Pet Insurance Laws by State: The NAIC Model Act and Your Rights
Pet insurance in the US is regulated at state level, and since 2022 a common framework has been spreading: the NAIC Pet Insurance Model Act. As of October 2026, 17 states have adopted laws based on it, giving their residents enforceable rights that owners in other states do not yet have, including a 15-day free look period, capped waiting periods and the burden of proof placed on the insurer in pre-existing condition disputes. This page explains what the model law does, which states have it, and what protection you have if yours does not.
What the NAIC Model Act Requires
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners adopted the Pet Insurance Model Act (Model #633) in August 2022. Pet insurance is classified as property and casualty insurance, sold under state oversight, and the model act standardises how it may be sold. Its core consumer protections:
- Standard definitions. Terms like pre-existing condition, waiting period and chronic condition must mean what the model says they mean, in plain policy language.
- Mandatory disclosures. A summary document must state exclusions, waiting periods and whether premiums can rise, before you buy.
- 15-day free look. You may cancel within 15 days of purchase for a full refund if you have not filed a claim.
- Waiting period caps. No waiting period for accidents, and illness waiting periods capped at 30 days. Compare that with the market in our waiting periods table, where orthopedic waits of 6 months survive only outside these rules or as condition-specific provisions.
- Burden of proof on the insurer. In a dispute over whether a condition is pre-existing, the insurer must prove it, not you. This is a substantial shift in denied-claim dynamics; our appeals guide shows how to use it.
- Wellness separation. Non-insurance wellness plans must be sold and described distinctly from insurance, so buyers know which product they hold.
- Agent training. Producers selling pet insurance must be trained on its specific features.
States With Pet Insurance Laws
The following states have adopted pet insurance legislation based on the model framework, per the NAIC’s state tracker as reported in October 2026. California is the pioneer: it enacted the nation’s first pet insurance law in 2014, years before the model existed, and has updated it since. New Jersey’s law takes effect on January 1, 2027.
| State | Status |
|---|---|
| California | Pet insurance law since 2014, aligned and updated |
| Delaware | Model-based law in effect |
| Florida | Model-based law effective January 2026 |
| Hawaii | Model-based law in effect |
| Louisiana | Model-based law in effect |
| Maine | Model-based law in effect since January 2023 |
| Maryland | Model-based law in effect |
| Mississippi | Model-based law in effect since 2023 |
| Montana | Model-based law in effect |
| Nebraska | Model-based law in effect |
| New Hampshire | Model-based law in effect |
| New Jersey | Adopted, effective January 1, 2027 |
| Ohio | Model-based law in effect |
| Pennsylvania | Model-based law in effect |
| Rhode Island | Model-based law in effect |
| Vermont | Model-based law in effect |
| Washington | Model-based law in effect since January 2024 |
Eleven of these states (California, Delaware, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington) have implemented the model’s no-accident-waiting-period rule, meaning accident cover there starts immediately at carriers applying the standard. A handful of further states, including Alaska, Idaho, New Mexico, Tennessee, Texas and Utah, have related filing or licensing rules without the full consumer protection package.
If Your State Has No Pet Insurance Law
You are not unprotected. Your policy is still a regulated insurance contract under your state’s general property and casualty law, your state insurance department still licenses the carrier and takes complaints, and contract and consumer protection law still apply to misleading sales. What you lack are the model act’s specifics: waiting periods are whatever the policy says, the free look may be shorter or absent, and pre-existing disputes start from the contract wording alone. Practical consequences: read waiting periods and exclusions with extra care in non-model states (our state pages carry the premium context, starting with the state cost index), and use your insurance department’s free complaint process when a carrier will not move; regulators log those complaints and carriers answer them formally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pet insurance required by law anywhere in the US?
No. No state or federal law requires you to insure a pet. Regulation governs how policies are sold and what they must disclose, never whether you must buy one. Separate rules can apply in specific situations, such as a landlord requiring liability cover, but that is a private condition, not a pet insurance mandate.
Who regulates my pet insurance policy?
Your state insurance department. Pet insurance is regulated as property and casualty insurance at state level; there is no federal pet insurance regulator. The department licenses carriers, approves policy forms and rate filings in most states, and runs the consumer complaint process.
What is the 15-day free look?
In model act states, you have 15 days from purchase to change your mind and receive a full refund, provided you have not filed a claim. It exists because pet policies are complex and often bought quickly; the free look is your window to read the exclusions properly and walk away whole.
Do these laws cap my premiums?
No. The model act regulates conduct and disclosure, not prices. Premiums still move with your pet’s age, breed, location and claims environment, and carriers file rate increases with states under normal property and casualty rules. What the law guarantees is that increases and terms are disclosed and that your core rights do not depend on fine print.
All figures are estimates for planning and comparison only, not insurance quotes, offers, or guarantees of any premium. Actual premiums vary by carrier, pet, ZIP code and plan design. See our methodology page for how we build these numbers.
