Citizens Will Require Flood Insurance on Most Wind Policies Starting Jan. 1, 2027: What to Do Now

If your home is insured by Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and your policy includes wind coverage, flood insurance is about to become a condition of keeping that policy, no matter what your home is worth or which flood zone it is in. Florida has been phasing in this requirement since 2023. The final step applies to Citizens personal residential policies that take effect, new or at renewal, on or after January 1, 2027.

Here is what the rule says, who is exempt, and a practical plan for South Miami-Dade homeowners who don’t have flood coverage yet.

The timeline: most of it has already happened

The Florida Legislature created the requirement in December 2022. It is now in section 627.351(6)(aa), Florida Statutes, and Citizens has applied it in stages:

• Homes in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area (zones such as A, AE, AH, AO and VE): required for new policies from April 1, 2023 and for renewals from July 1, 2023.
• Outside the flood hazard area, by dwelling limit (Coverage A): $600,000 or more from January 1, 2024; $500,000 or more from January 1, 2025; $400,000 or more from January 1, 2026.
• January 1, 2027: all remaining Citizens personal residential policies with wind coverage, regardless of value.

Bills filed for the 2026 session that would have loosened the requirement (SB 1024 and HB 909) died in committee on March 13, 2026. As of today, the January 1, 2027 step stands.

Who is affected, and who isn’t

The rule applies to Citizens personal residential policies that include wind coverage, which covers most single-family homeowners policies in South Miami-Dade. Citizens lists three kinds of policies that do not need flood insurance:

• Condominium unit-owner policies
• Tenant (renters) contents policies
• Policies that exclude windstorm or hail coverage

If you have a Citizens wind-only policy, you can meet the requirement with a flood policy or with proof of a flood endorsement on your underlying multiperil policy that meets the minimum standard.

How much flood coverage Citizens requires

For dwelling policies, Citizens requires flood building coverage equal to or greater than your Citizens dwelling limit (Coverage A). If that much isn’t available from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), Citizens accepts the maximum you are eligible for: $250,000 of building coverage in the NFIP Regular Program, or $35,000 in the Emergency Program.

A 2023 change dropped flood coverage for contents (Coverage C) as a condition of Citizens eligibility, so only the dwelling has to be covered. Contents flood coverage is still worth pricing: furniture, appliances and clothing are usually the first things lost when water comes in.

The flood policy can come from the NFIP or from a private insurer authorized to write flood insurance in Florida, as long as it meets the statutory standard.

What Citizens will ask you for

New applicants and renewing policyholders must send Citizens proof of flood coverage plus a signed Policyholder Affirmation Regarding Flood Insurance (form CIT FW01). Citizens accepts any one of these as proof:

• A copy of the submitted flood application and proof of payment, if the application is still pending
• The flood policy declarations page
• For wind-only policies, proof of a qualifying flood endorsement on the underlying multiperil policy

The law lets Citizens deny coverage to a policyholder who refuses to secure and maintain flood insurance. Put simply: no flood policy, no Citizens renewal.

What to do now: a step-by-step plan

1. Find your renewal date. It is on your Citizens declarations page. Any renewal effective on or after January 1, 2027 needs flood coverage in place.
2. Check your Coverage A amount. That number sets how much flood building coverage you need (up to the NFIP maximum).
3. Look up your flood zone with Miami-Dade County’s flood zone map tool or FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center. From 2027 your zone no longer decides whether Citizens requires flood coverage, but it affects how the flood policy is rated.
4. Apply early. A new NFIP policy generally takes effect 30 days after you apply and pay. For a January renewal, apply by November at the latest, and sooner is better.
5. Watch the December 11 date. Congress has extended the NFIP’s authority to issue new policies only through December 11, 2026. If that authority lapses, new NFIP policies can’t be issued until Congress acts, which is one more reason not to wait.
6. Send proof and the signed affirmation to Citizens through your agent before the renewal date.
7. Look at your whole package. Citizens itself points out that private insurers are not required to demand flood insurance for eligibility, so a private offer should be compared with the Citizens premium plus the flood policy. If you have received one, read how to compare a Citizens take-out offer.

Why this matters in Homestead and Florida City

Citizens puts it bluntly: rising water and storm surge are not covered by Citizens policies. In South Miami-Dade, much of the land is close to sea level and the water table sits just below the surface, so heavy rain can flood streets and yards far from Biscayne Bay. Miami-Dade County reports that moderate-to-low risk Zone X areas account for more than 20% of NFIP claims. The mandate is a deadline, but having flood coverage in place before the next hurricane season is also simply a good idea.

For a full rundown of flood zones, NFIP limits and what flood insurance covers, see our page on flood insurance in Florida City and Homestead.

How M&K Agency can help

Bring or email your Citizens declarations page. A licensed agent will check your renewal date and Coverage A, look up your flood zone with you, walk through flood options and timing, and help you gather the proof Citizens asks for. Call (305) 859-3953, visit us at 33550 S Dixie Hwy, Suite 102, Florida City (Monday–Friday 9–6, Saturday by appointment), or request a quote.

Coverage depends on the terms of the policy you choose. Talk with a licensed agent about your situation.