The Property and Casualty Section of the Department of Banking and Insurance is charged with the regulation of rates, rules and forms for property and casualty insurance. The section regulates personal, commercial and title insurance sold in the state.

The rate and rule review process ensures that companies charge rates which are adequate to pay claims while not being excessive. The policy form review guarantees that the policy forms comply with statutes, regulations and departmental guidelines.

The section does not quote or sell personal, commercial or title insurance to the public.

• Civil Unions - The “New Jersey Civil Union Act,” P.L. 2006, c. 103 (the Act), was enacted December 21, 2006 and became effective February 19, 2007. The Act provides that “civil union couples shall have all of the same benefits, protections and responsibilities under law, whether they derive from statute, administrative court rule, public policy, common law or any other source of civil law, as are granted to spouses in a marriage as per Bulletin 07-04 (PDF)."
• Notice to Policyholders of Consumer Rate Increases (Per Bulletin 05-27 (PDF), Notices must be sent to policyholders and the Public Advocate must be copied on all prior approval increases over 7%) - N.J.A.C. 11:1-45.1
• Product Requirement Locator
• Personal Automobile - Personal Lines Other Than Auto - Commercial Auto - Commercial Lines Other Than Auto

NJDOBI is accepting all Property and Casualty personal and commercial lines filings through SERFF. Detailed information about SERFF (System for Electronic Rate and Form Filing) can be found on the SERFF Web site.

For property/casualty SERFF information in New Jersey contact Gary Joy or Mark Nussenfeld.

All commercial motor vehicles registered or principally garaged in New Jersey are mandated by law to maintain automobile liability insurance, N.J.S.A. 39:6B et seq. Commercial auto coverage may be obtained on a voluntary basis or through a licensed producer certified by the New Jersey Auto Insurance Plan.

Commercial automobile voluntary submissions are subject to the Deregulation Act of 1982, N.J.S.A. 17:29AA-1 et seq.

Rate/rule submissions are subject to N.J.S.A. 17:29AA-5 and N.J.A.C. 11:13-8.1, Use and File within 30 days. Form submissions are subject to N.J.S.A. 17:29AA-6, File and Use 30 days prior to use.

Established January 1, 1984 under N.J.S.A. 17:29D-1 and implemented by N.J.A.C. 11:3-1.2, to provide coverage for a commercial automobile risk unable to obtain coverage in the voluntary market.

Rates, rules and forms are subject to prior approval by the Commissioner before being implemented.

CAIP may be contacted at:
New Jersey Commerical Automobile Insurance Plan
Laurel Corporate Center
6000 Midlantic Drive
Suite 200 North
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
Telephone: 1-800-652-2471 or 856-722-0030

Commercial lines submissions are processed in accordance with the Commercial Lines Deregulation Act, N.J.S.A. 17:29AA-1 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 11:13 et seq.

Rates/Rules are subject to N.J.S.A. 17:29AA-5 and N.J.A.C. 11:13-8.1, Use and File within 30 days. Forms are subject to N.J.S.A. 17:29AA-6, File and Use 30 days prior to becoming effective.

There exists certain commercial lines which are exempt from the Department of Banking and Insurance filing requirements. These items are contained on the Commissioner's Special Risks List (PDF) and the Commissioner's Exportable List (PDF), N.J.A.C. 11:1-34.6. Each year end, a hearing is held to discuss the exportable list contents. Additions and/or deletions to the list occur as a result of these annual hearings.

• Eligible Persons Regulation - N.J.A.C. 11:3-34
• Underwriting Guidelines - N.J.A.C. 11:3-35
• PPA Prior Approval Rate Changes - N.J.A.C. 11:3-16
  • Appendix A (checklist) (PDF)
• Limited Auto Rate Filing Calculations for PPA Rate Changes - N.J.A.C. 11:3-16B
  • Appendix A (checklist) (PDF)
• Calculation of Maximum Expenses for Prior Approval/Limited Auto Rate Filings
  • June 2008 - May 2009 (PDF) (including 2008 Excess Profit Filings; effective 06/01/2008) NEW
  • June 2007 - May 2008 (PDF) (including 2007 Excess Profit Filings; effective 06/01/2007)
• Requirements for Filing a Downward Deviation in Currently Approved Rates - N.J.A.C. 11:1-16
• Guaranty Fund Surcharge - N.J.A.C. 11:1-6.1
• Mass Marketing of Property and Liability Insurance - N.J.A.C. 11:2-12.1
• New Jersey Plain Language Law - N.J.A.C. 11:2-18.1
• Renewal and Nonrenewal of Automobile Insurance Policies - N.J.A.C. 11:3-8
• Cancellation of Automobile Policies - N.J.S.A. 17:29C-6

Established October 1, 1992 pursuant to N.J.S.A. 17:29D-1 and implemented by N.J.A.C. 11:3-2.1, PAIP is the residual market mechanism for writing personal auto risks not eligible in the voluntary market.

Rates, rules and forms must be approved by the commissioner before being implemented.

PAIP may be contacted at:
New Jersey Personal Automobile Insurance Plan
Laurel Corporate Center
6000 Midlantic Drive
Suite 200 North
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
Telephone: 1-800-652-2471 or 856-722-0030

Rates, rules and forms are subject to N.J.S.A. 17:29A et seq. Other significant statutes and regulations are listed below:

• Fire Insurance: Policy forms to be filed - N.J.S.A. 17:36-1
  
• Domestic Servants or Household Employees: Coverage required on comprehensive personal liability and homeowners policies - N.J.S.A. 17:36-5.29
  
• Title Insurance Companies - N.J.S.A. 17:46B-1
  
• Pet Insurance - N.J.S.A. 17:46D-1
  
• FAIR Plan Surcharge - N.J.A.C. 11:1-5.1
  
• Guaranty Fund Surcharge - N.J.A.C. 11:1-6.1
  
• Mass Marketing of Property and Liability Insurance - N.J.A.C. 11:2-12.1
  
• New Jersey Plain Language Law - N.J.A.C. 11:2-18.1
  
• Cancellation and Nonrenewal of Commercial and Homeowners Insurance Policies - N.J.A.C. 11:1-20.1
  
• Homeowners Insurance Standard Hurricane Deductibles - N.J.A.C. 11:2-42.1
• Expedited Process for Homeowners Insurance Rate Changes - N.J.A.C. 11:2-42.1
  • Appendix A (checklist) (PDF)

The New Jersey Insurance Underwriting Association was organized in 1968, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 17:37A 1-22. Today NJIUA is the Administrator of the Property FAIR Plan, the Crime Indemnity Plan, and the Windstorm Market Assistance Program.

They were created by the insurance industry as a means to make property insurance more readily available to people who have difficulty obtaining coverage from voluntary market insurers because their property is considered "high risk."

Rates, rules and forms are subject to prior approval by the Commissioner before being implemented.

The FAIR Plan may be contacted at:
New Jersey Insurance Underwriting Association
744 Broad Street
Suite 1100
Newark , NJ 07102-3881

Telephone: (973) 622-3838
Fax: (973) 622-6357
Claims Fax: (973) 297-5033
Underwriting Fax: (973) 297-5032

Web site: www.njiua.org

• Information Regarding Oil Tanks UPDATED

Property and Casualty insurers are required by law to prepare and submit extensive statistical reports to assist the Department with its regulatory obligations.

N.J.S.A. 17:29A-5 (for personal lines) and N.J.S.A. 17:29 AA-16 (for commercial lines) requires companies to report their statistics to approved statistical agents using approved statistical plans. The statistical agents compile and report the combined data to the Department by line of insurance at least annually.

N.J.A.C 11:3-20 requires private passenger auto writers to file an Excess Profit Report on July 1. Submit electronic and hard copy.

N.J.A.C. 11:3-3A requires private passenger auto writers to report semi-annually the in-force exposures in the voluntary and residual (PAIP) markets by territory.

N.J.A.C. 11:3-45 requires private passenger auto writers to annually file premium survey examples electronically in the format specified by a bulletin issued annually.

N.J.A.C. 11:3-46 requires private passenger auto writers to quarterly file in-force exposures in specified urban zip codes.

N.J.A.C. 11:4-29 requires homeowners writers to annually file premium survey examples and exposure information.

N.J.A.C. 11:2-41 requires homeowner writers to report quarterly producer and exposure data.

Order A07-105 requires medical malpractice insurers who write physicians and surgeons to submit information on premium modifiers.

Licensed companies must first file on a prior approval basis for both commercial, personal and title, a complete rating system of rates, rules and forms before providing coverage in New Jersey. Companies may submit the rating systems directly to the Department or have them filed on their behalf by a rating/advisory organization. N.J.S.A. 17:29A-3 details the method for becoming a member of a rating organization. Companies must receive notification from the Department of Banking and Insurance that they are authorized to use the filed rating system before writing insurance.

• Justification for Minimum Premium
  
• Affidavit of Compliance - Exhibit A (PDF) and Exhibit B
  
• Final Printed Pages (PDF) - Instructions (PDF)
• NAIC Transmittal Document (This link takes you from the NJDOBI site to the NAIC site)
• Consent to Higher Rate Forms
  • Automobile Insurance (PDF)
  • Fire and Allied Lines (PDF)
  • Other Lines (PDF)