California’s one-year protection from insurance cancellation after a wildfire emergency — and what comes next
Last reviewed: March 2026 · Also known as: The Wildfire Safety and Recovery Act · Signed into law: 2018 · Effective: January 1, 2019
What this law is
Senate Bill 824, authored by then-Senator Ricardo Lara and signed into law in 2018, established California’s mandatory one-year moratorium on insurance non-renewals following a wildfire state of emergency. It is codified in California Insurance Code Section 675.1 and is also known as the Wildfire Safety and Recovery Act.
The law is straightforward: when the Governor declares a state of emergency because of a wildfire, insurance companies are prohibited from canceling or refusing to renew residential property insurance policies for any property located in a ZIP code within or adjacent to the fire perimeter — for one year from the date of the declaration. This protection applies whether or not the insured property suffered a loss.
Before SB 824, California law only protected homeowners who suffered a total loss from non-renewal. SB 824 extended that protection to all residents living near a declared wildfire disaster — recognizing for the first time in law that the disruption caused by non-renewals affects entire communities, not just properties that burned.
Since the law took effect in 2019, the California Department of Insurance (CDI) has invoked it following every major wildfire emergency declaration, protecting millions of California homeowners. Following the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, the moratorium was immediately activated for affected ZIP codes across Los Angeles and surrounding areas. SB 547, signed in 2025, extended similar protections to commercial policies, HOAs, condominiums, and affordable housing — building directly on SB 824’s framework.
The fire science behind it
SB 824 is not a fire science law in the same way PRC 4291 or AB 3074 are — it does not govern defensible space or structure hardening. But it exists because of a fire behavior reality: wildfires do not respect property lines, and the insurance consequences of a fire extend far beyond the properties that burned.
When a major wildfire burns through a community, the fire risk profile of every property in the surrounding area changes — in the eyes of insurers, in the data models they use, and in the actual landscape conditions that will affect the next fire. A property that was not touched by the fire but sits in the same fuel type, on similar terrain, in the same wind corridor, is statistically more likely to be in the path of a future fire than it was before. Insurers know this. The response, historically, was to non-renew those properties immediately after a fire event.
SB 824 creates a pause in that process. It does not change the underlying risk. It does not prevent insurers from eventually non-renewing based on wildfire risk. What it does is give property owners one year of breathing room to take action — to document mitigation work, to pursue alternatives, to make informed decisions about the property — rather than being dropped in the immediate aftermath of a disaster when options are most limited and costs are highest.
That one year window is most valuable to property owners who use it productively. A fire-informed assessment conducted during the moratorium period documents the current condition of the property, identifies what mitigation work would most reduce its risk profile, and produces the documentation that supports a case for reinstatement with a standard carrier — or the best possible position on the FAIR Plan. Learn more at Cal Wildfire Defense.
Who this law applies to
SB 824’s moratorium applies to all residential property insurance policies in ZIP codes within or adjacent to the fire perimeter of a wildfire for which the Governor has declared a state of emergency. It applies to all policyholders in those ZIP codes — whether or not their specific property was threatened or damaged.
Homeowners who suffered a total property loss receive extended protection — up to 24 months from the loss date, rather than the standard one year.
The moratorium covers residential property insurance. SB 547 (2025) extended a similar moratorium framework to commercial policies, HOAs, condominiums, affordable housing, and non-profits — but that is a separate, newer law. SB 824 itself covers residential policies.
Properties in San Diego County’s fire-country communities — Alpine, Descanso, Julian, Pine Valley, Fallbrook, Ramona, Warner Springs, and surrounding areas — are in fire corridors that have seen state-of-emergency declarations in the past and are at elevated risk for future events. For property owners in these communities, understanding SB 824 before a fire event — not after — is the right approach.
What it requires
The moratorium trigger
The moratorium is activated automatically when the Governor declares a state of emergency for a wildfire. The CDI then partners with CAL FIRE and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) to identify the fire perimeter and the ZIP codes within or adjacent to it. The CDI publishes a Commissioner’s Bulletin identifying the covered ZIP codes.
If your ZIP code is included in the bulletin and you receive a notice of cancellation or non-renewal for wildfire risk during the moratorium period, you should contact your insurance company and request reinstatement. If the insurer refuses, contact the CDI at 800-927-4357 or insurance.ca.gov.
What the moratorium does not cover
The moratorium prohibits non-renewal based solely on the fact that the insured structure is located in an area where a wildfire has occurred. It does not prohibit non-renewal for other reasons — such as non-payment of premium, material misrepresentation, or a change in the property’s condition unrelated to the wildfire.
The moratorium is temporary. After one year — or two years for total loss properties — the insurer may again cancel or non-renew based on wildfire risk. Property owners who have not taken action during the moratorium period may find themselves in a worse position at the end of it than they were at the beginning.
The FAIR Plan as backstop
When the moratorium expires and a property owner cannot obtain or retain standard market coverage, the California FAIR Plan — the state’s insurer of last resort — is the fallback. The FAIR Plan offers coverage for fire perils and has been significantly expanded in recent years. As of early 2025, nearly 600,000 California homeowners were on the FAIR Plan — a number that has grown sharply as major carriers have withdrawn from California’s residential market. FAIR Plan coverage is generally more expensive and less comprehensive than standard market coverage. Getting off the FAIR Plan and back into the standard market requires documented mitigation work.
Official statutory text
The full text of SB 824 and the CDI moratorium program are available at the following official sources.
Both links open official California government sources.
The CDI moratorium page lists all active and recent moratoriums by fire name with ZIP code coverage.
Enforcement
The CDI enforces SB 824. When a moratorium is in effect, the CDI issues a Commissioner’s Bulletin identifying covered ZIP codes and notifying insurers of their obligations. Insurers that cancel or non-renew policies in violation of the moratorium are subject to CDI enforcement action.
If you believe your insurer has violated the moratorium — issued a non-renewal or cancellation during the protected period for a wildfire-related reason — contact the CDI at 800-927-4357 or file a Request for Assistance at insurance.ca.gov. The CDI can compel reinstatement where a violation is found.
Consumers who were non-renewed prior to the emergency declaration date and are unable to obtain insurance or are dissatisfied with their coverage should also contact the CDI for assistance. The moratorium does not retroactively reverse non-renewals that preceded the declaration, but the CDI can advise on available options including FAIR Plan access and voluntary carrier programs.
Addressing the underlying risk
SB 824 gives property owners one year. How that year is used determines what comes next. A moratorium that expires without documented mitigation work leaves a property owner in the same position they were in before — or worse, because the fire event that triggered the moratorium has now updated the insurer’s risk model for that area.
Use the moratorium year productively
The year of protection is the window to document, improve, and position. Schedule a fire-informed property assessment early in the moratorium period — not in month eleven. An assessment identifies what work would most reduce the property’s risk profile, produces documentation you can present to your current insurer or a new carrier, and gives you the evidence base to argue for renewal or to seek alternative coverage from a position of strength.
Understand what insurers are looking at
Insurers use wildfire risk models that score properties based on vegetation, terrain, structure characteristics, access, and local fire history. After a wildfire in an area, those scores typically increase — the fire has updated the data. Mitigation work that reduces the score — cleared defensible space, Zone 0 compliance, screened vents, fire-resistant roofing — is the documented evidence that your property is less risky than the raw model suggests. Under the Safer from Wildfires regulation, insurers are required to consider that documentation.
If you end up on the FAIR Plan
The FAIR Plan is not a dead end — but it requires active management. Properties on the FAIR Plan that document significant mitigation work may be able to qualify for wraparound coverage from surplus lines carriers, or to return to the standard market as carriers re-enter California under the CDI’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy. The documented inspection report from a fire-informed assessment is the starting point for that process.
Related laws
These laws work alongside SB 824 or directly address the insurance conditions it was designed to respond to.
- Insurance Code 2644.9 — Non-renewal notice requirements before a fire event(link to /california-law/state-laws-regulations/2644-9-insurance-regulation/)
- SB 504 — Wildfire mitigation discounts that help property owners stay in the standard market(link to /california-law/state-laws-regulations/sb-504/)
- PRC 4291 — Defensible space compliance, the foundation of any insurance mitigation case(link to /california-law/state-laws-regulations/prc-4291/)
- AB 3074 — Zone 0 ember-resistant zone, a key Safer from Wildfires discount action(link to /california-law/state-laws-regulations/ab-3074-zone-0/)
AB 38 — Home hardening disclosure at point of sale(link to /california-law/state-laws-regulations/ab-38/)
Resources and references
The following are official sources used in preparing this page.
- SB 824 Official Text — Full bill text as signed
- CDI Moratorium ZIP Code Lookup — Active and recent moratoriums by fire name
- CDI Wildfire Response and Readiness — Consumer resources including FAIR Plan information
- California FAIR Plan — Coverage options, eligibility, and enrollment
- CDI Consumer Hotline — 800-927-4357 — File complaints, request assistance, appeal non-renewals
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.