California FAIR Plan: What It Is, Who Ends Up On It, and the Numbers by County and ZIP
The FAIR Plan is California's fire insurer of last resort — a pool of every licensed property insurer, created by statute in 1968, not a state agency. It had 642,010 policies in force on September 30, 2025, 39% more than a year earlier and 2.6 times the 2021 count, insuring $694 billion of property. This page explains how it works, what it covers and costs, and lists the policy counts for every county and every ZIP code from the FAIR Plan's own published tables.
Data as of: policies and insured value September 30, 2025 (FAIR Plan Association, file dated 2025-11-14; next file expected 2026-11-15). Share of homes on the FAIR Plan: calendar 2022 (Department of Insurance). Rate history through the CDI list of 2026-09-30.
What the FAIR Plan is
The Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan is “a syndicated fire insurance pool comprised of all insurers licensed to conduct property/casualty business in California,” established by Insurance Code §10090 and following in August 1968 as an insurance placement facility. Every licensed property insurer must participate (§10094), and members share writings, expenses, profits and losses in proportion to the premiums they write in the state (§10095). The Plan describes itself as “not a state agency, nor … a public entity. There is no public or taxpayer funding,” and as “a temporary safety net” until a traditional carrier will write the risk. It must keep a website and a toll-free number, and agents and brokers must help applicants (§10095.5).
Who ends up on it
The FAIR Plan is for owners “unable to find insurance in the traditional marketplace.” Your broker first performs a diligent search for comprehensive coverage (the Department of Insurance's Home Insurance Finder lists licensed brokers and companies by ZIP; the FAIR Plan's own “find a broker” link points to it); if a regular insurer will write it, the FAIR Plan tells you it “is not right for you.” Eligibility rests on objective underwriting standards, and the Plan of Operation (§IV.C) bars declining or surcharging a risk for its “neighborhood or area location or any hazard beyond the control of the property owner.” Ineligible property includes buildings vacant for more than a year, condemned buildings, property intended for demolition, lender-owned property, movable residences not on a foundation, illegal storage of flammables, and fraud cases. Dwelling policies cover owner-occupied one-to-four-unit homes, rentals, seasonal homes, renters' contents and condominium units; commercial policies cover five-plus-unit buildings, retail, offices, manufacturing, buildings under construction, and farms and wineries (not crops or livestock).
What it covers, and the limits
| Policy | Limit | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Dwelling (fire and allied lines) | $3 million at one location | April 1, 2020 (raised from $1.5 million; CDI order 2019-2) |
| Commercial property | $20 million per structure; $100 million aggregate per location | 2023 agreement (raised from $8.4 million); Plan of Operation ed. 9/3/25 §VII.C.1 |
| Businessowners (Division II) | $20 million combined per location; liability $1 million per occurrence, $3 million aggregate | Plan of Operation ed. 9/3/25 §VII.C.2 |
A dwelling policy is a named-peril fire policy: fire and lightning, internal explosion and smoke, with vandalism optional. It does not cover water damage, theft or liability. Most owners pair it with a Difference in Conditions (DIC) policy from a regular insurer, which the FAIR Plan describes as providing “coverages that are not available through the California FAIR Plan … designed to combine with a California FAIR Plan policy to provide coverage similar to that in a comprehensive homeowner's policy.” The FAIR Plan itself does not sell DIC policies; the Department of Insurance keeps a list of carriers that do.
What it costs: the public rate history
Premiums depend on the property, and this page quotes none. What is public is every FAIR Plan rate filing the Department of Insurance has closed since 2019, as printed in CDI's approval lists:
| Closed | Line | Requested | Approved | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-01-04 | Dwelling fire | 5.7% | 20.1% | Approved (as printed in CDI's list) |
| 2020-08-26 | Dwelling fire | 34.3% | — | Withdrawn |
| 2020-09-18 | Dwelling fire | 15.6% | 15.6% | Approved |
| 2021-10-07 | Commercial fire and allied | -13.7% | — | Withdrawn |
| 2023-07-24 | Dwelling fire | 48.8% | 15.7% | Approved |
| 2023-09-07 | Commercial fire and allied | -1.5% | -1.5% | Approved |
| 2026-04-06 | Dwelling fire | 35.6% | 29.1% | Approved |
| 2026-04-06 | Dwelling fire and allied lines | 0% | 0% | Approved |
The 29.1% dwelling-fire increase approved on April 6, 2026 takes effect for new and renewal policies on October 15, 2026, according to the FAIR Plan's statement as reported by A.M. Best (May 27, 2026) and KQED; the CDI list itself gives no effective date. Wildfire-hardening discounts, first offered in August 2023 and revised effective November 15, 2025, apply to the wildfire portion of the premium: five for the immediate surroundings (cleared decks, a five-foot ember-resistant zone, noncombustible fences within five feet, outbuildings more than 30 feet away, defensible space under PRC §4291), five for the structure (Class A roof, enclosed eaves, ember-resistant vents, multi-paned windows, six inches of noncombustible wall base), one for completing all ten, and one for living in a Firewise USA or Fire Risk Reduction Community. All twelve together are worth up to 16.4% for a dwelling policy and 13.8% for commercial.
Statewide growth, 2021–2025
| As of September 30 | Policies in force | Change | Total insured value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 242,440 | — | $161 billion |
| 2022 | 273,346 | +13% | $210 billion |
| 2023 | 330,265 | +21% | $284 billion |
| 2024 | 463,159 | +40% | $458 billion |
| 2025 | 642,010 | +39% | $694 billion |
By the Department of Insurance's separate count of residential policies (four units or fewer), the FAIR Plan wrote 3.7% of California's residential policies in 2023, up from 3.1% in 2022 and 1.6% in 2015, with 324,954 new and renewed FAIR Plan residential policies that year against 8.3 million in the voluntary market. CDI also notes that 75–80% of all non-renewals are initiated by policyholders rather than insurers.
FAIR Plan policies by county
Every county, largest first. “Share of homes on FAIR (2022)” is the Department of Insurance's count of residential dwelling units insured by the FAIR Plan as a share of FAIR plus voluntary units, summed over the county's reported ZIPs (CDI suppresses very small ZIPs). Each ZIP counts in the county CDI assigns it, so a ZIP that straddles a county line is counted once, in that county; this is why Lassen's share includes Westwood (96137), most of whose homes are in Plumas. Each county links to its property-tax guide.
| County | Policies 2025 | 2021 | 5-yr change | 1-yr | Share of state | Insured value 2025 | Homes on FAIR (2022) | Largest ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 154,765 | 84,363 | +83% | +37% | 24.1% | $171 billion | 5.2% | 90011 Los Angeles (2,950) |
| San Bernardino | 65,132 | 31,211 | +109% | +28% | 10.1% | $51.5 billion | 6.7% | 92352 Lake Arrowhead (6,759) |
| San Diego | 59,063 | 12,326 | +379% | +58% | 9.2% | $70.0 billion | 2.2% | 92028 Fallbrook (3,596) |
| Riverside | 57,026 | 9,364 | +509% | +70% | 8.9% | $51.3 billion | 1.8% | 92549 Idyllwild (2,885) |
| El Dorado | 28,167 | 14,090 | +100% | +18% | 4.4% | $28.3 billion | 19.6% | 95667 Placerville (7,561) |
| Orange | 23,748 | 4,085 | +481% | +74% | 3.7% | $32.4 billion | 0.7% | 92679 Trabuco Canyon (2,866) |
| Nevada | 23,438 | 11,431 | +105% | +18% | 3.7% | $27.2 billion | 28.7% | 96161 Truckee (6,203) |
| Placer | 18,996 | 9,213 | +106% | +21% | 3% | $23.1 billion | 7.2% | 95602 Auburn (2,901) |
| Ventura | 15,010 | 2,545 | +490% | +60% | 2.3% | $21.1 billion | 1.6% | 93023 Ojai (1,649) |
| Tuolumne | 14,071 | 8,896 | +58% | +9% | 2.2% | $11.2 billion | 38.9% | 95370 Sonora (5,227) |
| Contra Costa | 12,837 | 1,094 | +1,073% | +96% | 2% | $22.9 billion | 0.5% | 94563 Orinda (2,624) |
| Santa Cruz | 12,796 | 2,025 | +532% | +60% | 2% | $17.7 billion | 4% | 95033 Los Gatos (2,012) |
| Alameda | 11,694 | 2,638 | +343% | +73% | 1.8% | $18.6 billion | 0.9% | 94611 Oakland (2,582) |
| Kern | 11,329 | 4,273 | +165% | +32% | 1.8% | $6.7 billion | 2.1% | 93561 Tehachapi (2,046) |
| Calaveras | 10,572 | 6,069 | +74% | +11% | 1.6% | $9.0 billion | 27.6% | 95223 Arnold (4,734) |
| Butte | 9,392 | 3,265 | +188% | +15% | 1.5% | $7.3 billion | 6.3% | 95966 Oroville (3,019) |
| Sonoma | 8,748 | 1,363 | +542% | +39% | 1.4% | $12.5 billion | 1.5% | 95404 Santa Rosa (1,137) |
| Santa Barbara | 6,907 | 1,991 | +247% | +43% | 1.1% | $12.6 billion | 2.6% | 93108 Santa Barbara (1,598) |
| Shasta | 6,505 | 1,842 | +253% | +25% | 1% | $4.6 billion | 3.8% | 96003 Redding (1,535) |
| Santa Clara | 6,200 | 1,228 | +405% | +69% | 1% | $10.2 billion | 0.4% | 95070 Saratoga (709) |
| Amador | 6,186 | 3,625 | +71% | +13% | 1% | $5.1 billion | 25.4% | 95666 Pioneer (2,238) |
| Fresno | 5,821 | 2,875 | +102% | +25% | 0.9% | $4.9 billion | 1.4% | 93664 Shaver Lake (1,537) |
| Lake | 5,739 | 1,592 | +260% | +19% | 0.9% | $3.9 billion | 8.4% | 95451 Kelseyville (1,418) |
| Madera | 5,650 | 2,314 | +144% | +19% | 0.9% | $4.5 billion | 7.5% | 93614 Coarsegold (1,731) |
| Monterey | 5,402 | 1,934 | +179% | +28% | 0.8% | $7.9 billion | 2.8% | 93923 Carmel (1,316) |
| San Luis Obispo | 4,771 | 841 | +467% | +56% | 0.7% | $4.8 billion | 1.3% | 93422 Atascadero (815) |
| Mendocino | 4,707 | 1,498 | +214% | +22% | 0.7% | $4.1 billion | 6.7% | 95482 Ukiah (1,204) |
| Marin | 4,361 | 1,044 | +318% | +51% | 0.7% | $7.4 billion | 1.8% | 94941 Mill Valley (866) |
| Plumas | 3,941 | 1,799 | +119% | +13% | 0.6% | $3.5 billion | 14.5% | 96137 Westwood (1,080) |
| San Mateo | 3,759 | 622 | +504% | +66% | 0.6% | $6.2 billion | 0.5% | 94062 Redwood City (527) |
| Mariposa | 3,404 | 1,704 | +100% | +11% | 0.5% | $2.5 billion | 34.8% | 95338 Mariposa (2,224) |
| Siskiyou | 3,269 | 788 | +315% | +31% | 0.5% | $2.4 billion | 5.5% | 96067 Mount Shasta (845) |
| Napa | 3,042 | 877 | +247% | +25% | 0.5% | $5.5 billion | 2.9% | 94558 Napa (1,030) |
| Tulare | 2,966 | 1,127 | +163% | +27% | 0.5% | $1.8 billion | 1.4% | 93265 Springville (737) |
| Humboldt | 2,844 | 930 | +206% | +38% | 0.4% | $2.1 billion | 2.8% | 95503 Eureka (389) |
| San Francisco | 2,382 | 438 | +444% | +76% | 0.4% | $4.5 billion | 0.4% | 94112 San Francisco (267) |
| Sacramento | 2,001 | 367 | +445% | +78% | 0.3% | $1.8 billion | 0.1% | 95630 Folsom (298) |
| Mono | 1,982 | 410 | +383% | +45% | 0.3% | $2.0 billion | 10.4% | 93546 Mammoth Lakes (1,439) |
| Tehama | 1,783 | 472 | +278% | +19% | 0.3% | $1.0 billion | 2.5% | 96022 Cottonwood (755) |
| Yuba | 1,569 | 870 | +80% | +11% | 0.2% | $1.1 billion | 4.1% | 95962 Oregon House (271) |
| Trinity | 1,440 | 922 | +56% | +11% | 0.2% | $897 million | 18.8% | 96091 Trinity Center (255) |
| San Joaquin | 1,319 | 441 | +199% | +57% | 0.2% | $1.2 billion | 0.3% | 95205 Stockton (179) |
| Solano | 1,312 | 146 | +799% | +83% | 0.2% | $1.6 billion | 0.1% | 94534 Fairfield (383) |
| Lassen | 1,064 | 159 | +569% | +32% | 0.2% | $713 million | 7.7% | 96130 Susanville (622) |
| Stanislaus | 743 | 95 | +682% | +78% | 0.1% | $714 million | 0.2% | 95351 Modesto (87) |
| Imperial | 661 | 254 | +160% | +46% | 0.1% | $389 million | 0.8% | 92243 El Centro (212) |
| Del Norte | 572 | 127 | +350% | +62% | 0.1% | $349 million | 2% | 95531 Crescent City (393) |
| Sierra | 541 | 265 | +104% | +13% | 0.1% | $430 million | 19.6% | 96125 Sierra City (182) |
| Alpine | 392 | 218 | +80% | +13% | 0.1% | $331 million | 25.1% | 96120 Markleeville (210) |
| San Benito | 388 | 101 | +284% | +73% | 0.1% | $434 million | 0.7% | 95023 Hollister (220) |
| Merced | 336 | 59 | +469% | +68% | 0.1% | $313 million | 0.1% | 95340 Merced (43) |
| Inyo | 303 | 45 | +573% | +61% | 0% | $229 million | 0.9% | 93514 Bishop (218) |
| Modoc | 290 | 32 | +806% | +49% | 0% | $177 million | 1.9% | 96101 Alturas (160) |
| Yolo | 251 | 69 | +264% | +29% | 0% | $246 million | 0.2% | 95694 Winters (53) |
| Kings | 179 | 24 | +646% | +53% | 0% | $115 million | 0.1% | 93230 Hanford (111) |
| Sutter | 118 | 21 | +462% | +131% | 0% | $115 million | 0.1% | 95991 Yuba City (54) |
| Colusa | 68 | 12 | +467% | +42% | 0% | $48 million | 0.5% | 95979 Stonyford (29) |
| Glenn | 58 | 11 | +427% | +18% | 0% | $37 million | 0.3% | 95963 Orland (35) |
The ZIP codes with the most FAIR Plan policies, the fastest growth, and the highest share
Most policies (9/30/2025)
- 95667 Placerville, El Dorado: 7,561
- 92352 Lake Arrowhead, San Bernardino: 6,759
- 96161 Truckee, Nevada: 6,203
- 92315 Big Bear Lake, San Bernardino: 5,720
- 92314 Big Bear City, San Bernardino: 5,373
- 95370 Sonora, Tuolumne: 5,227
- 96150 South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado: 5,128
- 95949 Grass Valley, Nevada: 5,049
- 95959 Nevada City, Nevada: 4,761
- 95223 Arnold, Calaveras: 4,734
- 92325 Crestline, San Bernardino: 4,325
- 95945 Grass Valley, Nevada: 4,308
- 92028 Fallbrook, San Diego: 3,596
- 92065 Ramona, San Diego: 3,533
- 95966 Oroville, Butte: 3,019
- 90011 Los Angeles, Los Angeles: 2,950
- 91901 Alpine, San Diego: 2,911
- 95602 Auburn, Placer: 2,901
- 92549 Idyllwild, Riverside: 2,885
- 92679 Trabuco Canyon, Orange: 2,866
Fastest 5-year growth (ZIPs with 500+ policies)
- 94526 Danville, Contra Costa: +4,327%
- 92586 Sun City, Riverside: +3,929%
- 92694 Ladera Ranch, Orange: +3,564%
- 92618 Irvine, Orange: +3,205%
- 92057 Oceanside, San Diego: +3,054%
- 94556 Moraga, Contra Costa: +2,714%
- 95409 Santa Rosa, Sonoma: +2,673%
- 94506 Danville, Contra Costa: +2,620%
- 92508 Riverside, Riverside: +2,557%
- 92673 San Clemente, Orange: +2,422%
- 92127 San Diego, San Diego: +2,215%
- 92071 Santee, San Diego: +2,206%
- 92596 Winchester, Riverside: +2,182%
- 92672 San Clemente, Orange: +2,038%
- 94507 Alamo, Contra Costa: +2,023%
- 92688 Rancho Santa Margarita, Orange: +1,904%
- 92585 Sun City, Riverside: +1,782%
- 92808 Anaheim, Orange: +1,765%
- 92009 Carlsbad, San Diego: +1,738%
- 92506 Riverside, Riverside: +1,643%
Highest share of homes on FAIR (2022, among ZIPs with FAIR Plan policies in 2025)
- 92322 Cedarpines Park, San Bernardino: 80%
- 92676 Silverado, Orange: 77.9%
- 90290 Topanga, Los Angeles: 76.2%
- 92325 Crestline, San Bernardino: 75.4%
- 92391 Twin Peaks, San Bernardino: 72.6%
- 92352 Lake Arrowhead, San Bernardino: 70.5%
- 92378 Rimforest, San Bernardino: 70%
- 92321 Cedar Glen, San Bernardino: 67.7%
- 95550 Korbel, Humboldt: 66.7%
- 92382 Running Springs, San Bernardino: 65.9%
- 92385 Skyforest, San Bernardino: 65.7%
- 92549 Idyllwild, Riverside: 63.9%
- 95631 Foresthill, Placer: 63.8%
- 92333 Fawnskin, San Bernardino: 63.4%
- 92339 Forest Falls, San Bernardino: 62.1%
- 92341 Green Valley Lake, San Bernardino: 61.2%
- 92358 Lytle Creek, San Bernardino: 58.6%
- 95389 Yosemite National Park, Mariposa: 57.8%
- 95257 Wilseyville, Calaveras: 57.7%
- 95715 Emigrant Gap, Placer: 57.5%
Every California ZIP code with FAIR Plan policies
Loading the ZIP table…
1,681 ZIP rows as printed by the FAIR Plan Association (1,667 with a 2025 count; “—” is a blank in the source, not zero; ZIP 96059 is listed under both Shasta and Tehama as printed). City names and the 2022 share come from CDI's ZIP table (1,719 ZIPs; CDI suppresses ZIPs with very few units). Download: fair-plan-zips.json (CC BY 4.0, attribute the FAIR Plan Association and CDI).
Getting off the FAIR Plan, and contacting it
The Plan's own annual checklist says to shop the voluntary market every year. Its clearinghouse, created for dwellings by AB 3012 (2020) and extended to commercial policies from July 1, 2024 (SB 505), lets regular insurers review basic policy information and offer to take the policy; owners can opt out. Since July 1, 2025 the clearinghouse flags policyholders who have completed the mitigation steps in the Department of Insurance's Safer from Wildfires regulation (10 CCR §2644.9). Contact: (800) 339-4099 or (213) 487-0111, Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m., and a 24-hour online claim form, as published on cfpnet.com and read on 2026-10-18.
Fire hazard maps and insurance. The Department of Insurance's consumer alert of April 4, 2025: “For many years, insurance companies have been using wildfire risk models for determining where they will write and renew policies, and how much premium to charge a policyholder -- not the Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps. CAL FIRE's maps are required by law and their purpose is to drive local planning decisions, not insurance decisions.”
Sources: California FAIR Plan Association — 5-year policies in force and total insured value by ZIP and by county (as of September 30 each year, FY2021–25; file dated 2025-11-14, on the site from November 21, 2025; the FAIR Plan's totals include one Texas-ZIP policy, 76132, in the 2024 figure), About, How to Apply, policy pages, contact page, clearinghouse disclosure and the Plan of Operation (ed. September 3, 2025), read 2026-10-18; California Department of Insurance — Number of Residential Dwelling Units Insured in 2022, FAIR Plan vs. Voluntary (by ZIP), Fact Sheet: Summary on Residential Insurance Policies and the FAIR Plan (January 13, 2025), rate-filing approval lists 2019 through 2026-09-30, Commissioner's order 2019-2 and the April 2025 consumer alert; Insurance Code §§10090–10100.3 (leginfo). Aggregates only; this site sells no insurance, quotes no premiums and lists no insurers. Next data refresh expected 2026-11-15.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the California FAIR Plan?
The Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan is California's insurer of last resort for property fire coverage. It was created by statute in 1968 (Insurance Code §10090 and following) and is a pool of every insurer licensed to write property insurance in California, which share its profits and losses in proportion to their market share. It is not a state agency and receives no taxpayer money. It is meant as a temporary safety net for owners who cannot find coverage in the regular market.
Who qualifies for the FAIR Plan?
Anyone whose broker has made a diligent search and cannot find comprehensive coverage in the traditional market. The FAIR Plan cannot decline or surcharge a property for its neighborhood or for hazards beyond the owner's control (Plan of Operation §IV.C). It does exclude a short list: vacant buildings over a year, condemned buildings, property slated for demolition, lender-owned property, mobile homes not on a foundation, and cases of fraud.
What does a FAIR Plan policy cover?
A dwelling policy is a named-peril fire policy: fire and lightning, internal explosion and smoke, with vandalism optional. It does not cover water damage, theft or liability — owners buy a separate Difference in Conditions (DIC) policy from a regular insurer to fill those gaps. The dwelling coverage limit is $3 million per location (raised from $1.5 million on April 1, 2020); commercial property is $20 million per structure.
How much does the FAIR Plan cost?
Premiums depend on the property and are not published, so this page gives no quotes. What is public is the rate history: the Department of Insurance approved a 29.1% dwelling-fire increase on April 6, 2026 (the FAIR Plan had asked for 35.6%), after a 15.7% increase approved in July 2023 and 15.6% in 2020. Owners who complete wildfire-hardening steps can earn up to 16.4% off the wildfire portion of a dwelling premium under the schedule effective November 15, 2025.
How many Californians are on the FAIR Plan?
642,010 policies were in force on September 30, 2025, up from 463,159 a year earlier (39%) and 242,440 in 2021 — 2.6 times as many in four years. Total insured value is $694 billion. By the Department of Insurance's count, the FAIR Plan wrote 3.7% of California's residential policies in 2023, up from 1.6% in 2015.
Which counties and ZIP codes have the most FAIR Plan policies?
Los Angeles County leads with 154,765 policies, followed by San Bernardino (65,132) and San Diego (59,063). The single ZIP with the most policies is 95667 (Placerville) with 7,561. The tables on this page list every county and every ZIP.
How do I get off the FAIR Plan and back to a regular insurer?
Shop the voluntary market every year — the FAIR Plan's own advice. Policyholders can also stay in the FAIR Plan clearinghouse, which lets regular insurers review basic policy information and offer to take the policy; since July 1, 2025 the clearinghouse flags homes that have completed the wildfire-mitigation steps in the Department of Insurance's Safer from Wildfires regulation. The clearinghouse has covered commercial policies since July 1, 2024.
Do CAL FIRE's hazard maps decide whether I end up on the FAIR Plan?
No. The Department of Insurance's April 2025 consumer alert states that insurers use their own wildfire risk models, not the Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, to decide where they write and renew and what to charge. The maps exist to drive local planning decisions.