2022 Oak Fire in Mariposa County from the ALERTCalifornia Mount Bullion Live Camera on Friday, July 22, 2022 at 4:35 P.M.

March 29, 2025 - SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Friday announced his strong support for Assembly Bill 75, a consumer protection measure that would require insurance companies to notify homeowners at least 30 days in advance before taking or obtaining aerial images of their property. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Lisa Calderon, would also grant homeowners the right to request and obtain copies of any aerial images used by their insurer.

“No homeowner should be unaware that their property is being photographed or have no way to access the images insurers use to make coverage decisions,” said Commissioner Lara. “AB 75 will increase transparency, protect privacy, and give consumers a fair chance to dispute inaccurate or outdated images that could wrongly impact their insurance coverage.”

Media reports and consumer complaints have documented a sharp increase in insurers using aerial imagery to inspect homes and deny coverage. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that insurers are photographing “nearly every building in the country” – often without the owner’s knowledge – and using AI-powered data mapping, satellite imagery, and predictive models to identify properties for nonrenewal. Insurance companies and third-party vendors are relying on these computer models to red-tag homes as high-risk, even when the images may be outdated or inaccurate.

The California Department of Insurance has investigated numerous complaints where flawed aerial imagery led to wrongful cancellations or nonrenewals. In several cases, insurers used imprecise drone or satellite photos to assess roof conditions, resulting in policies being incorrectly dropped due to erroneous data.

AB 75 would address these issues by:

• Requiring 30-day advance notice before insurers conduct aerial inspections.
• Granting homeowners access to the images insurers use in coverage decisions.
• Ensuring transparency and accountability in the insurance inspection process.

“This bill is about fairness,” said Commissioner Lara. “Homeowners deserve to know when their property is being photographed and have the ability to challenge inaccurate or misleading images that could unfairly cost them
Source: CA. Dept. of Ins.