Title 48 — Title 48 INSURANCE

An insurer shall furnish, upon request of any person claiming to have a loss under any insurance contract, forms of proof of loss for completion by such person. But such insurer shall not, by reason of the requirement so to furnish forms, have any responsibility for or with refer…

None of the following acts by or on behalf of an insurer shall be deemed to constitute a waiver of any provision of a policy or of any defense of the insurer thereunder:(a) Acknowledgment of the receipt of notice of loss or of claim under the policy.(b) Furnishing forms for repor…

No insurer shall make or permit any unfair discrimination between insureds or subjects of insurance having substantially like insuring, risk, and exposure factors, and expense elements, in the terms or conditions of any insurance contract, or in the rate or amount of premium char…

Any insurance policy, rider, or endorsement hereafter issued and otherwise valid, which contains any condition or provision not in compliance with the requirements of this code, shall not be rendered invalid thereby, but shall be construed and applied in accordance with such cond…

Every insurance contract shall be construed according to the entirety of its terms and conditions as set forth in the policy, and as amplified, extended, or modified by any rider, endorsement, or application attached to and made a part of the policy.[1947 c 79 s .18.52; Rem. Supp…

Every insurer upon canceling, denying, or refusing to renew any disability policy, shall, upon written request, directly notify in writing the applicant or insured, as the case may be, of the reasons for the action by the insurer and to any person covered under a group contract. …

(1) For the purposes of this section:(a) "Licensee" means every insurance producer licensed under chapter 48.17 RCW.(b) "Residential mortgage loan" means any loan primarily for personal, family, or household use secured by a mortgage or deed of trust on residential real estate up…

(1) For the purposes of this section:(a) "Adverse action" has the same meaning as defined in the fair credit reporting act, 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1681 et seq. Adverse actions include, but are not limited to:(i) Cancellation, denial, or nonrenewal of personal insurance coverage;(ii) Char…

(1) For the purposes of this section:(a) "Affiliate" has the same meaning as in RCW 48.31B.005(1).(b) "Claim" means a demand for monetary damages by a claimant.(c) "Claimant" means a person, including a decedent's estate, who is seeking or has sought monetary damages for injury o…

(1) No insurer shall deny or refuse to accept an application for insurance, refuse to insure, refuse to renew, cancel, restrict, or otherwise terminate a policy of insurance, or charge a different rate for the same coverage on the basis that the applicant or insured person is, ha…

(1) For the purposes of this section:(a) "Insured" means a current policyholder or a person or entity that is covered under the insurance policy.(b) "Hate crime offense" has the same meaning as RCW 9A.36.080. Under this section, the perpetrator does not have to be identified for …

(1) For the purposes of this section:(a) "Arson" has the same meaning as in chapter 9A.48 RCW.(b) "Health care facility" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 48.43.005.(c) "Health care provider" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 48.43.005.(d) "Insured" means a current poli…

(1) With the prior approval of the commissioner, a property insurer may include the following either goods or services, or both, intended to reduce either the probability of loss, or the extent of loss, or both, from a covered event as part of a policy of property insurance:(a) G…

The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to implement RCW 48.18.558 and 48.19.530, including but not limited to:(1) Rules requiring a notice to insureds or potential insureds regarding their ability to opt out of receiving any risk mitigation and/or prevention goods and/or s…

An insurer licensed to write homeowner's insurance in this state shall not deny an application for a homeowner's insurance policy, or cancel, refuse to renew, or modify an existing homeowner's insurance policy for the principal reason that the applicant or insured is a foster par…

(1) No life insurer may deny or refuse to accept an application for insurance, or refuse to insure, refuse to renew, cancel, restrict, or otherwise terminate a policy of insurance, or charge a different rate for the same coverage, based upon the applicant's or insured person's pa…

(1) "Employer-owned life insurance policy" as used in this section and RCW 48.18.583 means an insurance policy purchased by an employer on the life of an employee, for the benefit of a person other than the employee or the employee's personal representative.(2) An employer-owned …

With respect to employer-owned life insurance policies, chapter 337, Laws of 2005 shall apply only to policies issued and delivered after July 24, 2005.[ 2005 c 337 s 6.]Notes:Finding—Intent—2005 c 337: See note following RCW 48.18.030.

The commissioner shall adopt rules to implement RCW 48.18.010, 48.18.030, 48.18.060, 48.18.580, and 48.18.583.[ 2005 c 337 s 7.]Notes:Finding—Intent—2005 c 337: See note following RCW 48.18.030.

(1) For the purposes of this section, "usage-based insurance" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 48.19.040.(2) Location data may not be collected without:(a) Disclosure to the insured that such information is being collected as required by RCW 46.35.020; and(b) The insured's …

(1) An insurer may include contractual benefits based on customer satisfaction as part of an insurance policy. The insurer must file the policy or endorsement for approval as required by RCW 48.18.100. The contractual benefits may include sums of money provided or credited to a p…

(1) Every automobile insurance policy that includes first-party coverage for physical damage issued or renewed effective on or after January 1, 2026, must include a provision for the right to an appraisal to resolve disputes between the insurer and the insured regarding the actua…

For the purposes of this chapter, the terms spouse, marriage, marital, husband, wife, widow, widower, next of kin, and family shall be interpreted as applying equally to state registered domestic partnerships or individuals in state registered domestic partnerships as well as to …

This chapter shall be known as the "Variable Contract Act" and is intended to authorize the sale of both individual and group variable contracts.[ 1969 c 104 s 1.]

A domestic life insurer may, by or pursuant to resolution of its board of directors, establish one or more separate accounts, and may allocate thereto amounts (including without limitation proceeds applied under optional modes of settlement or under dividend options) to provide f…

(1) Every variable contract providing benefits payable in variable amounts delivered or issued for delivery in this state shall contain a statement of the essential features of the procedures to be followed by the insurer in determining the dollar amount of such variable benefits…

Every individual variable contract issued shall have printed on its face or attached thereto a notice stating in substance that the policy owner shall be permitted to return the policy within ten days after it is received by the policy owner and to have the market value of the as…

No insurer shall deliver or issue, for delivery within this state, contracts under this chapter unless it is licensed or organized to do a life insurance or annuity business in this state, and unless the commissioner is satisfied that its condition or method of operation in conne…

The provisions of RCW 48.23.020, 48.23.030, 48.23.080 through 48.23.120, 48.23.140, 48.23.150, 48.23.200 through 48.23.240, 48.23.310, and 48.23.360, and the provisions of chapters 48.24 and 48.76 RCW are inapplicable to variable contracts. Any provision in the code requiring con…

No person shall be or act as an insurance producer for the solicitation or sale of variable contracts except while duly appointed and licensed under the insurance code as a variable life and variable annuity products insurance producer with respect to the insurer, and while duly …

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the commissioner shall have sole and exclusive authority to regulate the issuance and sale of variable contracts; except for the examination, issuance or renewal, suspension or revocation, of a security salesperson's license issued to p…

This 1969 act shall take effect July 1, 1969.[ 1969 c 104 s 10.]

(1) Except as is otherwise expressly provided the provisions of this chapter apply to all insurances upon subjects located, resident or to be performed in this state except:(a) Life insurance;(b) Disability insurance;(c) Reinsurance except as to joint reinsurance as provided in R…

Premium rates for insurance shall not be excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory.[ 1983 1st ex.s. c 32 s 13; 1947 c 79 s .19.02; Rem. Supp. 1947 s 45.19.02.]

Rates shall be used, subject to the other provisions of this chapter, only if made in accordance with the following provisions:(1) In the case of insurances under standard fire policies and that part of marine and transportation insurances not exempted under RCW 48.19.010, manual…

(1) For the purposes of this section:(a) "Affiliate" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 48.31B.005(1).(b) "Consumer" means an individual policyholder or applicant for insurance.(c) "Credit history" means any written, oral, or other communication of any information by a consum…

(1) Every insurer or rating organization shall, before using, file with the commissioner every classifications manual, manual of rules and rates, rating plan, rating schedule, minimum rate, class rate, and rating rule, and every modification of any of the foregoing which it propo…

(1) It is the intent of the legislature to assist the purchasers of commercial property casualty insurance by allowing policies to be issued more expeditiously and provide a more competitive market for rates.(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of RCW 48.19.040(1), commercial prope…

(1) If so authorized by an insurer, the commissioner shall accept, in lieu of filings by the insurer, filings on its behalf made by a rating organization then licensed as provided in this chapter.(2) As to fire insurance under a standard form fire policy, and the following insura…

(1) The commissioner shall review a filing as soon as reasonably possible after made, to determine whether it meets the requirements of this chapter.(2) Except as provided in RCW 48.19.070 and 48.19.043:(a) No such filing shall become effective within thirty days after the date o…

The following special filings, when not covered by a previous filing, shall become effective when filed and shall be deemed to meet the requirements of this chapter until such time as the commissioner reviews the filing and for so long thereafter as the filing remains in effect:(…

Under such rules and regulations as he or she shall adopt the commissioner may, by order, suspend or modify the requirement of filing as to any kind of insurance. Such orders, rules and regulations shall be made known to insurers and rating organizations affected thereby. The com…

Upon written application of the insured, stating his or her reasons therefor, filed with and approved by the commissioner, a rate in excess of that provided by a filing otherwise applicable may be used on any specific risk.[ 2009 c 549 s 7080; 1947 c 79 s .19.09; Rem. Supp. 1947 …

If within the waiting period or any extension thereof as provided in RCW 48.19.060, the commissioner finds that a filing does not meet the requirements of this chapter, he or she shall disapprove such filing, and shall give notice of such disapproval, specifying the respect in wh…

(1) If within thirty days after a special filing subject to RCW 48.19.070 has become effective, the commissioner finds that the filing does not meet the requirements of this chapter, he or she shall disapprove the filing and shall give notice to the insurer or rating organization…

(1) If at any time subsequent to the applicable review period provided in RCW 48.19.060 or 48.19.110, the commissioner finds that a filing does not meet the requirements of this chapter, he or she shall, after a hearing, notice of which was given to every insurer and rating organ…

(1) Every rating organization operating in this state shall furnish its services without discrimination as between its subscribers.(2) "Subscriber," for the purposes of this chapter and where the context does not otherwise specify, means any insurer which employs the services of …

No provision of this code shall require, or be deemed to require, any insurer to be a subscriber of, or in any other respect affiliated with, any rating organization.[1947 c 79 s .19.15; Rem. Supp. 1947 s 45.19.15.]

No rating organization shall do business in this state or make filings with the commissioner unless then licensed by the commissioner as a rating organization.[1947 c 79 s .19.16; Rem. Supp. 1947 s 45.19.16.]

(1) Any person, whether domiciled within or outside this state, except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, may make application to the commissioner for a license as a rating organization for such kinds of insurance or subdivisions thereof, if for casualty or surety ins…