State Insurance Appraisal Law Database
What is and is not allowed in insurance appraisal in each state, organized as statutes, administrative rules and insurance department guidance, with court decisions linked to every subject.
Insurance appraisal rules differ by state. A few states regulate appraisal by statute (Iowa and Louisiana set qualifications and ban contingency fees), some write the appraisal clause into a standard fire policy (Minnesota, California, New York), a few departments have adopted rules or guidance, and in most states the rules come from the policy and court decisions. This database records each rule with its source and the date AUA checked it.
Browse by subject: State license · Contingency fees · Impartiality · Umpire selection · Causation · Coverage · Award · Deadlines
· 19 of 51 jurisdictions researched · last updated October 20, 2026 · Download the data (JSON) · Insurance departments & regulations directory
| State | Status | State license | Contingency fees | Impartiality | Umpire selection | Causation | Coverage | Award | Deadlines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Alaska | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Arizona | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| California | Partially reviewed Review due | — | Each side pays its appraiser; umpire shared | Competent and disinterested | Appraisers select; judge if no agreement in 15 days | Limited | Not allowed | Reviewed under arbitration statutes | 20 days to name appraiser; 15 days for umpire; paid 60 days after award |
| Colorado | Partially reviewed Review due | — | Contingent-cap fee not partial per se | Impartial means no advocacy | — | — | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Delaware | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Florida | Partially reviewed Review due | — | — | — | Disqualification on four grounds only | Panel decides if coverage admitted | — | — | Pre-suit notice: 10 business days; suit allowed 90 days later |
| Georgia | Partially reviewed Review due | — | — | — | — | Extent of covered damage treated as coverage | Not allowed | — | — |
| Hawaii | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Idaho | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Illinois | Partially reviewed Review due | — | No financial interest (auto) | Competent and disinterested (auto) | Appraisers select; court appoints if no agreement (auto) | Some causation within appraisal (property) | Decided by the court (property) | Any two of three; binding (auto) | 7 / 5 / 15 / 5 business days (auto) |
| Indiana | Partially reviewed Review due | — | — | — | — | — | Left to the court | Unraised policy defenses can be waived | — |
| Iowa | Reviewed Review due | Required | Contingency fees prohibited | Competent and disinterested; conflicts disclosed | State umpire list; Division selects if no agreement | Covered peril must be stated; case law not yet reviewed | Policy terms still apply | Binding; paid within 60 days | 20 / 15 / 45 / 45 / 60 days |
| Kansas | Partially reviewed Review due | — | — | — | — | — | — | Enforceability unsettled after 2018 repeal | — |
| Kentucky | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | Partially reviewed Review due | Registration with the Commissioner | Contingency fees prohibited | Independent and qualified; conflicts disclosed | Judge selects, or Commissioner panel | — | Only for accepted claims; policy terms still apply | Itemized decision of any two | Demand within a reasonable time |
| Maine | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Maryland | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Michigan | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | Partially reviewed Review due | — | — | Competent and disinterested | Appraisers select; court appoints if no agreement | Allowed | — | Any two of three | 20 days to name appraiser; 15 days for umpire |
| Mississippi | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Missouri | Partially reviewed Review due | — | — | — | — | Whether a peril caused the damage treated as coverage | Not allowed | — | — |
| Montana | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | Partially reviewed Review due | — | — | — | — | — | — | Pre-dispute clause void; appraisal by agreement after a dispute | — |
| Nevada | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New York | Partially reviewed Review due | — | — | — | Court appoints if no agreement | — | Not allowed | Court can compel appraisal | — |
| North Carolina | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ohio | Partially reviewed Review due | — | — | — | — | — | — | Binding; narrow grounds to challenge | — |
| Oklahoma | Partially reviewed Review due | — | Each side pays its appraiser; umpire shared | Competent and disinterested | Appraisers select; district judge if no agreement | — | Amount of loss only (federal reading) | Binds only the party that demanded appraisal | 20 days to name appraiser; 15 days for umpire |
| Oregon | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pennsylvania | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | Partially reviewed Review due | — | — | Appraisers are not advocates | — | — | — | Binding absent fraud or partiality | — |
| South Dakota | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Texas | Partially reviewed Review due | — | TWIA: costs shared equally | TWIA: umpire qualifications and conflicts set by rule | TWIA: commissioner selects if no agreement | Allowed (within amount of loss) | Amount of loss only | Binding except fraud, accident or material mistake | TWIA: 60 days to demand; statewide periods pending TDI rules |
| Utah | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Vermont | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Virginia | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Washington | Partially reviewed Review due | — | — | — | — | — | — | Conclusive; bias claims may go to a jury | — |
| West Virginia | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | Partially reviewed Review due | — | — | — | Court appoints on request | — | — | Presumptively valid; narrow grounds to vacate | Limitation period tolled during appraisal |
| Wyoming | Not yet reviewed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Research, not legal advice. Each entry summarizes the linked statute, regulation, guidance or court decision as checked on the date shown. Laws change, policy wording controls, and courts in the same state can disagree. Read the source and consult a licensed attorney before relying on any entry. Coverage is not yet exhaustive: states marked "Not yet reviewed" have not been researched, not "no rule".
Latest court decisions
- Jamestown Villas Homeowners Association v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. (No. 25-3154, 2026): Award
- Alina LLC v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. (No. 5:26-cv-00692, Doc. 29, 2026): Deadlines
- One Church v. Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Co. (2026-Ohio-2764, 2026): Award
- Baytree, Condominium, Section Eight, Inc. v. Clear Blue Specialty Insurance Co. (No. 24-10889, 2026): Coverage
- In re ACE American Insurance Co. (Tex. May 8, 2026, 2026): Causation, Coverage
How this database is maintained
- Every answer links to the statute, rule, guidance or court decision it summarizes, with the date AUA checked it.
- Each state has a scheduled review date; entries past it are flagged "Review due".
- Source links are checked automatically every month.
- New laws, rules and decisions are added after editorial review. Never extrapolated from one state to another.
Know of a new law, rule or decision? Email info@appraisalandumpire.com with the citation and a link.