Pet insurance laws by state: who has rules and what they say

Pet insurance is sold in every state. But only some states have a law written just for it. The rest use their general insurance rules.

The NAIC is the group of state insurance regulators. In 2022 it wrote a sample law called the Pet Insurance Model Act. States can copy it, change it or skip it. The NAIC keeps a chart of what each state has done. Its summer 2026 chart lists 17 states that have passed the model law. One of them, New Jersey, starts on January 1, 2027.

If you are still learning the basics, read pet insurance first.

In a state that passed the model law, a pet insurer must follow these rules:

• Plain disclosures. The insurer must say if it leaves out pre-existing, hereditary (passed down from parents), congenital (present from birth) or chronic (lasting) conditions. It must also list its waiting periods, deductible, coinsurance and limits. A deductible is the part of the bill you pay first.
• Price changes. It must say if your price can go up because of claims, your pet's age or a move.
• A summary document. It must post a document called "Insurer Disclosure of Important Policy Provisions" on its website and send you a copy.
• Set definitions. A pre-existing condition means a problem a vet gave advice on, treated or saw signs of before coverage began or during a waiting period.
• Waiting period limits. No wait for accidents. A 30-day cap for illness and bone or joint problems. A vet exam must be able to waive the wait. See pet insurance waiting periods.
• A free look. You get at least a 15-day window to return the policy for a full refund, if you have not filed a claim.
• Wellness kept apart. Wellness plans pay for checkups and shots. They cannot be sold as insurance, and you cannot be made to buy one to get insurance. See pet wellness plans.
• No exam to renew. The insurer cannot make your pet see a vet just to renew.

These are the states the NAIC lists as having passed the model law. Each row gives the law so you can look it up yourself.

Source: NAIC state page for the Pet Insurance Model Act, Summer 2026 (states in its "Model Adoption" column). We also opened the statute text for California, Florida, Rhode Island and Washington.

Each state can change details. California and Florida, for example, give you 30 days to return a policy instead of 15. Washington gives 15 days.

Texas. We could not confirm a pet insurance statute in Texas. The NAIC chart lists no model law there. It points to one Texas rule, 28 Tex. Admin. Code section 5.5008. That rule lists pet insurance as a "non-filed" type of inland marine insurance, a kind of property coverage. So we found no Texas law that limits waiting periods or sets a free look for pet plans. Read your policy for its waiting periods and return window, and ask the Texas Department of Insurance if you are unsure.

Florida. Yes. Fla. Stat. section 627.71545 covers pet insurance. It bans waiting periods for accidents and caps illness and bone or joint waits at 30 days. A vet exam can waive the wait. You get 30 days to return the policy for a full refund if you have not filed a claim. Insurers cannot require an exam to renew.

California. Yes. California has had its own pet insurance law since 2015, in Insurance Code sections 12880 to 12880.8. Newer rules took effect on January 1, 2025. They ban accident waits and cap illness and bone or joint waits at 30 days. Coverage must start by 12:01 a.m. on the second day after a complete application. You get at least 30 days to return the policy. Wellness plans must be sold apart from insurance.

North Carolina. We could not confirm a pet insurance statute. The NAIC chart lists "no current activity" for North Carolina. General insurance law still applies, and the state insurance department still takes complaints.

Washington. Yes. Rev. Code Wash. chapter 48.205 bans accident waits, caps illness and bone or joint waits at 30 days and gives a 15-day free look.

A few states have a rule that names pet insurance but is not the model law. The NAIC calls this "related activity." These states are:

• Alaska: Bulletin No. 2016-6.
• Idaho: Idaho Code section 41-1003 (pet insurance as a limited line).
• New Mexico: N.M. Stat. section 59A-7-4 (pet insurance as a kind of property insurance).
• Tennessee: Tenn. Code sections 56-7-2101 to 56-7-2103 (2008).
• Texas: 28 Tex. Admin. Code section 5.5008.
• Utah: Utah Code section 31A-23A-106 (license types).

These rules mostly cover how pet insurance is classed or licensed. They do not set the consumer rules in the model law.

Every state has an insurance department, even states with no pet law. You can complain there if an insurer treats you unfairly.

1. Talk to the insurer first. Ask for a written answer.
2. Gather your papers. Keep your policy, the denial letter, vet records and notes of each call.
3. Find your state department. Use the NAIC's list of state insurance departments. Pick your state. Most take complaints online.
4. Say what you want. A paid claim, a refund or an answer. Keep it short and stick to the facts.

If you plan to drop a plan instead, read how to cancel pet insurance first.