California Insurance Commissioner Issues Year Moratorium on Cancellations, Non-Renewals Following Wildfires

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara ordered insurance companies to preserve residential insurance coverage for more than 85,000 policyholders affected by fires in Santa Barbara County and Monterey County after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued emergency declarations this month.

The commissioner’s bulletin shields those living within the perimeters or adjoining ZIP Codes of the Alisal Fire and Colorado Fire from insurance non-renewal or cancellation for one year from the date of the Governor’s July 1 declaration regardless of whether they suffered a loss.

The order protects more 85,000 policyholders.

Consumers can go to the California Department of Insurance website to see if their ZIP Code is included in the moratorium.