Free tool · adjusters and policyholders
Claim Deadlines by State
Enter the dates on the file and see every deadline the insurer has to meet, which ones have passed, and a letter for the ones it missed.
| Deadline | Counts from | Due | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Acknowledge, begin investigation, request items Insurer · §542.055(a): not later than the 15th day after receiving notice of the claim | 15 days from notice of claim | Oct 7, 2026 | 5 days past |
Accept or reject in writing Insurer · §542.056(a): not later than the 15th business day after receiving all items requested | 15 business days from proof of loss / all items received | — | Enter the proof of loss / all items received |
Pay after accepting Insurer · §542.057(a): not later than the 5th business day after notice of acceptance | 5 business days from acceptance / agreement | — | Enter the acceptance / agreement |
- • If the insurer needs more time to decide it must say why within the 15-business-day window, then decide by the 45th day after that notice (§542.056(d)).
- • Eligible surplus lines insurers get 30 business days to acknowledge (§542.055) and 20 business days to pay (§542.057(c)).
Missed-deadline letter
Business days skip weekends but not public holidays. Check the current statute text and any catastrophe extension before sending.
Every deadline in the calculator
Florida (Fla. Stat. §627.70131, §627.70132, §95.11)
- Report the claim: 1 years from the date of loss. §627.70132: notice within 1 year of the date of loss.
- File any supplemental claim: 18 months from the date of loss. §627.70132: 18 months from the date of loss.
- Acknowledge the claim: 7 days from the notice of claim. §627.70131: 7 days from notice.
- Pay or deny in writing: 60 days from the notice of claim. §627.70131: 60 days from notice.
- Sue for breach of the policy (floor): 5 years from the date of loss. §95.11: 5 years from breach; shown from the date of loss as a floor.
Texas (Tex. Ins. Code ch. 542, subch. B (Prompt Payment of Claims))
- Acknowledge, begin investigation, request items: 15 days from the notice of claim. §542.055(a): not later than the 15th day after receiving notice of the claim.
- Accept or reject in writing: 15 business days from the proof of loss. §542.056(a): not later than the 15th business day after receiving all items requested.
- Pay after accepting: 5 business days from the acceptance. §542.057(a): not later than the 5th business day after notice of acceptance.
- If the insurer needs more time to decide it must say why within the 15-business-day window, then decide by the 45th day after that notice (§542.056(d)).
- Eligible surplus lines insurers get 30 business days to acknowledge (§542.055) and 20 business days to pay (§542.057(c)).
California (Cal. Code Regs. tit. 10, §2695.5 and §2695.7)
- Acknowledge, provide forms, begin investigation: 15 days from the notice of claim. §2695.5(e): no more than 15 calendar days after notice of claim.
- Accept or deny: 40 days from the proof of loss. §2695.7(b): no more than 40 calendar days after receiving proof of claim.
- Pay after accepting: 30 days from the acceptance. §2695.7(h): no more than 30 calendar days after acceptance.
- If the insurer needs more time than 40 days it must give written notice, and repeat it every 30 calendar days until it decides (§2695.7(c)(1)).
- Any communication from the claimant must be answered within 15 calendar days (§2695.5(b)).
Minnesota (Minn. Stat. §72A.201, subd. 4 and 5)
- Acknowledge the claim: 10 business days from the notice of claim. §72A.201 subd. 4(1): within 10 business days of notification.
- Accept or deny (or explain the delay): 30 business days from the notice of claim. §72A.201 subd. 4(3)(i): within 30 business days of notification, unless the investigation cannot reasonably be completed.
- Accept or deny after proof of loss: 60 business days from the proof of loss. §72A.201 subd. 4(11): within 60 business days of a properly executed proof of loss.
- Pay an agreed settlement: 5 business days from the acceptance. §72A.201 subd. 5(5): within 5 business days of receiving the agreement.
- If the investigation cannot be finished in 30 business days, the insurer must give the reasons and the expected completion date within that period (subd. 4(3)(i)).
Each deadline applies statewide. A claim in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio or Austin runs on the same Chapter 542 clock. Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento claims follow the same Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations. Minneapolis–St. Paul claims follow §72A.201, and Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville claims follow §627.70131.
Each rule was read from the statute or regulation text in October 2026. Business days skip weekends but not public holidays. More states are coming; Florida also has its own Florida claim deadline calculator.
Questions
- How long does an insurance company have to respond to a claim in Texas?
- Fifteen days from notice to acknowledge, begin the investigation and request what it needs (§542.055), fifteen business days after receiving everything to accept or reject (§542.056), and five business days after accepting to pay (§542.057).
- How long does an insurer have to pay a claim in California?
- Fifteen calendar days to acknowledge (10 CCR §2695.5(e)), forty calendar days after proof of claim to accept or deny (§2695.7(b)), and thirty calendar days after acceptance to pay (§2695.7(h)). If it needs more time it must say so in writing every thirty days.
- What are Minnesota's claim handling deadlines?
- Ten business days to acknowledge, thirty business days from notice to decide unless the investigation cannot reasonably be finished (then it must explain why and when), sixty business days after a proof of loss, and five business days to pay an agreed settlement (Minn. Stat. §72A.201).
- What happens if the insurer misses a deadline?
- Consequences differ by state, from interest and attorney's fees under the Texas Prompt Payment of Claims Act to regulatory complaints elsewhere. The first step is the same everywhere: put the missed date in writing. The calculator drafts that letter.
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