Commissioner Lara protects nearly 150,000 Californians in Kern, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties from non-renewals following Gifford Fire

News: 2026 Press ReleaseFor Release: January 9, 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 147,000 policyholders affected by the Gifford Fire after Governor Gavin Newsom issued anemergency declarationon December 23rd. The Commissioner’s Bulletin shields those living within the perimeters or adjoining 29 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. “Today’s action offers thousands of Californians a reprieve from the stress of losing their insurance coverage after going through a wildfire emergency,” said Commissioner Lara. “This protection is needed now as we bring back insurance options to all parts of our state for those who need them the most.” Under Commissioner Lara’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy, six insurance companies, including four of the state’s top homeowners carriers – Farmers, Mercury, CSAA, USAA, Pacific Specialty, and California Casualty – have announced they are staying and growing in parts of the state affected by wildfires. The Commissioner’s ability to issue moratoriums is a result of a California law he authored in 2018 while serving as state senator in order to provide temporary relief from insurance non-renewals and cancellations to residents living within or adjacent to a gubernatorial-declared wildfire disaster. Commissioner Lara’s actions protected more than 1.2 million homeowners in 2025 under this 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. In addition, last year Commissioner Lara sponsored the Business Insurance Protection Act (Pérez and Rubio, SB 547, Chapter 547, Statutes of 2025), a new law that broadens the existing insurance moratorium to include businesses, homeowners’ and condominium associations, affordable housing, senior living facilities, and non-profits. SB 547 went into effect on January 1, 2026. 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 Governor Newsom’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]