My Insurance Was Cancelled or Non-Renewed — Your Rights and Options

Getting a non-renewal or cancellation notice from your homeowner’s insurer is one of the most disorienting things that can happen if you live in California fire country. This page covers what the notice means, what California law requires your insurer to tell you, and the sequence of steps to take before your policy lapses. It also covers the FAIR Plan pathway, the Difference in Conditions strategy, and what to look for in a broker who places fire-country properties.

The difference between non-renewal and cancellation

These are two distinct situations, governed differently under California law.

A non-renewal means your insurer has decided not to offer you a new policy when your current one expires. You must receive a non-renewal notice at least 75 days before your policy expiration date. That 75-day window is the time you have to find replacement coverage before you have a gap.

A mid-term cancellation — where an insurer ends your policy before it expires — is much more restricted. Insurers can only cancel mid-term for specific reasons: non-payment of premium, material misrepresentation on the application, or a substantial increase in hazard. If your insurer has cancelled your policy mid-term for any other reason, that is worth contesting.

In practice, most property owners in San Diego County’s fire-country communities are receiving non-renewal notices, not mid-term cancellations. The notice you receive will tell you which situation you’re in.

What your insurer is required to tell you

California requires the non-renewal notice to state the reason or reasons for non-renewal. If the insurer used a wildfire risk score or classification in making that decision, it must also provide the score or classification and a detailed written explanation of the property features that influenced it. Those rights are established under 10 CCR § 2644.9, administered by the California Department of Insurance.

If you received a non-renewal notice that doesn’t include a reason, or if a wildfire risk model was used and no score or explanation was provided, you have the right to request that information in writing. Contact the CDI if your insurer does not respond adequately.

California’s non-renewal notice requirements direct consumers to CDI resources for finding alternative coverage, including the FAIR Plan. You can reach CDI’s consumer line and find the FAIR Plan referral tool at insurance.ca.gov.

Your options before the policy lapses — in order of preference

1. Find a replacement carrier through an independent broker

This is the first thing to do — before you spend time disputing the non-renewal. Some admitted carriers still write homeowner policies in parts of California fire country, but availability is limited and highly property-specific. Market access varies by location, property type, and current carrier appetite, which shifts.

The critical distinction is between a captive agent (who represents one company) and an independent broker (who works with multiple carriers). For fire-country properties, you need an independent broker who specifically places E&S (excess and surplus) and admitted fire-zone policies. A general insurance agent who happens to write homeowner policies is not the same thing.

When you contact a broker, have the following ready: your property address, square footage, year built, any documentation of mitigation work you’ve done, and your FHSZ designation. The broker will run your property through their carrier markets.

2. Ask your insurer what documentation might support reconsideration

Before assuming the non-renewal is final, it’s worth a direct conversation with your insurer’s underwriting department — not the customer service line — about what mitigation documentation or property changes might lead them to reconsider. Under 10 CCR § 2644.9, you have the right to request your wildfire risk score and submit documentation of completed mitigation for reconsideration. An independent broker familiar with California wildfire insurance can help you frame that request effectively.

3. The FAIR Plan pathway

If you cannot find admitted market coverage after a diligent search, the California FAIR Plan is the insurer of last resort. Most homeowners access the FAIR Plan through a licensed broker registered with the FAIR Plan. It provides basic dwelling fire coverage — fire, lightning, internal explosion, and smoke — but not liability, theft, water damage, or most other perils a standard homeowner’s policy covers.

Most property owners using the FAIR Plan pair it with a Difference in Conditions (DIC) policy from a surplus lines carrier, which fills in the coverage gaps. The combination of FAIR Plan + DIC is the functional standard for properties that cannot obtain standard market coverage.

4. Document your mitigation work — it affects your options

Whether you’re trying to re-enter the admitted market, get your risk score corrected, or strengthen your position with a new carrier, documented mitigation work matters. Vegetation management, Zone 0 compliance, home hardening improvements — photograph, date, and document all of it in writing. Without documentation, mitigation work you’ve already done may not be recognized in an underwriting review.

The disaster moratorium

Under SB 824, after a Governor-declared wildfire emergency, insurers are prohibited from non-renewing residential policies in affected areas for one year from the declaration. CDI identifies the protected ZIP codes in its moratorium bulletins issued after each declared emergency — the practical scope is set by those bulletins, not by a general reading of proximity to the fire. Check CDI’s current moratorium status for your ZIP code at insurance.ca.gov.

What the CDI can and can’t do

The California Department of Insurance regulates insurer conduct but cannot force an insurer to issue or renew a policy. What it can do: investigate whether your non-renewal notice met the required legal standards, determine whether a moratorium applies to your situation, and take action against insurers who are not following California law. File a complaint at insurance.ca.gov if you believe your insurer has not followed the required procedures.