Under the order, insurers must offer a minimum 45-day grace period for missed property and auto insurance payments and waive late fees and reinstatement fees.
TUMWATER, Wash. — Washington’s insurance commissioner has issued an emergency order aimed at protecting residents impacted by the ongoing atmospheric river and winter weather event, requiring insurers statewide to provide payment relief and temporarily halt cancellations and nonrenewals.
Under the order, insurers must offer a minimum 45-day grace period for missed property and auto insurance payments and waive late fees and reinstatement fees between Dec. 15, 2025, and Feb. 12, 2026.
Insurance companies are also prohibited from canceling property or automobile policies for nonpayment during that period unless the policyholder specifically directs them to do so.
In addition, insurers must provide at least 120 days’ notice before any nonrenewal of property or auto policies, temporarily suspending the standard 45-day notice requirement under state law while the emergency remains in effect.
The order applies statewide and covers insurers, insurance producers, surplus line brokers and other entities regulated by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
The emergency action follows Gov. Bob Ferguson’s Dec. 10 proclamation declaring a statewide emergency related to the December atmospheric river and winter weather event. The proclamation cited widespread flooding, landslides, mudslides, bank erosion and wind damage across Washington.
Clinton Mora is a reporter for Trending Insurance News. He has previously worked for the Forbes. As a contributor to Trending Insurance News, Clinton covers emerging a wide range of property and casualty insurance related stories.