The hurricane claim deadline Florida homeowners hear about most is the notice deadline: the outside date by which you must tell your insurer about the loss. It is set by statute, not just by your policy, and it was shortened in the 2022 reforms. Miss it and the claim can be barred no matter how real the damage is. The calculator above counts the dates; the rest of this page explains them, along with the deadlines that bind the insurer once you have reported.
Important: the calculator is an estimate for planning only. The deadline that applies to you depends on your policy, your date of loss and the version of the law in effect for that loss. Report as early as you can and do not plan around the last day.
The three notice windows in s. 627.70132
Section 627.70132, Florida Statutes, sorts property claims into three types and gives each its own window, measured from the date of loss:
| Claim type | What it means | Notice deadline (current law) |
|---|---|---|
| New (initial) claim | The first report of the loss to your insurer. | Within 1 year after the date of loss |
| Reopened claim | A claim the insurer previously closed that you ask to reopen to seek more money for loss you already reported. | Within 1 year after the date of loss |
| Supplemental claim | A claim for additional loss from the same peril that the insurer already adjusted, or for costs incurred while completing repairs under an open claim. | Within 18 months after the date of loss |
Notice must be given “in accordance with the terms of the policy,” so follow any notice instructions in your policy (address, phone line, online portal) and keep proof of the date. The statute applies to residential and commercial property policies, including those written by eligible surplus lines insurers.
What counts as the “date of loss” for a hurricane
Subsection (3) settles this for weather events. For a hurricane, the date of loss is the date the hurricane made landfall. For a tornado, windstorm, severe rainstorm or other weather-related event, it is the date the event is verified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That matters when damage shows up days later: a ceiling that collapses a week after the storm generally still dates back to landfall, not to the day you noticed it.
If a storm made more than one Florida landfall, or your loss came from a separate weather event in the following days, an attorney can help confirm which date applies.
Older losses: the rules changed
The one-year and 18-month windows came from the property insurance reform passed in special session in December 2022 (Senate Bill 2-A, chapter 2022-271). Earlier versions of the statute allowed longer notice periods: two years for new or reopened claims and three years for supplemental claims under the 2021 version, and before that, three years from landfall for hurricane claims. Which version governs an older loss can depend on the date of loss and the policy dates, and courts have addressed those questions case by case. If your loss is from 2022 or earlier, have a lawyer check the deadline instead of relying on the calculator.
Special situations
- Military deployment. The statute pauses the notice deadlines during certain deployments to a combat zone or combat support posting that materially affect a servicemember named as an insured.
- Condominium loss assessments. Notice for loss-assessment coverage under s. 627.714 is due by the later of one year after the loss or 90 days after the association's board votes to levy the assessment, but never more than three years after the loss.
- Flood policies. Separate flood policies, including National Flood Insurance Program policies, follow federal rules (for NFIP, a signed proof of loss is generally due within 60 days of the loss). This page is about wind and hurricane claims under homeowners and commercial property policies.
The deadlines that bind your insurer
Once you report, s. 627.70131 puts the insurer on a clock for residential claims and for many smaller commercial claims (commercial structures and contents of 10,000 square feet or less, excluding multistate commercial policies).
| Insurer must… | Deadline | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Review and acknowledge your claim communications | 7 calendar days | s. 627.70131(1)(a) |
| Begin any reasonably necessary investigation | 7 days after proof-of-loss statements | s. 627.70131(3)(a) |
| Complete a physical inspection, if needed | 30 days after proof-of-loss statements | s. 627.70131(3)(b) |
| Send you its adjuster's detailed estimate | 7 days after the estimate is created | s. 627.70131(3)(e) |
| Pay or deny, in whole or part, with a written explanation | 60 days after notice of the claim | s. 627.70131(7)(a) |
| Provide the Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights (personal residential) | 14 days after the first claim communication | s. 627.7142 |
These deadlines have exceptions. They do not apply where “factors beyond the control of the insurer” reasonably prevent compliance, which can include an Office of Insurance Regulation order after a declared emergency (the Office may extend the pay-or-deny deadline by up to 30 more days) and a policyholder's fraud, lack of cooperation or misrepresentation. The time limits are also tolled during state-run mediation and other contractual dispute resolution, and when the policyholder does not provide requested material information within 10 days, if the request was made at least 15 days before the deadline. Late payments generally bear interest from the date the insurer received notice of the claim.
Deadlines after a dispute starts
Disputes bring their own timelines. Before filing most property insurance lawsuits, the policyholder must give the insurer written pre-suit notice at least 10 business days in advance, and not before the insurer has made its coverage decision (s. 627.70152). A settlement reached at state-run mediation can be rescinded within 3 business days, unless you have already cashed or deposited the settlement check (s. 627.7015). Florida's limitations statute, s. 95.11(2)(e), currently sets five years from the date of loss to sue for breach of a property insurance contract, but the notice deadlines above, policy conditions such as proof of loss, and the pre-suit process all come much sooner. Treat the earliest date as the real one.
A practical deadline plan
- Report the claim within days of landfall, and confirm it in writing.
- Calendar the 7-day acknowledgment and the 60-day decision date from the day you reported.
- Calendar the 1-year and 18-month dates from landfall in case you find more damage.
- Respond to every insurer request for information within 10 days, or explain in writing why you need more time.
- If the 60th day passes, follow the steps in our guide to a delayed hurricane claim.
Want the whole process on one page? Use the hurricane claim checklist, or go back to the step-by-step filing guide.
FAQ: Florida hurricane claim deadlines
Is the Florida hurricane claim deadline one year or three years?
For most current losses it is one year from the date of loss (landfall) to give notice of a new or reopened claim, and 18 months for a supplemental claim, under s. 627.70132 as amended in 2022. The older three-year window for hurricane claims applied under earlier versions of the statute.
Does the deadline run from when I discovered the damage?
No. For a hurricane the statute measures from the date of landfall, not the date you discovered the damage. That is why reporting early, even if you are unsure how extensive the damage is, protects you.
What happens if I report after the deadline?
The statute says a late claim is barred. There may be arguments about what counts as notice or which version of the law applies, so if you are close to or past the date, talk to a lawyer right away rather than assuming nothing can be done.
Can my insurer take longer than 60 days to decide?
Only in limited situations: factors beyond its control, such as an emergency order extending deadlines, or tolling during mediation or while it waits on requested information. Otherwise it must pay or deny within 60 days of notice, and late payments generally carry interest.