What California’s wildfire rating regulation requires insurers to tell you — and what you can do about it
Last reviewed: March 2026 · Regulation effective: October 14, 2022 · Part of the Safer from Wildfires framework
What this regulation is
California Code of Regulations Title 10, Section 2644.9 — commonly referred to as the Safer from Wildfires rating regulation or Insurance Code 2644.9 — is a landmark insurance regulation enacted by California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on October 14, 2022. It is the first regulation of its kind in the nation. It requires every insurance company that uses wildfire risk in its rating process to do three things: incorporate wildfire mitigation into its pricing model, disclose the wildfire risk score it assigns to each property to the policyholder, and provide a process for policyholders to appeal that score.
Before this regulation, insurers could assign wildfire risk scores to properties — scores that affected premiums and non-renewal decisions — without telling the policyholder what the score was, how it was calculated, or what the policyholder could do to change it. Property owners who had invested in defensible space, home hardening, and community fire safety had no guaranteed mechanism to have that investment recognized in their insurance costs. Section 2644.9 changed that.
The regulation is part of California’s Safer from Wildfires framework — a collaboration between the California Department of Insurance (CDI) and the state’s emergency preparedness agencies that identifies specific, documented wildfire mitigation actions that insurers must recognize in their rating plans. SB 504 (2024) codified elements of this framework into statute, strengthening the legal basis for the regulation’s requirements.
The fire science behind it
Section 2644.9 exists because the connection between wildfire mitigation and structure survivability is measurable, documented, and real — and because that measurability was not being reflected in insurance pricing. Post-fire investigations by CAL FIRE, the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have consistently documented that properties with defensible space, ember-resistant Zone 0 perimeters, screened vents, and fire-resistant roofing survive wildfires at significantly higher rates than comparable properties without those features.
An insurer’s wildfire risk model scores a property based on factors including vegetation type and density, terrain and slope, historical fire occurrence, proximity to wildland areas, and structure characteristics. That score affects the premium the policyholder pays and — critically — whether the insurer will renew the policy at all. Before 2644.9, policyholders had no right to see that score, no right to understand what drove it, and no guaranteed right to have mitigation work reflected in it.
The regulation does not change the underlying fire risk. A property in a high-fire-risk area is still in a high-fire-risk area. What it changes is the relationship between actual mitigation work and insurance cost — and the transparency of how that relationship works. A property owner who has done the work, documented it, and can demonstrate it to their insurer now has a legal mechanism to have that investment recognized. A fire-informed property assessment produces exactly that documentation. Learn more at Cal Wildfire Defense.
Who this law applies to
Section 2644.9 applies to any insurer that uses wildfire risk in its rating process — any insurer whose premiums, rate differentials, or surcharges are determined in whole or in part by a wildfire risk model or rating factor. This covers the vast majority of residential and commercial property insurers operating in California.
The regulation applies to both residential property insurance — homeowners, dwelling fire — and commercial property insurance filed on an admitted basis in California. It does not apply to commercial policies insuring multiple locations where wildfire risk is not considered in rating.
For property owners in San Diego County’s fire-country communities — Alpine, Descanso, Julian, Pine Valley, Fallbrook, Ramona, Warner Springs, Lakeside, Santee, and surrounding areas — virtually every homeowners insurer operating in these ZIP codes uses wildfire risk in its rating. Section 2644.9 applies to all of them.
What it requires
Wildfire risk score disclosure
If an insurer uses a wildfire risk model or rating factor in setting your premium, it must provide you with your wildfire risk score or risk classification in writing. This disclosure must be made at four specific times: within 15 days of receiving your completed application for insurance, at least 45 days prior to each renewal, at least 75 days prior to any non-renewal, and within 30 days of you notifying the insurer that you have completed a wildfire mitigation measure.
The disclosure must include more than just the score. The insurer must also tell you the range of possible scores, where your score falls within that range, what factors contributed to your score, and how you can improve it. If you are notified of a non-renewal, the insurer must explain how the score contributed to that decision.
Mitigation must be reflected in rates
Insurers must incorporate wildfire mitigation factors into their rating plans. The regulation identifies 12 specific mitigation measures grouped into three categories — community-level designations, property-level immediate surroundings, and structure-level improvements — that must be reflected in the insurer’s pricing.
Community-level: living in a Fire Risk Reduction Community designated by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, or in a Firewise USA site in good standing.
Property-level: clearing debris and vegetation from under decks, clearing Zone 0 (the five-foot ember-resistant perimeter around the structure), and maintaining defensible space in compliance with PRC 4291.
Structure-level: installing a Class A fire-rated roof, screening vents with appropriate mesh, replacing single-pane windows with dual-pane tempered glass, using non-combustible siding or skirting, and enclosing eaves and vulnerable openings.
The right to appeal
If you believe your wildfire risk score is inaccurate — for example, because mitigation work you have completed is not reflected — you have the right to appeal the score directly to your insurer. The insurer must acknowledge your appeal in writing within 10 calendar days and provide a written response within 30 calendar days.
If the insurer denies your appeal, you have the right to contact the CDI for assistance. The insurer must notify you of this right in writing whenever it provides your score. You can contact the CDI at 800-927-4357 or insurance.ca.gov.
Official statutory text
The full text of California Code of Regulations Title 10, Section 2644.9 is available at the following official sources.
Both links open official California government or regulatory sources.
Enforcement
The CDI enforces Section 2644.9. Insurers that fail to disclose wildfire risk scores, fail to incorporate mitigation factors into their rating plans, or fail to establish an appeal process are subject to CDI enforcement action. Insurers were required to submit compliant rate applications by April 12, 2023.
If your insurer has not provided your wildfire risk score as required, or has not responded appropriately to your disclosure request, contact the CDI at 800-927-4357 or insurance.ca.gov to file a complaint. The CDI can compel compliance.
If you have appealed your risk score and the appeal has been denied, you can request CDI assistance. The CDI cannot override an insurer’s risk assessment, but it can review whether the insurer’s process complied with the regulation’s requirements.
Addressing the underlying risk
Section 2644.9 gives property owners a mechanism — but the mechanism only works if the mitigation work has been done and documented. An undocumented claim that you have cleared defensible space is not the same as a professional inspection report showing the current condition of your property. The regulation requires insurers to consider documented mitigation. The documentation is the key.
Request your risk score now — don’t wait for renewal
You have the right to your wildfire risk score at any time. Request it from your insurer in writing before your next renewal. Understanding your current score tells you where you stand and what factors are driving your premium or non-renewal risk. That information lets you make targeted decisions about what mitigation work would have the most impact on your score.
Complete mitigation work and notify your insurer immediately
The regulation requires your insurer to update your risk score within 30 days of you notifying them that a mitigation measure has been completed. This means the timing of your notification matters. Complete the work, document it with photographs and professional inspection reports, and notify your insurer promptly. Do not wait for renewal.
Build a complete documentation file
A professional fire-informed assessment produces the documentation that makes your mitigation case concrete — not just a checklist you filled out yourself, but a professional analysis of your property’s condition against the Safer from Wildfires standard. That documentation is what you present when you request a score update, when you appeal a score, and when you pursue coverage with a new carrier.
Every action under Safer from Wildfires qualifies for an insurance discount. The question is whether you have the documentation to claim it.
Every property presents a unique combination of slope, aspect, fuel type, structure placement, and access. A fire-informed assessment evaluates all of these factors together — not just whether vegetation is cleared to the required distance, but whether the cleared zones actually address the specific ways fire could approach and ignite your structure.
Related laws
These laws and regulations work directly alongside Section 2644.9.
- SB 504 — Wildfire mitigation discounts and defensible space, codified in statute
- SB 824 — One-year non-renewal moratorium after a wildfire emergency
- PRC 4291 — Defensible space compliance, the foundation of property-level mitigation
- AB 3074 — Zone 0 ember-resistant zone, a key Safer from Wildfires mitigation action
- AB 38 — Home hardening disclosure at point of sale
Resources and references
The following are official sources used in preparing this page.
- Section 2644.9 Official Text — Full regulatory text
- CDI Safer from Wildfires — Consumer program overview and FAQ
- CDI Safer from Wildfires FAQ (PDF) — How to request scores, claim discounts, and appeal
- CDI Consumer Hotline — 800-927-4357 — File complaints, request score disclosure, appeal denials
- IBHS Wildfire Research — ibhs.org — Fire science basis for structure survivability measures
Disclaimers
The content on this page is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws and regulations change — always verify current requirements with CAL FIRE or a licensed attorney. Last reviewed March 2026.
Fire science content on this site has been developed with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed for accuracy against current CAL FIRE, NFPA, and peer-reviewed fire behavior research. This content is educational and does not constitute legal or professional advice. For property-specific guidance, consult a qualified wildfire mitigation professional.