Citizens Property Insurance Through a Local Agent: Who Qualifies, How to Apply and What Happens at Renewal

Citizens Property Insurance Corporation is not a private company. Florida law created it as a government entity to insure property for owners who, in good faith, cannot get coverage in the private market (s. 627.351(6)(a), F.S.). Many South Miami-Dade homeowners start looking for it after a nonrenewal notice. This guide explains who qualifies, how an application works, what changes at every renewal, and where current policyholders can find their documents.

Who can get a Citizens policy

Under Florida law, Citizens may write a new policy only when one of these is true (Citizens: Get a Policy):

• No Florida-authorized insurance company offers coverage for the property, or
• Every offer from an authorized insurer is more than 20% higher than the Citizens premium for comparable coverage.

That second test is known as the 20% rule. In practice, the agent multiplies the Citizens premium by 1.2. If any authorized offer for comparable coverage comes in at or below that number, a primary residence is not eligible for Citizens (s. 627.351(6)(c)5.a.).

Second homes and rentals have a stricter version. For a home that is not a primary residence, an offer from an approved surplus lines insurer made through a take-out plan also counts (s. 627.351(6)(c)5.b.). In the Citizens statute’s rate section, a primary residence is described as the home the policyholder (or, for a rental, the tenant) lives in for more than 9 months of each year (s. 627.351(6)(n)).

Value limits and other conditions

• Value cap. A home with a dwelling replacement cost of $700,000 or more is not eligible. For a condo unit, the cap applies to dwelling plus contents (s. 627.351(6)(a)3.). In counties where regulators find too little competition, the limit is under $1 million, and Citizens’ coverage worksheets list Miami-Dade and Monroe (Citizens DP-1 worksheet). Replacement cost is what it would take to rebuild the house, not its sale price.
• Flood insurance. Most new and renewing Citizens personal residential policies that include wind must carry flood coverage by January 1, 2027. Condo unit-owner, tenant and wind-excluded policies are exempt (Citizens: Flood). Details are in our guide to the Citizens 2027 flood requirement.
• Roof and condition. Citizens has its own roof-age rules, explained in Is your roof too old for home insurance?. Your agent will tell you which inspections, if any, the application needs (Citizens: Visiting Your Agent).
• Wind-only policies. In certain coastal areas Citizens offers policies that cover only wind (s. 627.351(6)(b)). Its Wind-Only Eligibility tool checks an address.

How to apply: only through a Citizens-appointed agent

You cannot buy a Citizens policy directly from Citizens. In its own words, “only appointed Citizens agents can help you purchase a Citizens policy,” and its Agent Look-Up tool lists them (Citizens: Get a Policy). Before placing a policy, the agent must run it through the Clearinghouse, a program required by s. 627.3518, F.S. that checks private-market offers first. If the Clearinghouse returns an authorized offer at or below the 20% threshold, the home is not eligible for Citizens and the application stops there (s. 627.3518(6)(a); Citizens: Clearinghouse).

Citizens may ask the agent to upload proof of prior coverage: a renewal offer, a nonrenewal or cancellation notice, or purchase documents for a newly bought home. No proof is needed if coverage lapsed more than 45 days ago.

What to gather before the appointment

Citizens suggests collecting as much of this as you can (Visiting Your Agent):

• Construction type, year built, number of rooms and total living area
• Roof covering, shape, condition and date of the last update
• Years the electrical, plumbing and heating/cooling systems were updated
• Wind-mitigation features and documents, such as a wind mitigation inspection
• Front and back photos, plus details on any pool, alarm system, home business or nearby water

Also bring your current declarations page and any letter from your insurer. If you don’t have everything, your agent can help find the rest.

What happens at every renewal

• Your policy is shopped again. Agents must remarket all Citizens business at renewal. For the main home and dwelling forms, any offer that is not more than 20% above the Citizens renewal premium results in a nonrenewal of the Citizens policy, and a new policy must be written with another insurer (Citizens: Clearinghouse).
• You can still choose. If a Clearinghouse offer is more than 20% higher, you may take it or stay with Citizens (s. 627.3518(6)(a)).
• Take-out letters are a separate process. Private insurers can also select Citizens policies through depopulation, and a missed deadline lets Citizens choose for you (Citizens: Depopulation). See how to compare a take-out offer.
• Assessments. If a major storm leaves Citizens short of funds to pay claims, its policyholders can owe a surcharge of up to 15% of their premium. Emergency assessments of up to 10% a year can then apply to Citizens and most private-market policies (Citizens: Assessments).

Already with Citizens? Quick answers

• Documents, claims and billing: log in to myPolicy. Registration needs your policy number, property ZIP code and the email on file with Citizens.
• Phone: claims (24 hours) and the Customer Care Center (weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET) are both at 866.411.2742 (Citizens: Contact Us).
• Changes or cancellation: go through your agent. Citizens recommends reviewing your coverage with your agent at least once a year.

How M&K Agency can help

Whether your home ends up with Citizens or a private-market policy, the comparison starts with your documents. Bring your declarations page and any nonrenewal, renewal or take-out letter to 33550 S Dixie Hwy, Suite 102, Florida City, or call (305) 859-3953. A licensed agent will explain how Citizens’ eligibility rules apply to your home and review the options available through our agency, in English, Spanish or Russian. We are open Monday through Friday, 9 to 6, and Saturdays by appointment. Start with our homeowners insurance page or request a quote.

Coverage depends on the terms, limits and exclusions of each policy. Talk with a licensed agent before you change or cancel coverage.