Commissioner’s mandatory one-year moratorium prevents homeowner insurance cancellations and non-renewals in Los Angeles and Kern counties 

November 29, 2022 - LOS ANGELES — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara yesterday ordered insurance companies to preserve residential insurance coverage following Governor Gavin Newsom’s November 19 emergency declaration for Los Angeles County. The Commissioner’s Bulletin shields those policyholders within the wildfire perimeter of the Route Fire and in adjacent ZIP codes from insurance non-renewal or cancellation for one year from the date of the Governor’s declaration regardless of whether they suffered a loss.

“Devastating wildfires this year have affected thousands of Californians, and the last thing they need is to have to search for new insurance while they are still recovering," said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. “By pushing the pause button on non-renewals, we will give breathing room to wildfire-scarred communities and homeowners as we all adapt, and continue implementing further solutions to make our communities safer from wildfires and help stabilize the insurance market.”

Today’s moratorium order includes 11 ZIP codes in Los Angeles and Kern Counties, affecting approximately 52,343 residential fire insurance policies.

Consumers can go to the Department of Insurance website to see if their ZIP code is included in the moratorium. Consumers should contact the Department of Insurance at 800-927-4357 or via chat or email at insurance.ca.gov if they believe their insurance company is in violation of this law, or have additional claims-related questions.

Commissioner Lara’s ability to issue moratoriums is a result of a California law that he authored in 2018 while serving as state senator in order to provide temporary relief from insurance non-renewals and cancellations to residents living within or adjacent to a Governor-declared wildfire disaster. Since 2019, Commissioner Lara’s actions have protected nearly 4 million homeowners, including over 415,795 to date in 2022.

The Commissioner’s action is part of a larger solution he is pursuing for consumers and wildfire survivors that includes working to increase insurance protections and market competition to help protect consumers. Commissioner Lara’s actions since taking office in 2019 include:

• Announced “Safer from Wildfires,” a new insurance framework that incorporates wildfire safety measures to help save lives while making homes and businesses more resilient. Safer from Wildfires was created by a first-ever partnership between the Department of Insurance and the emergency and preparedness agencies in Governor Newsom’s Administration, including the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, and the California Public Utilities Commission.
• Proposed a new regulation to incorporate Safer from Wildfires in insurance pricing, driving down costs for consumers who have taken actions to protect their communities while increasing transparency about their home’s or business’s “wildfire risk score.” This regulation has now been finalized and is under full implementation.
• Sponsored new insurance protections signed into law by Governor Newsom — despite opposition from insurance companies — that will mean larger payouts for some consumer claims, less red tape from insurance companies, and more help for people under evacuation orders.
• Ordered the FAIR Plan, the state’s insurer of last resort, to offer a more comprehensive homeowners policy as an option, which a judge has upheld, as well as increasing residential and commercial coverage limits for the first time in 25 years to keep pace with inflation and rising costs.

Following Governor Newsom’s state of emergency declaration, the Department of Insurance partners with the CAL FIRE and CalOES, pursuant to existing statute, to identify wildfire perimeters for mandatory moratorium areas. The Department of Insurance will continue to collaborate with CAL FIRE and CalOES to identify additional wildfire perimeters for any fires where there is a declaration of a state of emergency.

Source: California Department of Insurance