Commissioner Lara protects more than 64,000 Californians in Calaveras, San Joaquin, Amador, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus counties from non-renewals following Gann Fire

News: 2026 Press ReleaseFor Release: August 14, 2026Media Calls Only: 916-492-3566Email Inquiries: cdipress@insurance.ca.gov SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today ordered insurance companies to preserve residential property insurance coverage for more than 64,000 policyholders affected by the Gann Fire after Governor Gavin Newsom issued anemergency declarationon August 6th. TheCommissioner’s Bulletinshields those living within the perimeter or adjoining 22 ZIP Codes of the wildfire from insurance non-renewal or cancellation for one year from the date of the Governor’s emergency declaration regardless of whether they suffered a loss. The Commissioner’s Bulletin also extends to certain commercial property insurance policies including commercial policies for homeowners associations, apartment complexes, and senior living facilities, among other specified real property used primarily for residential and habitational purposes, within the same perimeters and adjoining ZIP Codes for the first time following the passage of Senate Bill 547, theBusiness Insurance Protection Act, sponsored by Commissioner Lara and authored jointly by Senators Susan Rubio and Sasha Renée Pérez. “This moratorium offers tens of thousands of Californians a reprieve from the threat of losing their insurance coverage after going through a wildfire emergency,” said Commissioner Lara. “For the first time since I authored the Wildfire Safety and Recovery Act in 2018, commercial property insurance policies are now included in this important protection, meaning more Californians have peace of mind as they figure out their next steps following this fire.” Under Commissioner Lara’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy, 11 insurance groups, including seven of the state’s top homeowners carriers – Farmers, Mercury, Auto Club of Southern California, CSAA, USAA, Liberty Mutual, and Travelers, plus specialty insurance companies Pacific Specialty, California Casualty, and Horace Mann, and new entrant MS Transverse – have announced they are staying and growing in parts of the state affected by wildfires. Commissioner Lara’s moratorium actions protected more than 1.2 million homeowners in 2025 under the residential moratorium law. Consumers who were non-renewed prior to the emergency declaration date and are unable to obtain insurance or are dissatisfied with their current coverage should contact the California Department of Insurance for assistance in understanding their options and tools. Consumers can go to theDepartment of Insurance websiteto see if their ZIP Code is included in the moratorium. Consumers also should contact the Department at 800-927-4357 or via online chat or email atinsurance.ca.govif they believe their insurance company is in violation of this law, or have additional claims-related questions. Commissioner Lara’s major wildfire-related actions since taking office in 2019 include: Following the Governor’s state of emergency declarations, the Department of Insurance partners with CAL FIRE and CalOES, pursuant toexisting statute, to identify wildfire perimeters for mandatory moratorium areas. The Department will continue to collaborate with CAL FIRE and CalOES to identify additional wildfire perimeters for any fires where there is a gubernatorial declaration of a state of emergency. Led by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, the California Department of Insurance is the consumer protection agency for the nation's largest insurance marketplace and safeguards all of the state’s consumers by fairly regulating the insurance industry. Under the Commissioner’s direction, the Department uses its authority to protect Californians from insurance rates that are excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory, oversee insurer solvency to pay claims, set standards for agents and broker licensing, perform market conduct reviews of insurance companies, resolve consumer complaints, and investigate and prosecute insurance fraud. Consumers are urged to call 1-800-927-4357 with any questions or contact us atwww.insurance.ca.govvia webform or online chat. Non-media inquiries should be directed to the Consumer Hotline at 800-927-4357. Teletypewriter (TTY), please dial 800-482-4833. This Google™ translation feature is provided for informational purposes only. The Department of Insurance is unable to guarantee the accuracy of this translation and is therefore not liable for any inaccurate information resulting from the translation application tool. The Department of Insurance is also unable to guarantee the same page layout for all the languages. Depending on the languages, the page layout may look strange from the original. Please consult with a translator for accuracy if you are relying on the translation or are using this site for official business. A copy of this disclaimer can also be found on ourDisclaimerpage. Close this box or use the [X]