M.J. Hall review for retail agents: programs, access and binding authority
M.J. Hall is a Stockton, California wholesaler and MGA for hard-to-place commercial risks. Cannabis, bars, contractors, trucking and earthquake are its core lines.
As an MGA it binds some risks for its carriers, and as a wholesaler it shops the rest to surplus lines (E&S) markets. It suits western agencies that write these accounts often. Expect a higher E&O bar than at most wholesalers.
- Best for
- West Coast agencies with cannabis, bars, contractors, trucking and earthquake accounts
- Type
- E&S wholesale broker and MGA based in Stockton, California
- Lines
- Commercial casualty and property, cannabis, transportation, earthquake and flood, professional and surety
- Access
- Online producer application and a signed Producer Agreement, with $5 million E&O
- Authority
- Rates, quotes and binds many contractor classes in house
- States
- Offices in California and Alaska. The garage program covers nine western states
Our take
M.J. Hall places surplus lines business from offices in California and Alaska. It binds many contractor classes in house and writes a wide cannabis book, from growers to landlords.
Trucking agents get a rare published rate. The transportation rater pays 15% and returns quotes in under 24 hours.
Read the contract closely. You pay agency bill premium within 10 days whether or not the insured has paid, and you chase any audit premium.
Pros
- Published 15% commission on the trucking rater
- Writes cannabis broadly, from growers to dispensaries
- Earthquake and DIC quoted from an email, no application needed
- Agreement bars it from soliciting your expirations while you're paid up
- Bind Online links to USLI, biBERK and other markets
Cons
- $5,000,000 of E&O required in the signed agreement
- Agency bill premium due in 10 days, paid or not
- You collect audit premium yourself
- Offices only in California and Alaska
Who they work with
- Who can submit
- Licensed agencies with a signed M.J. Hall Producer Agreement
- How to get access
- Use Get Appointed on the M.J. Hall site, an online application shared with Wholesure
- Requirements
- All P&C agent and agency licenses, W-9 details, trust account bank details, a voided check and any discipline in the last five years
- E&O minimum
- $5,000,000 per occurrence under the signed agreement, with your coverage primary
Fill in the application
Give agency details, principals, producers, carriers and business mix.
Upload documents
Add your E&O declarations and every P&C license.
Set up deposits
Provide W-9 details, trust account banking and a voided check.
Sign the agreement
The Producer Agreement starts once both sides sign.
Programs and what they write
| Program | Type | Lines |
|---|---|---|
| E&S brokerage and bindingHard-to-place commercial and personal risks | Wholesale broker and MGA | Casualty, property, cannabis, transportation, earthquake, flood, professional and surety |
| Transportation online raterTrucking quotes in under 24 hours | Online platform | Auto, GL, excess, cargo and physical damage |
| Bind Online hubLinks to small commercial carrier platforms | Online platform | GL, property and workers comp |
Earthquake, DIC and flood are written on admitted and surplus lines paper. Bars and restaurants are open in most states.
Cannabis
- Growers, processors and distributors
- Dispensaries, with or without on-site use
- Testing labs, security and secure transport
- Hemp and CBD
- Landlords with cannabis tenants
- Comp, property, GL, D&O and EPL
Other specialties
- Bars and nightclubs with assault and battery to full limits
- General, specialty and artisan contractors
- Security guards, alarm firms and janitorial
- Vacant buildings, mobile home parks and habitational
- Garage and dealer physical damage in nine western states
- Earthquake and DIC with no application
How to submit
- How it works
- Email or call the broker for the line or office. Earthquake, DIC and flood can go by email with the details in the message
- Submit by
- Line brokers by email or phone, the transportation rater or the Bind Online hub
- Documents needed
- ACORD 125 and the matching line sections, posted on the M.J. Hall site
Quote and bind authority
"Takes your submission" means you send the risk to the firm. Binds "In house" means the firm commits the carrier on its own, with no second sign-off. Where a cell is blank, the firm publishes nothing on that step.
| Program | Takes your submission | Quotes | Binds |
|---|---|---|---|
| E&S brokerage and binding | In house | ||
| Transportation online rater | |||
| Bind Online hub | After carrier OK |
Without written approval you can't bind, renew or change coverage yourself. Bind Online links take you to each market's own platform, such as USLI, biBERK, AERO and NOW.
Carrier paper and admitted status
- Admitted or surplus lines
- Mostly surplus lines. Earthquake, DIC and flood can be admitted or surplus lines
- Lloyd's
- M.J. Hall is a Lloyd's correspondent
Commission, fees and billing
- Who bills
- Direct bill or agency bill, by policy
- Payment terms
- On agency bill, pay the net premium, taxes and fees within 10 days of the effective date, collected or not
- Commission
- 15% on the transportation rater. On other business M.J. Hall sets it per placement, paid on collected premium
- Your own fees
- You can charge fees the law allows, shown as part of the premium
- Nonpayment
- M.J. Hall can cancel flat if you don't pay within 10 days of a cancellation notice
- Audit premium
- You collect it. You can ask for a waiver in writing within 30 days of the audit bill
- How to pay
- Online payment portal, mail or wire
Surplus lines taxes and filings
- Who files
- Whichever party is responsible for the tax handles payment, affidavits and disclosures
- Diligent search
- You try admitted insurers first where the state requires it, and help with affidavits before ordering E&S coverage
Endorsements, audits and claims
- Endorsements
- Send requests and bind orders to M.J. Hall within five days of getting them
- Cancellations
- In writing on approved forms. A flat cancel needs proof before the effective date and both carrier and M.J. Hall approval
- Claims handled by
- The carrier or its adjuster. Email claims@mjhall.com
Who owns the account
- Who owns the client
- You keep your expirations if all premium is paid. If not, they pass to M.J. Hall when the agreement ends
- Non-solicitation
- M.J. Hall won't use your expirations to solicit unless they pass to it
- If the relationship ends
- One-year terms renew on their own, and either side can leave with 30 days notice. No commission is paid on policies bound afterward
- Contract law
- Your agreement is with Sultan Insurance Services, which does business as M.J. Hall. Michigan law governs it, and disputes go to Grand Rapids
Portal and integrations
- Portal
- MJ Hall Bind Online and Instant Quoting, shared with Wholesure
- Online quoting
- Yes. The transportation rater, plus quote and bind links to small commercial markets
| Connects to | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| USLI | Carrier portal | Quote online link in the hub |
| biBERK | Carrier portal | Online binding, with access requested through M.J. Hall |
| iBynd | Comparative quoting | Quotes biBERK and Coterie side by side |
| Wholesure | Platform partner | Runs the producer application and quoting hub |
Support for retail agents
- Contact
- Stockton 209-948-8108, Fresno 800-948-8944, info@mjhall.com
- Underwriter access
- Each line page lists its brokers with profiles and contact links
M.J. Hall alternatives
- Gorst & CompassCalifornia wholesaler with property binding and GQ Rater
- Brown & RidingCalifornia-born national wholesaler with small E&S binding
- Appalachian UnderwritersIts own binding contracts and workers comp with no volume minimum
- USG Insurance ServicesOnline registration and transportation markets
- Burns & WilcoxLocal offices nationwide, plus online flood
See every option in insurance mGAs and wholesalers.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get appointed with M.J. Hall?
Fill in the online producer application, upload licenses and E&O and sign the Producer Agreement. It starts once both sides sign.
What commission does M.J. Hall pay?
15% on business through the transportation rater. On other placements it sets commission account by account.
Who keeps the expirations?
You do while your premium is paid. Unpaid balances move them to M.J. Hall when the agreement ends.
Does M.J. Hall write cannabis?
Yes. Growers, processors, dispensaries, testing labs and landlords with cannabis tenants.
How we researched this review. We based this review on the terms and product pages published by M.J. Hall, reviewed in October 2026, together with our team's experience working with insurance agents and agency owners since 2008.
Corrections
Vendors change their pricing all the time and they don't email us when they do. So if you see a price on here that's gone up, a plan M.J. Hall quit selling or a contract term that reads different now, let us know and send the link to the page where M.J. Hall has it. Somebody here pulls up that page and checks it before we change anything on ours.