additional Insured. Operators often submit a Certificate of Insurance only to have it rejected because this specific endorsement is missing or worded incorrectly. This guide explains exactly what the requirement means and how to satisfy it.

The Requirement

Under 38 RCNY § 24-06, an NYPD drone permit applicant must name the City of New York as an Additional Insured on the operator's aviation liability policy, on a primary and non-contributory basis. This is not optional and not negotiable — a policy that does not name the City correctly will not satisfy the permit requirement, no matter how high its limits.

What "Additional Insured" Means

An Additional Insured is a party added to an insurance policy so that it receives direct coverage under that policy. By naming the City of New York as an Additional Insured, the operator extends the protection of their own aviation liability coverage to the City. If the City is drawn into a claim arising from the operator's drone flight, the operator's policy responds on the City's behalf.

What "Primary and Non-Contributory" Means

This phrase has two parts. Primary means the operator's policy pays first when a covered claim involves the City. Non-contributory means the operator's insurer will not seek contribution from any insurance the City itself may carry. Together, they place the full financial burden of a claim arising from the operator's flight squarely on the operator's insurer — which is exactly the City's intent.

How It Is Actually Done

Naming the City is accomplished through a policy endorsement — a written modification to the standard policy added by the insurer. The steps are:

The Certificate of Insurance Is the Proof

The Certificate of Insurance is the document the insurer issues to confirm coverage — it is not the policy itself, but it is what the NYPD reviews. The COI submitted with the permit application must show the required limits, the occurrence basis, the express UAS coverage, and the City of New York named as an Additional Insured on a primary and non-contributory basis. Allow time for the insurer to issue the endorsement and COI before your application deadline.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Naming the wrong entity — it must be the City of New York, exactly as the rule specifies.
• Omitting "primary and non-contributory" — a plain Additional Insured endorsement without these words may not satisfy the requirement.
• Relying on a general liability policy that excludes aviation — the endorsement must sit on a policy that expressly covers UAS operations.
• Submitting a COI without the endorsement — the certificate must actually reflect the City as Additional Insured.
• Cutting the timeline too close — endorsements take time, and the application has lead-time requirements.

Why the City Insists on This

By requiring this endorsement, the City ensures that when a drone operation it has permitted causes harm, the operator's insurance — not public funds — stands behind the loss. It is a deliberate transfer of risk to the party creating it, and it is a non-negotiable gate on every NYPD drone permit.