My home was not damaged, but my insurer is not renewing after a nearby wildfire. Is that allowed?

What this assumes

• The policy is residential property insurance as section 675.1 uses that term, which it defines by reference to subdivision (a) of Section 10087 [1].

• A state of emergency has been declared, since the one-year clock runs from that declaration [1].

• The property is not primarily insuring risks arising from the conduct of a commercial or industrial enterprise, which the article does not reach [4].

What changes the answer

• Whether your ZIP Code appears in the commissioner's bulletin as within or adjacent to the fire perimeter [1].

• The date of the emergency declaration, since the year runs from it rather than from the fire or from the notice [1].

• Whether the stated reason is solely that the structure sits in a wildfire area, which is what the section bars [1].

• Whether the named insured committed willful or grossly negligent acts materially increasing the risk, whether unrelated losses render the risk ineligible, or whether physical changes make the property uninsurable, each of which takes the protection away [1].

• Whether the notice met the 75-day requirement and stated its specific reasons [3].

Where it varies by state, form, carrier, or fact

• This is California. Post-disaster moratoria exist in some other states and not others, and where they exist the trigger and the length differ.

• The moratorium is a pause, not a permanent entitlement. It bars nonrenewal for one year on that ground; it does not require renewal indefinitely.

• Whether a particular reason is solely the wildfire location, or genuinely something else, is the point most likely to be argued, and it turns on what the notice says and what the file shows.

Next actions

1. Find the commissioner's bulletin for the relevant declaration and check whether your ZIP Code is listed [1][2].

2. Note the date of the emergency declaration and count one year forward [1].

3. Read the nonrenewal notice for the specific reason it gives, which the statute requires it to contain [3].

4. Check the notice date against the 75-day requirement, because a notice given late leaves the existing policy in force for the corresponding period [3].

5. If the ZIP Code is listed and the reason is the location, raise it with the insurer in writing citing the section, and with the Department of Insurance if that does not resolve it [2].

Source ledger

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

1. [1]

   California Insurance Code Section 675.1 (post-disaster cancellation and nonrenewal limits for residential property insurance)(opens the original record on California Legislative Information, Office of Legislative Counsel)

   California Legislative Information, Office of Legislative CounselPrimary lawPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Amended by legislation, and the operative facts change with each emergency proclamation; re-check leginfo and the current CDI moratorium ZIP code lists before each publication cycle.ID ca-ins-code-675-1

   What this source supports (7)

   • California Insurance Code Section 675.1 provides that an insurer shall not cancel or refuse to renew a policy of residential property insurance for a property located in any ZIP Code within or adjacent to the fire perimeter, for one year after the declaration of a state of emergency, based solely on the fact that the insured structure is located in an area in which a wildfire has occurred.
   • Where a total loss to the primary insured residence results from a disaster as defined in subdivision (b) of Civil Code Section 1689.14 and was not caused by the policyholder's negligence, Section 675.1 requires the insurer to offer renewal for at least the next two annual renewal periods, but no less than 24 months of coverage from the date of the loss.
   • Section 675.1 requires insurers, following a total loss to the primary insured residence, to adjust coverage limits, issue additional policies, or attach endorsements reflecting changes in exposure, and bars cancellation during rebuilding except for specified statutory reasons or based solely on the damaged condition of the property.
   • The Section 675.1 protections do not apply where the named insured commits willful or grossly negligent acts or omissions materially increasing any of the risks insured against, where unrelated losses render the risk ineligible, or where physical or risk changes make the property uninsurable.
   • The page carries the note 'Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 618, Sec. 1.5. (SB 894) Effective January 1, 2019.'
   • Section 675.1(b)(2) provides that the fire perimeter is determined by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in consultation with the Office of Emergency Services, that the department provides the commissioner with perimeter data, and that the commissioner then issues a bulletin to inform insurers which ZIP Codes are subject to the subdivision.
   • Section 675.1(d) provides that for purposes of the section, policy of residential property insurance has the meaning described in subdivision (a) of Section 10087.

   Merged with the duplicate record ins-675-1 on 2026-09-06. That record covered the same section and added two facts this one lacked: how the fire perimeter is fixed under subdivision (b)(2), and the definition cross-reference in subdivision (d). Both are appended above; everything else it held was already recorded here. Effective: 2019-01-01

   Active
2. [2]

   Mandatory One Year Moratorium on Non-Renewals (consumer page)(opens the original record on California Department of Insurance)

   California Department of InsuranceRegulatorPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Updated by the Department as new wildfire emergencies are declared and new moratorium bulletins are issued.ID cdi-moratorium

   What this source supports (5)

   • The Department of Insurance states that the one year moratorium on insurance cancellations and non-renewals is authorized under California Insurance Code section 675.1.
   • The Department states that the protection from cancellation or non-renewal lasts for one year from the date of the Governor's emergency declaration.
   • The Department states that this one year protection applies to all residential policyholders within the affected areas who suffer less than a total loss, including those who suffer no loss.
   • The Department states that it coordinates with CAL FIRE and the Governor's Office of Emergency Services to identify wildfire perimeters and adjacent ZIP Codes within the mandatory moratorium areas.
   • The page describes residential property insurance policies and does not describe commercial policies.

   Active
3. [3]

   California Insurance Code Section 678 (offer of renewal or notice of nonrenewal)(opens the original record on California Legislative Information, Office of Legislative Counsel)

   California Legislative Information, Office of Legislative CounselPrimary lawPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Amended by legislation; re-check leginfo before each publication cycle.ID ca-ins-code-678

   What this source supports (6)

   • California Insurance Code Section 678(a) requires an insurer, at least 45 days before the policy expiration, to deliver to the named insured or mail to the named insured at the address shown in the policy either an offer of renewal of the policy contingent upon payment of premium as stated in the offer, or a notice of nonrenewal.
   • The renewal offer under Section 678 must state the premium and must disclose any reduction of limits or elimination of coverage.
   • Section 678(b) provides that if the insurer fails to give the required notice, the existing policy, with no change in its terms and conditions, remains in effect for 45 days from the date the offer to renew or the notice of nonrenewal is delivered or mailed.
   • For policies expiring on or after July 1, 2020, Section 678(c) requires the notice of nonrenewal to be delivered or mailed at least 75 days before the policy expiration, with a corresponding 75-day continuation of the existing policy if the notice is not timely given.
   • The page carries the note '(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 424, Sec. 8. (SB 1242) Effective January 1, 2023.)'
   • Section 678 requires that a notice of nonrenewal contain the specific reason or reasons for the nonrenewal.

   Merged with the duplicate record ins-678 on 2026-09-06. The only fact it held that this record did not is the requirement that a nonrenewal notice state its specific reasons, which is appended above. Effective: 2023-01-01

   Active
4. [4]

   California Insurance Code Section 675 (application of the article on cancellation and nonrenewal)(opens the original record on California Legislative Information, Office of Legislative Counsel)

   California Legislative Information, Office of Legislative CounselPrimary lawPrimaryJurisdiction CALast checked August 31, 2026Updates: Amended by legislation; re-check leginfo before each publication cycle.ID ca-ins-code-675

   What this source supports (3)

   • California Insurance Code Section 675(a) applies the article to policies of insurance, other than automobile insurance and workers' compensation insurance, on risks located or resident in this state, covering damage to residential property of not more than four dwelling units, personal property within such residences, and personal liability.
   • Section 675 excludes automobile insurance and workers' compensation insurance from the article's scope.
   • Section 675(a)(3) does not reach policies primarily insuring risks arising from the conduct of a commercial or industrial enterprise.

   Active

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