Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 10, 2026  |  Last Updated: April 10, 2026

Bowers Insurance ("Bowers," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of individuals who visit our website at www.bowersinsurance.com (the "Site"), submit information through our contact forms, or otherwise engage with our services. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal data in compliance with applicable privacy laws, including the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act ("MODPA"), the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act ("CCPA/CPRA"), the European Union General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR"), and the CAN-SPAM Act.

Bowers Insurance is a Maryland corporation located at 1380 Dual Highway, Hagerstown, MD 21740.

Table of Contents

1. Information We Collect
2. How We Use Your Information
3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
4. Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR)
5. Data Sharing and Third Parties
6. Data Retention
7. Your Privacy Rights
8. Maryland Online Data Privacy Act (MODPA) Rights
9. California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)
10. European Economic Area (GDPR) Rights
11. Universal Opt-Out and Do Not Sell
12. Email Communications & CAN-SPAM Compliance
13. Sensitive Data
14. Data Protection Assessments
15. Data Security
16. International Data Transfers
17. Children's Privacy
18. Changes to This Policy
19. Contact Us

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

Category	Data Elements	Source
Contact Information	Name, email address, phone number, message content	Contact form submissions
Insurance Inquiries	Type of coverage sought, current coverage details, property or vehicle information, business details	Quote request forms, contact forms
Payment Information	Name, billing address, payment method details (processed securely through our third-party payment processor; we do not store full credit card numbers)	Bill pay portal
Employment Applications	Name, contact information, resume, work history, references	Careers page submissions

Information Collected Automatically

Category	Data Elements	Technology
Device & Browser Data	IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, screen resolution	Server logs, Google Analytics (GA4)
Usage Data	Pages visited, time on page, click paths, referring URL, entry/exit pages	Google Analytics (GA4)
Location Data	Approximate geographic location (city/region level, derived from IP address)	Google Analytics (GA4)
Cookie Identifiers	Session IDs, analytics identifiers, preference cookies	Cookies, local storage

Information from Third-Party Sources

We do not currently collect personal data from third-party data enrichment sources. We may receive limited information from payment processors that share transaction confirmation data in connection with bill payment services.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes:

• Responding to inquiries: To reply to your contact form submissions, quote requests, and coverage questions.
• Providing services: To deliver insurance brokerage, consultation, and account management services you request.
• Processing payments: To process transactions and manage billing through our bill pay portal.
• Marketing communications: To send newsletters, promotional content, and service updates (with your consent or where permitted by law).
• Website improvement: To analyze site usage, identify trends, and improve user experience through analytics data.
• Advertising and retargeting: With your consent, to serve relevant advertisements on third-party platforms and measure ad campaign performance. These activities only occur when you have provided consent through our cookie banner, and you may opt out at any time.
• Legal compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes, including insurance regulatory requirements.
• Security: To detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, unauthorized access, or other security incidents.

3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our Site uses cookies and similar tracking technologies. A cookie is a small data file stored on your device when you visit a website. We use the following categories of cookies:

Cookie Type	Purpose	Duration
Strictly Necessary	Essential for the Site to function (e.g., security, session management, load balancing, Cloudflare performance). These cookies cannot be disabled.	Session / up to 1 year
Analytics & Performance	Help us understand how visitors interact with the Site (e.g., page views, bounce rate, session duration).	Up to 2 years
Advertising & Marketing	Used to deliver relevant advertisements and track campaign performance. These are only set with your consent where required by law.	Up to 2 years
Functional	Enable enhanced features such as embedded maps and other third-party widgets that remember your preferences and settings.	Up to 1 year

You can manage your cookie preferences at any time by clicking the "Cookie Preferences" link in the footer of our Site or by adjusting your browser settings.

We honor the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal and other universal opt-out preference signals. When we detect such a signal from your browser, we will treat it as a valid opt-out request for the sale of personal data and targeted advertising, as required under MODPA, CCPA/CPRA, and other applicable laws.

4. Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, we process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Consent: For newsletter subscriptions, marketing emails, and non-essential cookies. You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Legitimate Interests: For responding to business inquiries, improving our website, and ensuring site security, where these interests are not overridden by your data protection rights.
• Contractual Necessity: To fulfill our obligations when you engage us for insurance services.
• Legal Obligation: To comply with applicable EU or member state law.

5. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We do not sell your personal data. We do not share your personal data with third parties for their own independent marketing purposes.

When you provide consent through our cookie banner, we may share certain data (such as cookie identifiers and site interaction data) with advertising platforms for retargeting and audience creation purposes. Under some state laws (including CCPA/CPRA), this sharing for targeted advertising may constitute a "sale" or "sharing" of personal information. You may opt out of this at any time through our cookie settings, by contacting us, or via a Global Privacy Control signal.

We share personal data only with the following categories of service providers who process data on our behalf under written agreements:

Service Provider Category	Purpose	Data Shared
Web Analytics	Website traffic analysis and reporting	IP address (anonymized where required), usage data, device information
Tag Management	Managing and deploying tracking scripts	Consent state, event data
Mapping Services	Displaying office location maps on our Site	IP address, browser information (only when functional cookies are accepted)
Web Hosting & Infrastructure (Cloudflare)	Website hosting, content delivery, and security	Server logs, IP address
Payment Processor	Secure payment processing for bill pay	Billing name, address, payment method (handled by processor)
Insurance Carriers & Underwriters	Obtaining quotes, binding coverage, and managing policies on your behalf	Information necessary to obtain and service insurance coverage as requested

We may also disclose personal data when required by law, to respond to legal process, to protect our rights, or in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets (in which case you will be notified).

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Specifically:

• Contact form submissions: Retained for up to 3 years from last interaction, unless an ongoing business relationship exists.
• Insurance records: Retained for the duration of the policy and for a reasonable period following policy termination, as required by Maryland insurance regulations.
• Billing and transaction records: Retained for a minimum of 7 years to comply with financial recordkeeping requirements.
• Analytics data: Retained in accordance with Google Analytics data retention settings (typically up to 26 months).
• Employment application data: Retained for up to 1 year following the close of the position applied for, unless a longer period is required.
• Business records: Retained as required for legal, tax, or audit purposes.

When personal data is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it.

7. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have some or all of the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Know / Access: Request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of it.
• Right to Correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal data.
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal exceptions.
• Right to Portability: Receive your personal data in a portable, commonly used format.
• Right to Opt Out: Opt out of the sale of personal data, targeted advertising, or profiling.
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request that we limit how we use your data.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: Exercise your rights without receiving discriminatory treatment.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@bowersinsurance.com. We will respond to verifiable requests within 45 days (or 30 days for GDPR requests). If we need additional time, we will notify you of the extension and the reason.

Appeals Process

If we deny your privacy rights request, you have the right to appeal. To submit an appeal, email privacy@bowersinsurance.com with the subject line "Privacy Rights Appeal." We will respond to your appeal within 60 days. If your appeal is denied, we will provide you with information on how to contact the applicable regulatory authority, including the Maryland Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division or other supervisory authority.

8. Maryland Online Data Privacy Act (MODPA) Rights

If you are a Maryland resident, the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act (effective October 1, 2025; enforcement begins April 1, 2026) provides you with specific privacy rights. Under MODPA, you have the right to:

• Confirm whether we are processing your personal data.
• Access the personal data we have collected about you.
• Correct inaccuracies in your personal data.
• Obtain a copy of your personal data in a portable, readily usable format.
• Obtain a list of the categories of third parties to which we have disclosed your personal data.
• Opt out of the processing of your personal data for targeted advertising, the sale of personal data, or profiling in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects.

MODPA Sensitive Data Protections: Under MODPA, we do not collect, process, or share "sensitive data" (as defined by Maryland law) unless strictly necessary to provide a product or service you have specifically requested. We do not sell sensitive personal data under any circumstances.

How to Exercise MODPA Rights

Submit your request by emailing privacy@bowersinsurance.com. We will verify your identity and respond within 45 days. You may also designate an authorized agent to submit requests on your behalf. If we deny your request, you may appeal the decision, and we will provide instructions for contacting the Maryland Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division.

Universal Opt-Out Mechanism

We recognize and honor universal opt-out preference signals (such as Global Privacy Control) as valid opt-out requests under MODPA. When detected, we will cease processing your data for targeted advertising and any sale of personal data.

9. California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act, provides you with additional rights regarding your personal information.

Your CCPA/CPRA Rights

• Right to Know: Request the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected, the sources, purposes of collection, and categories of third parties with whom we share it.
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal information.
• Right to Correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Right to Opt Out of Sale/Sharing: We do not sell or share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
• Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: Request that we limit the use of sensitive personal information to only what is necessary.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.

Categories of Personal Information Collected (Past 12 Months)

CCPA Category	Collected	Sold	Disclosed for Business Purpose
Identifiers (name, email, IP address)	Yes	No	Yes
Internet/Network Activity (browsing history, search history)	Yes	No	Yes
Geolocation Data (approximate, from IP)	Yes	No	Yes
Professional/Employment Information	Yes	No	No
Commercial Information (transaction history)	Yes	No	Yes

To submit a request, email privacy@bowersinsurance.com or call 800-453-2105. We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within 45 days.

10. European Economic Area (GDPR) Rights

If you are located in the EEA or UK, you have additional rights under the GDPR, including:

• Right to Lodge a Complaint: You may file a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority.
• Right to Restrict Processing: You may request that we restrict the processing of your personal data under certain conditions.
• Right to Object: You may object to the processing of your personal data based on our legitimate interests.
• Right to Data Portability: You may request that we transfer your data to another controller in a structured, commonly used format.
• Automated Decision-Making: You have the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing, including profiling, that produce legal or significant effects. We do not currently engage in such automated decision-making.

For GDPR requests, we will respond within 30 days. Contact us at privacy@bowersinsurance.com.

11. Universal Opt-Out and Do Not Sell

We honor universal opt-out preference signals, including the Global Privacy Control (GPC). When we detect a GPC or similar signal from your browser or device, we will:

• Treat the signal as a valid request to opt out of the sale of personal data (as applicable under MODPA and CCPA/CPRA).
• Cease targeted advertising based on your personal data.
• Apply the opt-out to the browser or device from which the signal is sent.

You can also manually opt out by contacting us at privacy@bowersinsurance.com or by clicking the "Cookie Preferences" link in the footer of our Site.

12. Email Communications & CAN-SPAM Compliance

We comply with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. When we send you commercial emails, we will:

• Clearly identify the message as an advertisement or solicitation when applicable.
• Include our valid physical mailing address in every email.
• Provide a clear and conspicuous unsubscribe mechanism in every commercial email.
• Process unsubscribe requests within 10 business days.
• Not use deceptive subject lines or misleading header information.

To unsubscribe from our marketing emails, click the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any email or contact privacy@bowersinsurance.com. Please note that even after unsubscribing from marketing emails, you may continue to receive transactional emails related to active service engagements or insurance policies.

13. Sensitive Data

We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal data, which may include (depending on jurisdiction) racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, genetic or biometric data, health data, sex life or sexual orientation, citizenship or immigration status, social security or government ID numbers, financial account information, precise geolocation, or personal data of children.

Please note that in the course of providing insurance services, certain coverage types (such as life and health insurance) may require collection of health or financial information. Any such data is collected solely for the purpose of securing the requested coverage and is handled in accordance with applicable insurance regulations and this Privacy Policy.

In compliance with the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act, we do not collect, process, or share sensitive data unless strictly necessary to provide a specific product or service you have requested, and we do not sell sensitive personal data under any circumstances.

If we inadvertently collect sensitive data outside of a requested service context, we will promptly delete it unless legally required to retain it.

14. Data Protection Assessments

In accordance with the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act and other applicable privacy laws, we conduct Data Protection Assessments for processing activities that present a heightened risk of harm to consumers. These assessments evaluate the benefits and risks of processing activities, including those involving targeted advertising, the sale of personal data, profiling, sensitive data processing, and any use of algorithms that may produce legal or similarly significant effects on consumers.

Our Data Protection Assessments are maintained internally and may be made available to the Maryland Attorney General's Office upon request, as required by MODPA.

15. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL), access controls, regular security assessments, and employee training on data protection. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

In the event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and the applicable regulatory authorities as required by law.

16. International Data Transfers

Bowers Insurance is based in the United States. If you are visiting our Site from outside the United States, please be aware that your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where our servers and central database operate.

For personal data transferred from the EEA or UK, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission, or other lawful transfer mechanisms, to ensure that your data is afforded an adequate level of protection consistent with GDPR requirements.

17. Children's Privacy

Our Site and services are not directed to individuals under the age of 16 (or under the age of 13 in jurisdictions where COPPA applies). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child without parental consent, we will take immediate steps to delete that information. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us at privacy@bowersinsurance.com.

18. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where required by law, provide additional notice (such as a banner on our Site or an email notification). We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

19. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or have concerns about how your data is handled, please contact us:

 

Bowers Insurance

Attn: Privacy Inquiries

1380 Dual Highway

Hagerstown, MD 21740

Email: privacy@bowersinsurance.com

Phone: 301-791-7910

Toll Free: 800-453-2105

 

For Maryland residents: If you are unsatisfied with our response to your privacy request, you may contact the Maryland Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division at www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov.