The retroactive date is the earliest date of work your PI policy covers. Work done before it is not covered, even if the claim arrives while you are insured. It is often the date you first bought PI, if you have kept cover running since, but the insurer sets it and it is shown on your policy schedule. Losing it can leave years of past work unprotected.
Source: https://piinsurance.com.au/retroactive-date/, fetched from the preview https://pi-react-4ee768.pages.dev/retroactive-date/ on 10 Nov 2026; site dated 3 Nov 2026. Preview wording, not yet broker-reviewed. General information, not advice.
Key points
- The retroactive date is the earliest date of work your policy covers.
- When you switch insurers, ask them to match your existing date.
- A lapse, not asking, or new work can reset it.
How it works
Say you first bought PI in July 2020 and have renewed every year since. Your retroactive date may well be 1 July 2020, but check your schedule. A claim in 2026 about work from 2022 is covered. A claim about work from 2019, before you had PI, is not.
Some policies show the retroactive date on the schedule. Others say unlimited or none, which means there is no cut-off date for past work. Even then, problems you already knew about before the policy started are usually excluded.
Switching insurers
When you move to a new insurer, ask them to match your existing retroactive date. Most will if you have held cover continuously and can show it, for example with your current schedule. If the new policy starts its retroactive date fresh from today, every job you did before today is uncovered. Your old policy will not help either, because it only responds to claims made while it was in force.
This is one of the main things a broker checks when moving your cover.
How you lose it
- Letting cover lapse. A gap, even a short one, can reset the date when you buy again.
- Not asking. A new insurer may default to a new date unless you ask.
- Changing what you do. If you move into new work, the insurer may cover the new work only from today.
Starting out with no history
If you are buying PI for the first time, your retroactive date will usually be the start date. If you have done work before without cover, ask a broker whether a policy with an earlier or unlimited retroactive date is available. It may cost more, and the insurer will ask what you know about that past work.
Retroactive date and run-off
When you stop working, a run-off policy keeps covering claims about past work. It should keep your retroactive date too, otherwise it protects nothing. Run-off cover explained.
Common questions
What does an unlimited retroactive date mean?
There is no cut-off for past work, though problems you knew about before the policy started are usually still excluded.
Will I lose my retroactive date if I change insurers?
Not if the new insurer agrees to match it. Ask for this before you switch, and avoid any gap in cover.
Where do I find my retroactive date?
On your policy schedule or certificate. If it is not shown, ask your broker or insurer.