Stamping Fees: Fee Calculation

The Association stamping fee is currently 0.04% of the premium for policies effective 1/1/2023 or later. It applies to each surplus line premium processed through the Association and the rate is based on the policy effective date as shown on the table below. Like taxes, the stamping fee is rounded to the nearest whole dollar and is assessed against premium only. Stamping fees are paid to the Surplus Line Association of Illinois and mailed to the address shown on the invoice. 

The Association bills members on a monthly basis for business processed the preceding month. Members who have enrolled in Auto-Pay will have their account debited approximately two weeks after the billing date. For members paying by check, the stamping fee is due and payable immediately. In order to avoid being reported to the Department of Insurance as past due, your stamping fees must be paid on or before the 15th day of the following month. For example, filings made in July will be billed in the first week of August, and the stamping fees are past due if not paid by September 15th.

Electronic Auto-Pay of Stamping Fees is now available. Read more about it Auto Pay.

You are permitted by law to pass the stamping fee (as well as the surplus line tax and fire marshal tax) on to the insured. If you pass these fees on to your insureds, they should be shown as separate items on the declarations page of the insurance contract.  Attaching the EFS filing confirmation page is an acceptable substitute for this requirement.

Taxes and fees for return premiums are handled in exactly the same manner as they are for additional premiums.

In the event your monthly Association stamping fee is a negative figure, it will be credited to your account or will be returned by the Association upon request.

To view, print or download the detailed activity that makes up your monthly stamping fee invoice, follow these instructions.

The Association is required by law to inform the Illinois Department of Insurance of any member who is 60 days delinquent in the payment of stamping fees.

Click this button to try our tax calculator (which also calculates the stamping fee!). But read the steps below so you know which date to use for extensions and multi-year policies.

1. Figure Out Which Date to Use

2. Look Up Date in Rate Chart Below and Find Rate

* Rounded to the nearest whole dollar

3. Multiply the premium by the Stamping Fee Rate and round to the nearest whole dollar.

Example: A policy is issued with an effective date of June 1, 2022, a term of 12 months, and a premium of $40,000. The stamping fee for the policy is $30 (using the 0.075% rate that was in effect on June 1, 2022). An endorsement is issued adding a new location effective February 1, 2023 for an additional premium of of $8,000. The stamping fee for the endorsement is $6 (still using the 0.075% rate — the rate in effect on the policy effective date). In May 2023, an endorsement is issued to extend the policy for an additional six months with an additional premium of $20,000. The stamping fee for that endorsement is $8 (using the 0.04% rate — the rate in effect on the first day of the policy extension period which begins June 1, 2023). The extension endorsement should be filed on the EFS as if it were a new policy (because it introduces a new/additional policy period).

It’s important, whenever you file a renewal certificate, policy extension or annual installment of a multiyear policy on the EFS, to select “Policy” in the “Filing Type” field and enter it as if it were a new policy. This will ensure that the stamping fee and taxes calculate properly.