The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) has approved updates to Citizens’ Commercial Lines policy forms. These changes are effective for new and renewal business as of December 1, 2025. This Bulletin provides an overview of some of the changes and does not specifically reference all endorsements. Agents should review the 12-25 editions of all policy forms and endorsements for more information.

Some of the form changes include the use of the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH), which either the policyholder or Citizens may elect for alternative dispute resolution. Additional information on DOAH is available on the DOAH website.

New DOAH Form

The Alternative Dispute Resolution – Division of Administrative Hearings form is a new endorsement that is attached to all new and renewal commercial policies. The aforementioned new endorsement:

• Provides an explanation of the DOAH alternative dispute resolution process.
• Allows Citizens or the insured to elect DOAH to resolve claims disputes. Explanation is provided to express the interaction between DOAH, appraisal, and post-appraisal disputes.
• Allows for the use of DOAH to resolve disputes that arise out of post-appraisal disputes
• Provides an explanation regarding the sources of the documents required as part of a request to initiate a DOAH alternative dispute resolution.
• Specifies neither an insured nor Citizens may elect both DOAH and an appraisal to resolve a claims dispute.
• Allows for the service of a form on the party claiming damage that requires that party to itemize the damages being sought. “Itemization” is defined in the endorsement.
• Allows for a period of investigation regarding these new damages in which the rules of discovery can be utilized and the investigation overseen by the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) assigned to the matter– if the itemization includes damages not previously submitted to Citizens during the initial claims adjustment process.
• Allows for a discovery period of up to 250 days to enable the parties to prepare their cases for final hearing. The final hearing is to be set 75 to 100 days from the date the discovery period concludes.
• Allows for the discovery and hearing deadlines to be extended by the ALJ in a detailed order outlining good cause shown for any extension.
• Expresses neither party may demand resolution before DOAH for any claim for sinkhole loss.
• Expresses DOAH does not apply if the policy has been assumed by an authorized insurer and specifies that claims that occur after assumption are not eligible for DOAH.
• Stipulates the jurisdiction for DOAH proceedings as Leon County, Florida.

Florida Changes

Paragraphs described below have been amended in the Florida Changes forms:

• The appraisal process has been updated to allow DOAH, upon the request of a party, to appoint an umpire if the two appraisers can’t agree on an umpire within 15 days. If an umpire is not selected within 15 days of the request, either party can seek appointment of an umpire by a judge located in the county wherein which the insured property resides. This process is not available for policies that have been assumed by another authorized insurer.
• Duties In The Event Of Loss Or Damage is amended to: Send to us, within 30 days after our request, a signed, sworn statement in a Proof of Loss form provided by us and completed in its entirety, which sets forth, to the best of your knowledge and belief...
• The Hurricane definition is amended to read: "Hurricane" means a storm system that has been declared to be a hurricane by the National Hurricane Center of the National Weather Service. The duration of the “hurricane” includes the time period, in Florida...
• The Earth Movement And Settlement exclusion is amended to read: Blasting, including shockwaves and/or vibrations, carried through the air and/or through the ground, caused by or as a result of blasting and other earth removal activities.
• The Earth Movement And Settlement exclusion is amended to read: Pile driving, including shockwaves and/or vibrations, carried through the air and/or through the ground, caused by or as a result of pile driving; or... 
• Intentional Loss is amended to read: In the event of such loss, no insured or any person or organization is entitled to coverage, even if they did not commit or conspire to commit the act causing the loss.
• The Loss Payment condition in form CP 00 17 is amended to read: If you name an insurance trustee, we will adjust losses with you, but we will pay the insurance trustee. If we pay the trustee, the payments will satisfy your claims against us.
• In the Causes Of Loss – Basic Form CP 10 10, the last paragraph following paragraph B.1.h. is moved to the end of paragraph B.1.x. and amended to read: Exclusions B.1.a. through B.1.x. apply whether or not the loss event results in widespread damage or affects a substantial area.

Florida Changes – Cancellation and Nonrenewal

• References to approved surplus lines insurer in the nonrenewal condition are deleted.

Additional Property Not Covered

Amended the The following property is not covered if loss or damage is caused by Windstorm Or Hail or ‘hurricane’ section of the endorsement to read: The following property is not covered if loss or damage is caused by Windstorm Or Hail or “hurricane”: a. Any structure or attachment, whether attached or separate from the covered building, where the roof or wall coverings for the structure are of: (1) Screen; (2) Fabric; (3) Thatch; (4) Lattice; (5) Slats; or (6) Similar material;

b. Greenhouses; c. Glasshouses; d. Hothouses; e. Slathouses; f. Trellises; g. Chickees; h. Gazebos; i. Pergolas; j. Tiki huts; or k. Similar structures; or l. Business Personal Property contained within or on these structures a. through l. above.

Citizens Changes – Property Not Covered

• The provision regarding roof and exterior wall coverings is amended to read: Any structure or attachment, whether attached or separate from the covered building, where that structure’s roof or exterior wall coverings are of screen, fabric, thatch, lattice, or slats and similar material, and personal property contained within or on these structures.
• The However, we do not cover Business Personal Property or contents of any structure or other property regardless of whether it is described as separate and specific item(s) in the Declarations and a Limit of Insurance is shown in the Declarations, when:” section of the endorsement is amended to a. Such structure is comprised of screen, fabric, thatch, lattice, slats or similar material; or b. Not covered, as explained in other sections of this policy.

Table of Contents (TOC)

The new Alternative Dispute Resolution – Division of Administrative Hearings endorsement is now included in the Endorsements section of each Commercial Lines table of contents.

Applications and Declarations

Inspection language has been updated to reflect that Citizens conducts underwriting field surveys and to provide additional information regarding access requirements and the purpose of an inspection or a survey.

Resources

Log in to the Agents site and go to the:

• Commercial section and select one of the four policy types for more information, and go to the Endorsements section under the most recent Florida Changes to reference alternative dispute resolutions.
• Training page and select Commercial Job Aids:
  • Select New Business to access the Commercial Lines New-Business Submission Guide and Uploading and Linking Documents.
  • Access the Commercial Lines Resources Guide under Resources.