California Earthquake Authority

Official channels

• Main site

• CEA history and self-description

• Participating residential insurers list - CEA's own list of the residential insurance companies through which it offers policies [5]. Note that the page's own HTML title uses best and top-rated wording written by CEA. That framing is CEA's, not ours; BestInsurance Research ranks no carrier.

• Contact CEA

• Start here for policy, billing, or purchase questions: Your own home insurance company or agent - CEA's contact page states that if you have a question about your CEA insurance policy, need billing or payment help, or are interested in purchasing a policy, the fastest way to get support is to contact your insurance company or agent [6]. That fits CEA's own statement that it offers policies exclusively through the residential insurance companies it lists [5].

• CEA Information Desk: (888) 423-2322 - General information line published on CEA's contact page [6].

• CEA human resources or a specific employee: (877) 797-4300 or (916) 325-3800 - Published on CEA's contact page for reaching CEA human resources or a specific employee [6].

• CEA Brace + Bolt program: (877) 232-4300 - Dedicated line for the CEA Brace + Bolt program [6].

• Mailing address: 400 Capitol Mall, Suite 1200, Sacramento, CA 95814 - Address published on CEA's contact page, with hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday [6]. The same address appears in the CEA home page footer [4]. Third-party directory listings show a different street address; we use CEA's own page.

Contact details are copied from the organization's own published pages and re-checked on the dates in the source ledger. Confirm before you rely on one.

Records you can look up yourself

• Verify the participating insurer's agent or agency (CDI License Status Inquiry) - CEA states that it offers earthquake insurance policies exclusively through the residential insurance companies it lists [5], and CDI's License Status Inquiry retrieves license details, including enforcement actions, for an insurance agent, broker, adjuster, bail agent, and agency or organization [7]. So if a participating insurer's agent or agency is the one presenting a CEA policy to you, that producer's or agency's license record is available from CDI. Treat any result as accurate only as of the moment you run it.

• Look up the participating insurer's California company profile (CDI) - A CDI company profile includes license status, company type, state of domicile, the lines of insurance the company is authorized to transact, and complaint history [8].

Statutory basis

• California Insurance Code section 10089.6 (creation of the Authority) - Subdivision (a)(1) creates the California Earthquake Authority, to be administered and governed by the governing board described in Section 10089.7 under the authority of the commissioner, authorizes it to transact insurance in this state as necessary to sell policies of basic residential earthquake insurance, and provides that it shall have no authority to transact any other type of insurance business. Subdivision (b)(2) provides that the rights, obligations, and duties owed by the authority to its insureds, beneficiaries of insureds, and applicants for insurance are the same as those owed by insurers under common law, regulations, and statutes [1].

• California Insurance Code section 10089.7 (governing board, advisory panel, servicing contracts) - Subdivision (a) provides for a three-member governing board consisting of the Governor, the Treasurer, and the Insurance Commissioner, each of whom may name designees to serve in their place, with the Speaker of the Assembly and the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Rules serving as nonvoting, ex officio members who may also name designees. Subdivision (b) provides for an advisory panel including four members representing insurance companies licensed to transact fire insurance in the state (two appointed by the commissioner), two licensed insurance agents (one appointed by the commissioner), and three members of the public not connected with the insurance industry, at least one a consumer representative, and provides that the Speaker and the Senate Rules Chairperson may each appoint one additional member of the public. This panel description is written as an 'includes' list, not a complete roster. Subdivision (c)(6) provides that the board may contract with participating insurers to service the policies of basic residential earthquake insurance issued by the authority; the word in the statute is 'may', not a direction to contract [2].

Publications and guides

• CEA participating residential insurers list - CEA's current list. We link rather than reprint it, because the list changes and because naming carriers here would read as an endorsement we are not making. CEA's page states no total, and counts taken from it have not been reproducible across fetches, so we publish no number [5].

• NAIC publications catalog (contains a Consumer's Guide to Earthquake Insurance) - This link reaches NAIC's catalog, not the guide itself. The catalog lists a Consumer's Guide to Earthquake Insurance, useful as regulator-side background alongside CEA's own materials [9].

What this page does not claim

• We do not say that any specific property, structure, mobilehome, unit, or applicant is eligible for a CEA policy, or is or is not covered. Eligibility and coverage are decided by the participating insurance company and CEA under their own rules, and the policy actually issued to you controls.

• We publish no financial strength summary, claim-paying capacity figure, or rating for CEA or for any participating insurer, and we use no best, cheapest, or most reliable language about any company. The CEA participating-insurers page carries superlative wording in its own title; that is CEA's wording, not ours [5].

• We quote no CEA premiums, deductibles, coverage limits, or retrofit discounts on this page, and we do not describe how any of them are set. We did not verify CEA's ratemaking process against a source.

• We do not reprint or endorse the participating insurer list, we publish no count of participating insurers, and we make no statement about any carrier's current appetite for earthquake or residential business [5]. We are not CEA and do not act for CEA, and nothing here is a coverage determination, a claim decision, or legal or tax advice.

Source ledger

9 sources. Every citation number above resolves to a record below. Nothing here sits behind an account.

1. [1]

   California Insurance Code Section 10089.6 (creation of the California Earthquake Authority)(opens the original record on California Legislative Information (California Legislature))

   California Legislative Information (California Legislature)Primary lawPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Changes only by legislative amendment.ID ca-ins-code-10089-point-6

   What this source supports (7)

   • Section 10089.6(a)(1) provides that there is hereby created the California Earthquake Authority, which shall be administered and governed by the governing board described in Section 10089.7 under the authority of the commissioner, and overseen by the California Catastrophe Response Council solely with regard to administrative or support services the authority may provide to or for the benefit of the Wildfire Fund or the Wildfire Fund Administrator, with all other businesses or activities of the authority governed solely by the board.
   • Section 10089.6(a)(1) provides that the authority shall be authorized to transact insurance in this state as necessary to sell policies of basic residential earthquake insurance in the manner set forth in Sections 10089.26, 10089.27, and 10089.28, and that the authority shall have no authority to transact any other type of insurance business.
   • Section 10089.6(b)(2) provides that the rights, obligations, and duties owed by the authority to its insureds, beneficiaries of insureds, and applicants for insurance shall be the same as those owed by insurers under common law, regulations, and statutes, and that the authority shall be liable to them as an insurer is liable.
   • Section 10089.6(a)(1) begins: 'There is hereby created the California Earthquake Authority, which shall be administered and governed by the governing board described in Section 10089.7 under the authority of the commissioner and overseen by the California Catastrophe Response Council solely with regard to any administrative or support services the authority may provide to, or for the benefit of, the Wildfire Fund'. The sentence does not end at the word 'commissioner'.
   • Section 10089.6(a)(1) further provides that all other businesses or activities of the authority unrelated to the Wildfire Fund shall be governed solely by the board, and that the authority shall have the powers conferred by the chapter.
   • The section sits in CHAPTER 8.6. California Earthquake Authority [10089.5 - 10089.55], added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 944, Sec. 2.
   • This section establishes that the California Earthquake Authority exists and is state-created; it says nothing about CEA's market share.

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2. [2]

   California Insurance Code section 10089.7(opens the original record on California Legislative Information (California Legislature))

   California Legislative Information (California Legislature)Primary lawPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Changes only by legislative amendment.ID ca-ins-code-10089-point-7

   What this source supports (4)

   • Section 10089.7(a) provides that the authority shall be governed by a three-member governing board consisting of the Governor, the Treasurer, and the Insurance Commissioner, each of whom may name designees to serve as board members in their place.
   • Section 10089.7(a) provides that the Speaker of the Assembly and the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Rules shall serve as nonvoting, ex officio members of the board and may name designees to serve in their place.
   • Section 10089.7(b) provides for an advisory panel that includes four members who represent insurance companies licensed to transact fire insurance in the state (two appointed by the commissioner), two licensed insurance agents (one appointed by the commissioner), and three members of the public not connected with the insurance industry, at least one of whom shall be a consumer representative, and further provides that the Speaker of the Assembly and the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Rules may each appoint one member of the public.
   • Section 10089.7(c)(6) provides that the board may contract with participating insurers to service the policies of basic residential earthquake insurance issued by the authority.

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3. [3]

   California Earthquake Authority's Story - Building Earthquake Resilience(opens the original record on California Earthquake Authority)

   California Earthquake AuthorityCarrier officialPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Updated occasionally by CEA communications.ID cea-history

   What this source supports (11)

   • CEA describes itself on this page as a not-for-profit, publicly managed, privately funded entity.
   • The page states that in 1996 the California Legislature created the California Earthquake Authority.
   • The page describes the January 17, 1994 magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake as the background to CEA's creation.
   • CEA states: 'On January 17, 1994, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake known as the Northridge earthquake rocked California's San Fernando Valley'.
   • CEA states that 'the earthquake caused an estimated $20 billion in residential damages alone' and that 'only half of that was covered by insurance'.
   • CEA states: 'In 1996, the California Legislature went one step further and created the California Earthquake Authority (CEA)'.
   • CEA describes itself as 'a not-for-profit, publicly managed, privately funded entity'.
   • CEA states: 'Today, CEA provides two-thirds of the residential earthquake insurance policies sold in California'. The page gives no as-of date and no methodology for that figure.
   • The California Legislature created the California Earthquake Authority in 1996, following the January 17, 1994 magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake.
   • CEA describes itself as a not-for-profit, publicly managed, privately funded entity, and states that it sells its policies exclusively through participating insurance companies.
   • CEA states that today it provides two-thirds of the residential earthquake insurance policies sold in California.

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4. [4]

   California Earthquake Authority home page(opens the original record on California Earthquake Authority)

   California Earthquake AuthorityCarrier officialPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Continuously maintained CEA home page.ID cea-home

   What this source supports (3)

   • CEA presents earthquake insurance in four residential categories: homeowners, condo unit owners, mobilehome and manufactured homeowners, and renters.
   • The page states: Since 1996, CEA has been encouraging California homeowners, mobilehome owners, condo-unit owners and renters to reduce their risk of earthquake damage and loss through education, mitigation and insurance.
   • The home page displays no telephone number and displays the 400 Capitol Mall, Suite 1200, Sacramento, CA 95814 address in its footer.

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5. [5]

   Best California Earthquake Insurance Providers - Top Rated Companies | CEA(opens the original record on California Earthquake Authority)

   California Earthquake AuthorityCarrier officialPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: The participating insurer list changes as insurers join or leave; re-check before relying on it.ID cea-participating-insurers

   What this source supports (3)

   • The page states: California Earthquake Authority (CEA) offers earthquake insurance policies exclusively through the residential insurance companies listed below.
   • The page carries the H1 heading Our Insurance Partners and lists individual residential insurance companies to contact for a CEA quote or to buy a CEA earthquake insurance policy.
   • The page does not state a total number of participating insurers.

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6. [6]

   Contact CEA(opens the original record on California Earthquake Authority)

   California Earthquake AuthorityCarrier officialPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Re-verify phone numbers and address before republishing.ID cea-contact

   What this source supports (6)

   • CEA publishes an Information Desk number of (888) 423-2322.
   • CEA publishes (877) 797-4300 and (916) 325-3800 for reaching CEA human resources or a specific employee.
   • CEA publishes (877) 232-4300 for the CEA Brace + Bolt program.
   • CEA publishes a mailing address of 400 Capitol Mall, Suite 1200, Sacramento, CA 95814, with hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
   • The page states: If you have a question about your CEA insurance policy, need billing or payment help, or are interested in purchasing a policy, the fastest way to get support is to contact your insurance company or agent.
   • The page publishes no email address.

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7. [7]

   License Status Inquiry(opens the original record on California Department of Insurance)

   California Department of InsuranceRegulatorPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Live database; results reflect CDI records as of the moment of the query.ID cdi-license-status

   What this source supports (4)

   • The page heading is License Status Inquiry.
   • The tool describes retrieving license details, including enforcement actions, for an insurance agent, broker, adjuster, bail agent, and agency or organization.
   • The tool offers License Number search, Individual Name Search, Business Name Search, and Enforcement Actions lookup.
   • The current public address of this CDI service is https://cdicloud.insurance.ca.gov/cal.

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8. [8]

   Insurance Company Profiles(opens the original record on California Department of Insurance)

   California Department of InsuranceRegulatorPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Underlying company data is maintained continuously by CDI.ID cdi-company-profiles

   What this source supports (3)

   • A person can search by partial or full company name to retrieve an insurance company profile, and can alternatively search for company profiles by what kind of insurance the company is able to sell in California.
   • A CDI company profile includes location, former names of the company, agent for service of process, reference information (license status, company type, state of domicile), lines of insurance the company is authorized to transact, and complaint history.
   • CDI points users to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' Global Receivership Information Database for receivership information from U.S. jurisdictions, and to California's Conservation and Liquidation Office for additional California information.

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9. [9]

   Publications(opens the original record on National Association of Insurance Commissioners)

   National Association of Insurance CommissionersStandards bodyPrimaryJurisdiction USLast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Guides are reissued in new editions periodically.ID naic-publications

   What this source supports (4)

   • The NAIC publications catalog lists consumer titles including Consumer Guide to Title Insurance (TTL-CG), Consumer's Guide to Annuities (ANB-LP, ANB-LE, ANB-LS), Consumer's Guide to Auto Insurance (AUT-PP), Consumer's Guide to Cancer Insurance (CAX-PP), Consumer's Guide to Earthquake Insurance (EQU-PP), Consumer's Guide to Homeowners Insurance (HOI-PP), Consumer's Guide to Life Insurance (LIG-LP), Consumer's Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance (LTC-LP), and Consumer's Guide to Medigap (MED-LP).
   • The catalog title for the title insurance guide is Consumer Guide to Title Insurance, without an apostrophe-s, unlike the other consumer guide titles in the catalog.
   • The catalog contains a consumer guide to earthquake insurance.
   • The catalog page also points readers to an NAIC Library for archived publications.

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Questions that reference this organization