CA Insurance Commissioner orders first-ever statewide non-renewal moratorium in high-fire risk areas

OAKLAND, Calif. - California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has taken an unprecedented move and ordered insurance companies to stop dropping customers living near areas impacted by recent wildfires.

The first-ever statewide non-renewal moratorium targets insurance companies non-renewing policyholders. The new, one-year moratorium will help an estimated 800,000 homes in wildfire disaster areas in Northern and Southern California. 

This moratorium is very specific and targets 16 California fires, each of which broke out in October of this year: 

46 Fire, Eagle, Easy, Getty, Glen Cove, Hill, Hillside, Kincade, Maria, Reche, Saddle Ridge, Sandalwood, Sky, Tick, Water, and Wolf fires.

Among the fires closest to our areas include the Getty Fire, which broke out October 28 in Los Angeles and burned 745 acres; the Easy Fire, which broke out October 30 in Simi Valley and burned 1,806 acres; and the Maria Fire, which broke out the next day near Santa Paula and burned more than 9,000 acres.

Consumers can go to the Department of Insurance website to find the bulletin to see if their ZIP Code is included in the moratorium, which includes the 16 wildfire disasters affected by Governor Newsom's emergency declarations. 

The new law builds on the Governor's recent declaration and is designed to give homeowners more time to find coverage as the growing threat of wildfires makes insuring their properties more expensive.

Some Californians are finding it nearly impossible -- or financially impossible -- to find coverage or get their premiums renewed. 

Click here to read the moratorium in its entirety.