Insurers must now offer wildfire safety discounts
California approved the Safer from Wildfires regulation, the first in the nation to require insurers to give discounts for wildfire safety work.
Insurers also have to give you your property's wildfire risk score, and you can appeal it.
The Department of Insurance's current list of discounts includes a 5-foot ember-resistant zone around the house.
What it means for you
- Ask your insurer for your wildfire risk score and what would lower it.
Added to this site on October 10, 2026.
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Sources
- Safer from Wildfires regulation approved, California Department of Insurance, October 17, 2022
- Safer from Wildfires regulation: frequently asked questions, California Department of Insurance, September 2026
More updates
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Still no statewide Zone 0 rule
As of October 10, 2026, the state's list of emergency rules under review has nothing from the Board of Forestry. The statewide rule is not law. Some cities, like San Diego and Berkeley, have their own.
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State pulls Zone 0 rules back before a ruling
The Board of Forestry withdrew its Zone 0 rules from final state review on September 8, 2026, before the Office of Administrative Law ruled on them. The rules never took effect.
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Board of Forestry adopts Zone 0 rules
On August 19, 2026, the Board of Forestry adopted emergency rules for the 5 feet around homes in fire zones. They still needed state approval to take effect.