Washington Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer issu
ed an emergency order that includes asking insurers in the state
to provide grace periods for premium payments and a cancelation moratorium.
The order was drafted to provide relief to Washington
policyholders after the recent atmospheric river and winter weather
event last week. The ord
er is in effect from December 15 to February 12, 2026, and it applies
to all property/casualty insurers operating in Washington state.
The order directs insurers to:
Provide 45-day grace periods for premium payments and waive all late fees and reinstatement fees
.
Not cancel a policy for nonpayment unless directed to do so by the policyholder.
Extend the no
nrenewal notice period from 45 days to 120 days before the expiration date of the policy.
Kuderer also opene
d registration for out-of-state adjustors and sent guidance to i
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nsurers and the public on investigating and adju
sting flood damage to covered property.
Kuderer is using powers granted to her following the statewide em
ergency that Gov. Bob Ferguson declared on Dec. 10 in response to th
e widespread flooding in Washington. When the governor issues an emergency proclamation, the commissioner ca
n issue an emergency order related to insurance policies to ensure
access to coverage. The order can be extended by the commissio
ner for 30 days at a time as long as the governor’s emergency proclamation remains in effect.