There are a number of reasons a homeowner may need to review a complete copy of their insurance policy, including to understand their coverage, rights, and obligations if they are considering filing a claim.
Earlier this year, I was asked by the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association to present testimony to the Judiciary Committees of the Colorado legislature in support of a bill to protect the rights of Colorado homeowners. On June 3, 2025, Governor Polis signed Colorado HB 25-1322 (formally titled, “Enforce Insurer Compliance Requests Insurance Policy”) into law, to become effective in August 2025. The new law ensures transparency and accountability for homeowners who request a certified copy of their policy.
Since 2013, Colorado law has required insurance companies to provide a complete copy of their policy to homeowners upon request. C.R.S. § 10-4-110.8(10). Unfortunately, the law carried no penalties for carriers who failed to comply with those requests and homeowners had no remedy to pursue. HB 25-1322 modified the existing law to establish a procedure for making these requests and an enforcement mechanism for carriers who fail to timely comply.
What the Bill Does
- Clarifies the procedure for requesting a certified copy of the policy. Policyholders must submit a written request to the insurance carrier’s registered agent. C.R.S. 10-4-110.8(10)(b). A list of registered agents, updated monthly, can be found on the Division of Insurance’s website.
- Reinforces the deadline for the carrier to provide a certified copy of the policy. The carrier must make a certified copy of the policy available to the policyholder within thirty days after the request is received by the registered agent. C.R.S. 10-4-110.8(10)(b).
- Establishes a penalty for carriers who do not timely comply. Carriers who do not make the certified copy of the policy available within the thirty-day deadline are now liable to homeowners for a penalty in the amount of $50 per day until the copy of the policy is made available. C.R.S. § 10-4-110.8(10)(c)(I).
- Covers the legal costs of policyholders who need to enforce their rights. Carriers who violate the duty to timely provide a certified copy of the policy are also responsible for the reasonable attorney fees and costs that a homeowner incurs to enforce their rights under the statute. C.R.S. § 10-4-110.8(10)(II).
If you have questions about your homeowners insurance claim, contact Hailey | Hart to explore your options.
Jennifer is an experienced litigator with an established history of resolving disputes for her clients from pretrial settlement negotiations through successful jury verdicts and appeals. Her practice focuses on representing policyholders in coverage disputes and claims against their insurance companies.