Florida property claim deadlines

Every one of these numbers was shortened between 2021 and 2023, and study material printed before SB 2-A still teaches the old ones. There are three separate families of deadlines here and the exam mixes them deliberately: what the insurer owes the policyholder, how long the policyholder has to report a claim, and how long she has to sue. Learn which family a question is asking about before you reach for a number.

Questions and answers, explained

All 12 questions above, with the correct answer and why it is correct. Everything here is on florida property claim deadlines.

1. A commercial insured completes and submits proof-of-loss statements and makes a written request that the insurer confirm whether the loss is covered. Forty-five days later the insurer has neither affirmed nor denied coverage nor advised in writing that the claim is being investigated. Under the unfair claim settlement practices provisions of the Insurance Code, the insurer has:

   • AViolated the 30-day requirement to affirm or deny coverage or state in writing that the claim is being investigatedCorrect
   • BActed properly, because it has 60 days from the completed proof of loss to respond to a written request
   • CActed properly, because the 30-day rule in the Insurance Code applies only to personal lines residential claims
   • DCommitted a third-degree felony under the Insurance Code and must be referred for prosecution

   Why: Section 626.9541(1)(i), F.S., lists unfair claim settlement practices, one of which is failing to affirm or deny full or partial coverage of claims — and, as to partial coverage, the dollar amount or extent of coverage — or failing to provide a written statement that the claim is being investigated, upon the written request of the insured within 30 days after proof-of-loss statements have been completed. The provision is not limited to personal residential business, which rules out C. This is an administrative violation subject to department action and fines, not a felony, which rules out D.

   Reference s. 626.9541(1)(i), F.S.

2. A homeowner telephones her insurer on March 3 to report roof damage from a storm. Under s. 627.7142, F.S., when must the insurer provide her with a copy of the Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights?

   • AOnly at policy issuance and at each renewal
   • BWithin 7 days after the telephone call
   • CWithin 14 days after receiving an initial communication with respect to the claimCorrect
   • DWithin 30 days after she submits a complete proof-of-loss statement

   Why: Section 627.7142, F.S., requires the insurer to provide the Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights within 14 days after receiving an initial communication with respect to a claim, for personal lines residential property policies. Do not confuse that delivery deadline with the rights it summarizes, which include acknowledgment of the claim within 7 days, a coverage determination within 30 days after a complete proof-of-loss statement, a copy of the adjuster's estimate within 7 days after it is generated, and full settlement or denial within 60 days. The document is a summary of existing rights; it does not itself create new coverage or new duties.

   Reference s. 627.7142, F.S.

3. A Miami homeowner gave timely notice of hurricane damage, the insurer adjusted and paid the claim, and fifteen months after landfall the contractor uncovers further damage from that same hurricane. The homeowner's demand for the additional amount is:

   • AA supplemental claim, and notice within 18 months of the loss is timelyCorrect
   • BA reopened claim, timely only if notice comes within 1 year of the loss
   • CA supplemental claim, but barred because the 1-year notice period ran
   • DTime-barred, since every property claim notice is due within 1 year

   Why: Section 627.70132(1)(b), F.S., defines a supplemental claim as a claim for additional loss or damage from the same peril the insurer previously adjusted, or for costs incurred while completing repairs under an open claim for which timely notice was given. Subsection (2) bars a supplemental claim unless notice is given within 18 months after the date of loss, while an initial claim or a reopened claim carries the shorter 1-year bar, so notice at fifteen months is good. B is the near-miss: a reopened claim is one the insurer closed and the insured asks to reopen for costs previously disclosed, and this damage was never disclosed. For a hurricane, subsection (3) fixes the date of loss as the date of landfall.

   Reference s. 627.70132(1)(b), (2) and (3), F.S.

4. A windstorm damages the roof of a Palm Beach County home on March 4, 2025. The owner does not report the damage to her residential property insurer until May 2026, fourteen months later. Nothing tolled the deadline. What is the result?

   • AThe claim is timely, because s. 627.70132, F.S., gives the insured 2 years from the date of loss to report an initial claim.
   • BThe claim is barred, because notice of an initial or reopened property claim is due within 1 year after the date of loss.Correct
   • CThe claim is timely, because the 5-year period for suing on a property insurance contract also governs claim notice.
   • DThe claim is barred only if the insurer proves the late notice actually prejudiced its ability to investigate the loss.

   Why: Section 627.70132(2), F.S., bars a claim under a property insurance policy unless notice of an initial or reopened claim was given to the insurer within 1 year after the date of loss; supplemental claims get 18 months. SB 2-A (December 2022) shortened the initial-claim window from 2 years to 1 year, so A recites the superseded figure and is the most common wrong answer. D imports the common-law late-notice prejudice analysis; the statute is a hard calendar bar, not a prejudice test. Note that for a hurricane, tornado or windstorm the date of loss is the date the hurricane made landfall or the date the event is verified by NOAA.

   Reference s. 627.70132(2), F.S.

5. A policyholder e-mails her residential property insurer with a question about her open claim. Under s. 627.70131, F.S., the insurer must review and acknowledge receipt of that communication within:

   • A7 calendar daysCorrect
   • B10 business days
   • C14 calendar days
   • D30 calendar days

   Why: Section 627.70131(1)(a), F.S., requires the insurer to review and acknowledge receipt of a communication with respect to a claim within 7 calendar days after receiving it, unless payment is made within that period or the failure is caused by factors beyond the insurer's control. The 14-day figure in C is a real Florida number, but it belongs to the delivery of the Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights under s. 627.7142, F.S., and to the initial-services window for PIP — a common source of confusion on exam day.

   Reference s. 627.70131(1)(a), F.S.

6. Hurricane damage occurs on September 12, 2025. The insured reports it promptly and is paid in December 2025. In April 2027 her contractor opens a wall and finds additional damage from the same hurricane, and she submits a supplemental claim. Is that notice timely?

   • AYes — a supplemental claim relates back to the original notice of loss, so no separate filing deadline applies.
   • BYes — supplemental claims may be filed at any time within the 5-year period for bringing suit on the contract.
   • CNo — notice of a supplemental claim is due within 18 months after the date of loss, and 19 months have passed.Correct
   • DNo — Florida abolished supplemental property claims entirely for losses occurring after January 1, 2023.

   Why: Section 627.70132(2), F.S., sets a separate bar for supplemental claims: notice must be given within 18 months after the date of loss. September 12, 2025 plus 18 months is March 12, 2027, so an April 2027 notice is late even though the original claim was timely and paid. B is the strongest distractor because s. 95.11(2)(e), F.S., really does give 5 years to sue for breach of a property insurance contract — but that period governs filing a lawsuit, not giving notice of a claim, and the shorter notice bar runs independently and expires first.

   Reference s. 627.70132(2), F.S.; s. 95.11(2)(e), F.S.

7. An insurer receives notice of an initial residential property insurance claim on June 1. No factors beyond the insurer's control prevent it from acting. Which statement is correct?

   • AIt must pay or deny the claim within 30 days, and no interest accrues if it pays late
   • BIt must pay or deny the claim within 60 days, with interest accruing on a late paymentCorrect
   • CIt must pay or deny the claim within 90 days, which remains the current statutory standard
   • DIt has 120 days, the same period that applies to notice of nonrenewal of a personal residential policy

   Why: Section 627.70131(7)(a), F.S., requires the insurer to pay or deny an initial, reopened, or supplemental property insurance claim within 60 days after receiving notice of it, unless the failure is caused by factors beyond the insurer's control. If payment is made after that deadline, it bears interest at the rate established under s. 55.03, F.S., running from the date the claim was filed. The 90-day standard in C is the pre-2022 rule and is now outdated; 120 days in D is the personal residential nonrenewal notice period under s. 627.4133(2), F.S., not a claim deadline.

   Reference s. 627.70131(7)(a), F.S.

8. An insurer denies a residential property claim in writing 3 months after a covered fire. The insured wants to sue for breach of contract. Under s. 95.11, F.S., how long does she have, and when does the clock begin to run?

   • AFive years, and the period runs from the date of loss rather than from the date of the insurer's denial.Correct
   • BTwo years from the date of loss — the same period Florida now applies to an action founded on negligence.
   • CFour years, running from the date on which the insurer mailed its written denial to the policyholder.
   • DFive years, running from the date the insurer denied the claim, which is when the cause of action accrued.

   Why: Section 95.11(2)(e), F.S., requires an action for breach of a property insurance contract to be brought within 5 years, with the period running from the date of loss. D is the classic trap: for most written contracts the limitation period starts when the cause of action accrues, which would be the denial, but the Legislature fixed the trigger at the date of loss for property insurance. B states the 2-year negligence period in s. 95.11(5)(a), F.S., shortened by HB 837 (2023), which governs tort actions and not a suit on the policy. Remember that this 5-year suit deadline is separate from, and much longer than, the 1-year notice-of-claim bar in s. 627.70132, F.S.

   Reference s. 95.11(2)(e), F.S.

9. A windstorm verified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration damages a homeowner's roof on March 10, 2025. She reports an initial claim on July 1, 2025 and it is paid. In February 2027 she finds additional damage from the same storm and gives her insurer notice of a supplemental claim. Under s. 627.70132, F.S., that supplemental claim is:

   • ABarred, because notice of the supplemental claim came more than 18 months after the lossCorrect
   • BTimely, because she gave notice of the initial claim itself well within 1 year of the loss
   • CTimely, because a reopened or supplemental claim may be filed within 3 years of the loss
   • DBarred, because a supplemental claim may not be filed after any payment has been made

   Why: Section 627.70132, F.S., sets two different bar dates measured from the date of loss, not from the date the first claim was reported. A claim or reopened claim is barred unless notice was given within 1 year after the date of loss; a supplemental claim is barred unless notice was given within 18 months after the date of loss. March 10, 2025 plus 18 months expired on September 10, 2026, so February 2027 is too late. Option B is the trap candidates fall for: timely notice of the initial claim does not extend the separate supplemental deadline, because each clock runs from the loss date. The 3 years in C is a stale figure rather than a current one. Under ch. 2011-39 a 3-year deadline governed claims, supplemental claims and reopened claims alike for windstorm and hurricane losses; SB 76 (ch. 2021-77) shortened it in 2021, and SB 2-A (ch. 2022-271) shortened it again in December 2022 to today's 1 year and 18 months. Supplemental claims themselves are perfectly permissible, so D misstates the law. The stem specifies NOAA verification for a reason: under s. 627.70132(3), F.S., the date of loss for a tornado, windstorm, severe rain or other weather-related event is the date the event is verified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, while for a hurricane it is the date the hurricane made landfall.

   Reference s. 627.70132(2) and (3), F.S.

10. A residential property insurer receives the policyholder's proof-of-loss statements on June 1. No factors beyond the insurer's control interfere. Under s. 627.70131(3), F.S., by when must the insurer begin its investigation and conduct any physical inspection of the property?

    • ABegin the investigation within 14 days and conduct any physical inspection within 45 days of the proof of loss.
    • BBegin the investigation within 7 days and conduct any physical inspection within 14 days of the proof of loss.
    • CBegin the investigation within 30 days and conduct any physical inspection within 60 days of the proof of loss.
    • DBegin the investigation within 7 days and conduct any physical inspection within 30 days after the proof of loss.Correct

    Why: Section 627.70131(3)(a), F.S., requires the insurer to begin such investigation as is reasonably necessary within 7 days after it receives proof-of-loss statements, and s. 627.70131(3)(b), F.S., requires any physical inspection of the property to be conducted within 30 days after receipt of those statements. A repeats the pre-SB 2-A figures of 14 and 45 days, which were shortened in December 2022 and remain the most common wrong answer. These deadlines are separate from the 7-calendar-day duty to review and acknowledge a claim communication under subsection (1) and the 60-day duty to pay or deny under subsection (7)(a).

    Reference s. 627.70131(3)(a)–(b), F.S.

11. A covered loss occurs on June 1, 2024. The insurer pays part of the claim, the parties never agree on the balance, and the insurer issues a written denial of the disputed portion on March 15, 2025. What is the outside deadline for the insured to sue for breach of the property insurance contract?

    • A2 years from the date of loss, the period that governs negligence actions
    • B4 years from the date the insurer denied the disputed part of the claim
    • C5 years from the date of loss, regardless of when the denial occurredCorrect
    • D5 years from the date the insurer denied the disputed part of the claim

    Why: Section 95.11(2)(e), F.S., gives a 5-year limitations period for an action for breach of a property insurance contract and expressly provides that the period runs from the date of loss. Option D is the near-miss almost every candidate considers, because most contract limitation periods start when the cause of action accrues — here the Legislature fixed the trigger to the loss date instead, so a long claim-handling process eats into the insured's own filing window. Do not confuse this with the 2-year negligence period in s. 95.11(5)(a), shortened by HB 837 in 2023, and do not confuse it with the far shorter notice-of-claim deadlines in s. 627.70132, F.S., which are conditions on the claim rather than on the lawsuit.

    Reference s. 95.11(2)(e), F.S.

12. A field adjuster generates a detailed line-item estimate of a hurricane loss on August 10 and uploads it into the insurer's claim file. The policyholder has not asked to see it. Under s. 627.70131, F.S., what must the insurer do with that estimate?

    • ASend the policyholder a copy within 7 days after the adjuster generated it, without waiting for a request.Correct
    • BSend a copy only if the policyholder submits a written request, and then within 30 days of that request.
    • CTreat the estimate as insurer work product and withhold it unless the claim is denied or enters litigation.
    • DSend a copy together with the first claim payment or the written denial, whichever the insurer issues first.

    Why: Section 627.70131(3)(e), F.S., states that the insurer must send the policyholder a copy of any detailed estimate of the amount of the loss within 7 days after the estimate is generated by an insurer's adjuster. The duty is automatic and self-executing, which is why B is wrong: no policyholder request is required and no 30-day window applies. This transparency requirement was added by SB 2-A (December 2022) along with the shortened investigation, inspection and payment deadlines in the same section.

    Reference s. 627.70131(3)(e), F.S.

Drill the whole domain

• Florida Statutes, Rules and Regulations Common to All Lines (15%)
• Florida Statutes, Rules and Regulations Pertinent to Property and Casualty (15%)
• Property Insurance Terms and Related Concepts (9.5%)

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