If you own a home anywhere near the foothills, the wildland-urban interface, or a heavier-fuel part of Washoe County, your insurance just changed under you — whether or not your carrier said so plainly. Assembly Bill 376 lets Nevada insurers treat wildfire as its own separate risk instead of a peril bundled into your standard homeowners policy. That's a real shift in what "homeowners insurance" guarantees.
The Short Version
Insurers can now strip wildfire coverage out of a standard policy and sell it separately, with its own premium and deductible, or decline to offer it at all. The change is effective January 1, 2026, statewide. There is no state-run backup plan: a companion bill that would have created one died in the same legislative session. Don't assume anything changed in your favor; read your next renewal declarations page line by line before you file it away.
Why This Happened
Nevada's home insurance market had been getting harder to stay in. In 2023 alone, insurers declined to renew 481 homeowner policies over wildfire concerns, an 82% jump from the year before, and total policy cancellations and non-renewals in the state surged to nearly 158,000. Rates statewide had already climbed roughly 21% since 2018. Carriers were telling regulators the same thing: cover wildfire under the old rules, or leave the state.
AB376 was carried with bipartisan support, co-sponsored by Assemblywoman Jill Dickman (R-Sparks), and signed into law by Governor Joe Lombardo in June 2025. It's structured as a four-year regulatory sandbox: insurers get room to test new wildfire-only products and pricing models, with the Legislature required to revisit the results by 2029. The stated goal was keeping carriers writing policies in Nevada at all, not making coverage harder to get.
A separate bill, AB437, would have created a state-backed FAIR Plan — a last-resort policy for homeowners who can't find coverage anywhere else. It had support from the Nevada Fire Chiefs Association and Washoe County, but it died in the same session. So the safety net most other wildfire-exposed states have built is not there yet in Nevada.
How We Got Here
2023
Wildfire-related non-renewals more than double; nearly 158,000 Nevada home policies cancelled or non-renewed statewide.
May 2025
AB376 passes the Legislature with bipartisan support. The companion FAIR Plan bill, AB437, dies in the same session.
June 2025
Governor Joe Lombardo signs AB376 into law.
Jan 1, 2026
The law takes effect. Insurers statewide may now exclude or separate out wildfire coverage.
What Recourse Homeowners Actually Have
AB376 doesn't create a new consumer protection process of its own. It gives insurers more flexibility; it doesn't guarantee you a place to land if your carrier drops wildfire coverage or declines to renew you. In practice, your options are the same ones that existed before, just more important to use: work with an independent insurance agent who can shop standalone wildfire and difference-in-conditions policies across multiple carriers, ask directly whether wildfire mitigation, defensible space, or a Class A roof and ember-resistant vents would change your eligibility or price, and if you believe a non-renewal was handled improperly, the Nevada Division of Insurance (doi.nv.gov) is the place to file a complaint or ask questions.
Five Things to Check on Your Policy
Does your declarations page still list wildfire as a covered peril?
Or has it moved to an exclusions section? That single line tells you whether you already lost the coverage without noticing.
Is wildfire now priced as a separate line item?
With its own premium and deductible, rather than bundled into your base homeowners rate.
If you received a non-renewal notice, what did it cite?
Wildfire risk, roof or vent material, and defensible space are the reasons showing up most often right now.
Do you have a standalone quote on file?
A current quote for a standalone wildfire or difference-in-conditions policy, in case you need one fast.
Have you completed home-hardening steps?
Defensible space or home-hardening work some insurers now require for eligibility or better pricing.
Why This Matters if You're Buying or Selling
If you're buying in a wildfire-exposed area, get an insurance quote before your inspection period ends, not after closing. If you're selling, a buyer's financing can stall if their lender won't accept a standalone wildfire policy in place of full coverage. Either way, this is now a normal step in the timeline, not an afterthought.
This is a summary of a new law, not insurance or legal advice. Policy language, eligibility, and pricing vary by carrier and property. Talk to a licensed insurance agent about your specific coverage.
If you have questions about how this affects a home you own, please speak to your preferred insurance agent. If you're thinking about buying or selling in Reno or Sparks, please speak to me.
Dan N Stach, REALTOR® with eXp Realty (Stach Realty). License S.194003.
Call (775) 412-5692 or visit StachRealty.com.
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