4.  Share-Based Compensation

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2018 Long Term Incentive Plan

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On March 24, 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors adopted the Amended and Restated Safety Insurance Group, Inc. 2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan (“the Amended 2018 Plan”), which was subsequently approved by our shareholders at the 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The Amended 2018 Plan increased the share pool limit by adding 350,000 common shares to the previously adopted Safety Insurance Group, Inc. 2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan. The Amended 2018 Plan enables the grant of stock awards, performance shares, cash-based performance units, other stock-based awards, stock options, stock appreciation rights, and stock unit awards, each of which may be granted separately or in tandem with other awards. Eligibility to participate includes officers, directors, employees and other individuals who provide bona fide services to the Company. The Amended 2018 Plan supersedes the Company’s 2002 Management Omnibus Incentive Plan (“the 2002 Incentive Plan”).

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The Amended 2018 Plan establishes a pool of 700,000 shares of common stock available for issuance to our employees and other eligible participants. The Board of Directors and the Compensation Committee intend to issue awards under the Amended 2018 Plan in the future.

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The maximum number of shares of common stock between both the Amended 2018 Plan and 2002 Incentive Plan with respect to which awards may be granted is 3,200,000. No further grants will be allowed under the 2002 Incentive Plan. At June 30, 2026, there were 160,334 shares available for future grant.

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Accounting and Reporting for Stock-Based Awards

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The Company measures and recognizes the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments. Under the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation, share-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date, based on the fair value of the award, and is recognized as an expense over the requisite service period (generally the vesting period of the equity grant).

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Restricted Stock

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Service-based restricted stock awarded in the form of unvested shares is recorded at the market value of the Company’s common stock on the grant date and amortized ratably as compensation expense over the requisite service period. Service-based restricted stock awards generally vest over a three-year period and vest 30% on the first and second anniversaries of the grant date and 40% on the third anniversary of the grant date, except for non-executive employees’ restricted stock awards granted prior to 2018 which vest ratably over a five-year service period and independent directors’ stock awards which vest immediately. Our independent directors are subject to stock ownership guidelines, which require them to have a value four times their annual cash retainer.

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In addition to service-based awards, the Company grants performance-based restricted shares to certain employees. These performance shares cliff vest after a three-year performance period provided certain performance measures are attained. A portion of these awards, which contain a market condition, vest according to the level of total shareholder return achieved by the Company compared to its property-casualty insurance peers over a three-year period. The remainder, which contain a performance condition, vest according to the level of Company’s combined ratio results compared to a target based on its property-casualty insurance peers.

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Actual payouts can range from 0% to 200% of target shares awarded depending upon the level of achievement of the respective market and performance conditions during a three calendar-year performance period. Compensation expense for share awards with a performance condition is based on the probable number of awards expected to vest using the performance level most likely to be achieved at the end of the performance period.

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Performance-based awards with market conditions are accounted for and measured differently from awards that have a performance or service condition. The effect of a market condition is reflected in the award’s fair value on the grant date. That fair value is recognized as compensation cost over the requisite service period regardless of whether the market-based performance objective has been satisfied.

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All of the Company’s restricted stock awards are issued as incentive compensation and are equity classified.

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The following table summarizes restricted stock activity under the Amended 2018 Plan during the six months ended June 30, 2026 assuming a target payout for the 2026 performance-based shares.

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As of June 30, 2026, there was $8,595 of unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested restricted stock awards that is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.7 years. The total fair value of the shares that were vested and unrestricted during the six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025 was $3,259 and $3,709, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, the Company recorded compensation expense related to restricted stock of $2,167 and $1,997, net of income tax benefits of $576 and $531, respectively, within Underwriting, operating and related expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.