Citizens is providing additional guidance and resources in response to agents’ concerns about recent changes to eligibility requirements – specifically for policyholders to maintain flood insurance for properties located in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) when their policy includes wind coverage.

Clarification on Required Limits

If writing a private flood policy where higher limits are available, only the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) maximum limits are required:

• NFIP regular program: $250,000 Coverage A, $100,000 Coverage C
• NFIP emergency program: $35,000 Coverage A, $10,000 Coverage C
• Private flood program: $250,000 Coverage A, $100,000 Coverage C

Citizens encourages you to write flood policy Coverage A and C equal to the Coverage A and C on the policy.

Required Document Updates for Condo Unit-Owners

In addition to the acceptable proof of flood coverage announced in the Personal Lines Bulletin: Flood Insurance Requirements for Citizens’ New Business, Citizens will accept a copy of the Condominium Association master policy that provides building coverage for the condo unit. A copy of a separate flood policy covering the unit-owner’s contents is also required.

Notes:

• The flood policy Coverage C amount must be equal to or greater than the Citizens policy Coverage C amount.
• The minimum Coverage C limit is $6,000 for a Citizens condo unit-owner policy.

New Flood Resource Page

Citizens has added a new Flood page on the Agents site to assist agents and credentialed agency staff with ensuring their customers are in compliance with the new flood insurance requirements

Figure 1: New Flood page on the Agents site

Log in to the Agents site and select Personal > Flood to access details about:

• Eligibility requirements for property located in an SFHA
• Future eligibility requirements for all other Personal Lines policies that include wind coverage based on their replacement cost value
• Coverage amount requirements
• Required documents, including acceptable proof of flood insurance and a signed Policyholder Affirmation Regarding Flood Insurance
• Training information, including a recorded webinar and job aids to assist agents with navigating the renewal requirements for existing policies

Agent Notifications for Existing Policies

Agents should focus on updating flood information for policies located in the SFHA that include wind coverage. To assist agents with identifying policies that require action to be eligible for a renewal offer:

• Citizens soon will send a separate Alert Bulletin to agency principals with a list of your agency’s affected policies coming due for renewal effective July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. Agency principals will need to share this list within their agency. Previous flood lists have been sent to agents of record; this list will be sent to agency principals only.
• A pre-renewal activity will be created on the agent of record’s desktop identifying policies that will require action to meet the eligibility requirements to receive a renewal offer.

Important: Agents should wait for further direction from Citizens before updating flood information for policies outside the SFHA that are due for renewal on or after January 1, 2024.

Resources

Agents and consumers may visit FloodSmart.gov or the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) for information about flood insurance and on finding a flood insurance provider.

Log in to the Agents website and:

• Select Personal > Flood for more details about Citizens’ flood insurance requirements.
• Select Personal > PR-M or PR-W, and then select the appropriate policy type on the left-menu bar and look in the Spotlight section on the right side of the page for the Product Guides and Required Document Guides.
• Select Training > Personal Job Aids to access Citizens’ learning resources:
  • Managing Your Citizens Renewals in Special Flood Zones
  • Policy Change
  • Uploading and Linking Documents
  • Learn More section, on the right side of the page for the Product Guides and Required Document Guides
• Select FAQs on the menu at the top of each page. Enter +flood in the Search field.