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FAIR plan · District of Columbia

District of Columbia Property Insurance Facility (DC FAIR Plan)

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 13, 2026

What the DCPIF is

The DCPIF "can provide insurance coverage to property owners, individuals, or businesses throughout the District of Columbia who have been unable to obtain essential property insurance through the competitive property/casualty insurance marketplace." It says it was formed in response to the federal "Fair Access to Insurance Requirements" legislation and "is composed of all licensed property insurance carriers in the District of Columbia." It "is not a DC Government agency."

DC law (D.C. Code 31-5001 to 31-5011) requires the insurers that write basic property insurance in DC to run an Industry Placement Facility, and makes taking part "a condition of its authority to transact such kinds of insurance" in the District. A 2003 amendment added homeowner's insurance to the facility's job. The law says the facility's pricing should be "actuarially self-supporting" and should not "actively compete with insurance pricing in the normal insurance market."

The DCPIF's consumer information sheet says it "is regulated by the Department of Insurance and Securities Regulation of the District of Columbia." The DCPIF says it has no rating from a financial rating organization such as A.M. Best "due to our being a F.A.I.R. Plan." Its office is in Ellicott City, Maryland.

We are not the DCPIF and are not affiliated with it. This page explains its published rules; the DCPIF makes the decisions. [1][2][8][9]

Who is eligible

- Location: property must be in the District of Columbia; the DCPIF covers "properties located only within the district of columbia." - Turned down first: the DCPIF serves owners "unable to obtain coverage through the voluntary insurance market," and "Every applicant is encouraged to seek coverage through the competitive insurance marketplace." For homeowners coverage, you must send a copy of the cancellation or nonrenewal notice from your current insurer. - Owner-occupied homes: "The DCPIF homeowners coverage requires that the property be owner occupied." The homeowners form is for a 1 to 4 family dwelling used only as a residence (incidental uses aside). - Not eligible for homeowners coverage: seasonal dwellings, farm property unless inactive, mobile homes or trailers, vacant or unoccupied property, and property under construction or major renovation until it is lived in. Rental and vacant property can apply for a dwelling fire policy instead (vacant property needs a vacancy questionnaire, and vandalism coverage isn't offered on it). - Inspection: "All properties will be inspected to determine insurability." The inspection can lead to condition charges, exclusions, or cancellation of an immediate binder. Condition charges come off, pro rata, after you fix the problem and the DCPIF confirms it.

If you disagree with a DCPIF decision, DC law lets an applicant appeal to the Mayor within 90 days after a final ruling, after using the facility's own appeal process. [1][2][4][9][10]

What it covers and what it doesn't

On the homeowners forms (HO-2, HO-4, HO-6, HO-8):

- Personal liability is $100,000 and medical payments to others $1,000; liability limits of $200,000 and $300,000 cost extra. - "A $500 deductible applies to most property losses, but increased deductibles and exclusions may apply." - Theft of jewelry and furs is limited to $1,500 per occurrence ($1,000 on HO-8), and money to $200. - Water backup from sewers, drains or a sump is optional coverage up to $5,000. - The DCPIF insures the dwelling at replacement cost (it does not offer guaranteed replacement cost) and says HO-2 coverage "should be at least 80%" of replacement cost, or partial losses may be paid at less. Contents are paid at actual cash value (replacement cost minus depreciation).

Maximum limits: $614,000 on the dwelling and $307,000 on contents (homeowners and dwelling policies). Commercial fire policies go up to $1,500,000.

Not covered: flood ("THE DC PROPERTY INSURANCE FACILITY DOES NOT COVER LOSSES FROM FLOOD"); losses from other perils or indirect loss beyond what the forms list. No "scheduled" policies are available. For flood insurance, see our sister site FloodHawk.

Storm rule: wind and hail coverage applied for while a hurricane or tropical storm watch or warning is in effect for the area doesn't take effect until the watch or warning ends; coverage bound before it was issued isn't affected. [2][7][10][11][12]

How to apply

1. Get the forms from the forms page, or ask by phone or email. The DCPIF encourages you to contact a local insurance agent first, but "Individuals may contact the DCPIF directly to apply for coverage." 2. Homeowners: complete and sign both pages of the application, and include the signed "Statement of Additional Optional Coverages Not Included in the Standard Homeowner's Insurance Policy," a copy of your current insurer's cancellation or nonrenewal notice, and photos of the front and back of the home. 3. Send it by mail, email or fax. Incomplete applications are returned. 4. Or apply online: the customer portal gives a quick quote and lets you e-file an application after you create a login. The DCPIF says it reviews e-file applications "within 24 business hours," and an e-filed application "is NOT A BINDER OF COVERAGE." 5. Pay to bind: coverage isn't bound until the DCPIF receives the estimated annual premium, and it "cannot be back dated." You can ask for an immediate binder (coverage before the inspection), but the DCPIF may wait for the inspection, and a homeowners binder is "cancelled flat" if the home turns out not to be owner-occupied. 6. Inspection: if the inspector can't finish because you didn't send the requested photos, the DCPIF can decline the application or end the binder with 30 days' notice. [1][2][3][4][13]

Paying, claims and renewals

- Payment: by check, bank check or money order, a check from a licensed lender or agent, or "Other electronic means acceptable to the plan." The portal page says premium "can be by check or money order." We did not find an online payment page on the DCPIF site. - Installments: policies with premiums of at least $200 (homeowners and dwelling) can be paid in three installments, with 40% due at the start, plus a service charge. You must ask for the plan each year. A returned first payment cancels the policy back to its start date. - Claims: report promptly to the DCPIF claims department at (800) 492-5670 or with a loss report form; theft under a homeowners policy must also be reported to the police. The DCPIF assigns an adjusting company and sends a claim acknowledgment letter; your agent does not adjust claims, and all approved payments come from the DCPIF. - Renewals: DCPIF policies "are issued for one year only and do not automatically renew." To keep coverage, you or your agent must reapply and pay before the policy expires. [2][3][5][10]

Rates and recent changes

- Loss history rating: the DCPIF's homeowners Loss History Rating Plan looks at three years of property and liability losses and adjusts your premium. Windstorm or hail, earthquake, mine subsidence, sinkhole and medical payments losses don't count, and only losses of $500 or more are considered. - Credits: the DCPIF offers credits for burglar alarms, sprinkler systems and fire alarms, including smoke detectors, and higher deductibles lower the cost. - Current documents: the DCPIF's consumer information sheet is dated June 2026; it lists maximum limits of $614,000 dwelling and $307,000 contents. - Policy counts: we did not find policy counts or annual reports published on the DCPIF website. [2][4][10][14]

Getting back to a regular insurer

DC law lists "Encouragement of agents, brokers, and applicants to transfer insurance coverage provided by the Association ... to the normal insurance market" among the things a joint underwriting association's plan must cover, and says the facility should not "actively compete" with regular-market pricing. The DCPIF says every applicant "is encouraged to seek coverage through the competitive insurance marketplace." DC rules also bar a new insurer from turning you down solely because of a previous owner's loss history. [1][9][10][15]

Help

- DCPIF: (800) 492-5670 or (202) 393-4640, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; info@dcpif.org; 3290 N Ridge Road, Suite 185, Ellicott City, MD 21043. - Complaints about an insurance company or agent: DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, (202) 727-8000, or the DISB complaint page. - Your rights if a regular insurer dropped you: Homeowners Insurance in the District of Columbia. [1][6][16]

Questions people ask