If your Florida home is insured by Citizens Property Insurance, January 1, 2027 is the last step in a flood insurance rule that has been phasing in since 2023. Here is what changes, which policies are exempt (including condo unit-owner policies), how much flood coverage counts, and the timing traps to plan around.
The short answer
- From January 1, 2027, Citizens requires flood insurance on its personal residential policies that include wind coverage, whatever the home’s value or flood zone.
- Condo unit-owner policies, tenant contents policies and policies that exclude windstorm or hail are not required to carry flood insurance.
- The flood limit should equal or exceed your Citizens dwelling limit (Coverage A). If the NFIP can’t go that high, Citizens accepts the most you’re eligible for, which is $250,000 for a building under the regular program.
- New NFIP policies generally take 30 days to start, so don’t leave it to the week of your renewal.
Where the rule comes from
The Florida Legislature created the requirement in December 2022. It now sits in section 627.351(6)(aa) of the Florida Statutes, which says Citizens must require flood insurance as a condition of covering a personal lines residential property. Citizens itself can’t sell flood insurance: section 627.715(6) says Citizens may not provide coverage for the peril of flood, so the flood policy has to come from somewhere else.
The statute phased the rule in by date. Homes in a FEMA special flood hazard area came first, then homes outside those areas by dwelling value.
| Policies effective on or after | Who must have flood coverage |
|---|---|
| April 1, 2023 | New policies for property in a FEMA special flood hazard area |
| July 1, 2023 | Renewals for property in a special flood hazard area |
| January 1, 2024 | Outside those areas, dwelling replacement cost of $600,000 or more |
| January 1, 2025 | Outside those areas, $500,000 or more |
| January 1, 2026 | Outside those areas, $400,000 or more |
| January 1, 2027 | All other personal lines residential property insured by Citizens |
Citizens describes the requirement as applying to new and renewing policies. In practice, that means most owners meet the 2027 step at their first new policy or renewal dated on or after January 1, 2027.
Who has to carry flood, and who doesn’t
| Citizens policy | Flood required from January 1, 2027? |
|---|---|
| Homeowners or dwelling policy that includes wind coverage | Yes, whatever the value or flood zone |
| Citizens wind-only policy | Yes. A flood endorsement on your other policy that meets the minimum standard can count as proof |
| Condominium unit-owner policy (HO-6) | No |
| Tenant contents (renters) policy | No |
| Policy that excludes windstorm or hail | No |
Exempt is not the same as covered: Exempt doesn’t mean covered. FEMA notes that most homeowners and renters insurance does not cover flood damage, so a condo owner who skips flood insurance is choosing to carry that risk.
How much flood coverage counts
For dwelling policies, Citizens says your flood limit should be equal to or greater than the dwelling limit (Coverage A) on your Citizens policy. Only the dwelling counts: since a 2024 law change, Citizens no longer requires flood coverage for contents as a condition of eligibility.
| Limit | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| NFIP building coverage, regular program | $250,000 | Citizens and FloodSmart |
| NFIP building coverage, emergency program | $35,000 | Citizens |
| NFIP contents coverage for homeowners | $100,000 | FloodSmart (not required by Citizens) |
If the NFIP maximum is lower than your Coverage A, Citizens accepts the maximum you’re eligible for. A private flood policy can also work: the statute accepts coverage that meets, at a minimum, the NFIP’s dwelling coverage or the standard, preferred or customized flood insurance defined in section 627.715.
The paperwork Citizens asks for
- A signed Policyholder Affirmation Regarding Flood Insurance (form CIT FW01).
- Proof of flood coverage: the flood policy declarations page, or a copy of a submitted flood application with proof of payment if the policy is still pending.
- For a Citizens wind-only policy, proof of a flood endorsement on the underlying multiperil policy that meets the minimum standard.
Citizens has also updated its personal lines forms for new and renewal policies from December 1, 2026. Where flood insurance is required, the policy now says Citizens may not cover wind-related losses if it verified your flood policy at issue or renewal but the required flood coverage isn’t in force on the date of the wind loss. If Citizens asks, you also have 14 days to sign and return a form authorizing release of your flood policy documents. Citizens says these conditions don’t apply to HO-4, HO-6, HW-4 and HW-6 policies.
Don’t let it lapse: Keep the flood policy in force all year, not just at renewal. Under the December 2026 forms, a lapse in required flood coverage can affect a wind claim on your Citizens policy.
Timing: the 30-day wait and the NFIP deadline
There’s a second date worth knowing. According to the Congressional Research Service, the NFIP is currently authorized until December 11, 2026. Unless Congress reauthorizes it, the authority to issue new NFIP contracts expires on that date, while policies already in force continue to the end of their one-year term. The program has lapsed before, most recently from October 1 to November 12, 2025 and from February 1 to 3, 2026.
Our tip: If your Citizens renewal falls in early 2027 and you don’t yet have flood insurance, ask your agent for a quote now. Starting before December 11 means the 30-day wait and the NFIP deadline don’t stack up against your renewal.
What the county data shows in zip 33767
We checked the county parcel and FEMA flood layers we use on this site for zip 33767 (Clearwater Beach, Sand Key and Island Estates). Every one of the 8,805 residential parcels is at least partly inside a FEMA special flood hazard area, and 816 of them include some VE zone, the coastal high hazard area with wave action.
| County property type | Parcels | At least partly in a special flood hazard area |
|---|---|---|
| Condominium units (including condo conversions and condo hotel units) | 7,059 | 7,059 |
| Single-family homes | 1,254 | 1,254 |
| Planned unit developments | 293 | 293 |
| Co-op apartments | 125 | 125 |
| Duplex to fourplex and small apartment buildings | 74 | 74 |
| Total | 8,805 | 8,805 |
A parcel touching a flood hazard area doesn’t settle where the building itself sits, and it says nothing about any one home’s insurance or premium. Your agent will check your building against the FEMA map. What the count does show is how much of our area is mapped as high risk, and that most parcels here are condominium units.
What this means for you
- Have a Citizens homeowners or dwelling policy with wind coverage? Find your renewal date. If it falls on or after January 1, 2027, plan for flood coverage that meets your Coverage A or the NFIP maximum.
- Own a condo with a Citizens HO-6? The rule doesn’t apply to you, but flood still isn’t covered by your HO-6. Ask your agent whether a flood policy makes sense for your unit.
- Buying on the islands? Get insurance quotes, including flood, during your inspection period, and remember there’s no 30-day wait for flood insurance bought with a mortgage.
- Already insured for flood? Check that the limit matches your Coverage A and that the policy won’t lapse during the year.
Whether you live here year round or spend the winter on the beach, we’re happy to talk through what it means for a property you own or are looking at, and to point you to the official pages. Your insurance agent is the person to confirm what your own policy needs.
Please note: Insurance rules change and every policy is different. This article is general information, not advice for your situation. Confirm the details with your licensed insurance agent before you act.
Next steps
For the bigger picture, read our Florida property insurance guide, Flood Zones 101 and our hurricane season guide. Buying a condo? Our condo buyers guide covers the insurance questions to ask. To find your own zones, see how to look up your flood zone and evacuation zone, and if a storm does hit, our guide to filing an insurance claim after the storm walks through the steps. Questions about a property? Contact us.
Sources
- Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, Flood (flood insurance requirements), retrieved November 2, 2026.
- Citizens, Personal Lines: 2026 Form Changes (October 1, 2026), retrieved November 2, 2026.
- Citizens, New Flood Rules Could Save You Money (June 4, 2024), retrieved November 2, 2026.
- Florida Statutes (2026), section 627.351(6)(aa), retrieved November 2, 2026.
- Florida Statutes (2026), section 627.715, flood insurance, retrieved November 2, 2026.
- Florida Department of Financial Services, Insurance Consumer Advocate: Property Insurance Changes (HB 1503), retrieved November 2, 2026.
- FEMA, Flood Insurance, retrieved November 2, 2026.
- FloodSmart (NFIP), What you need to know about buying flood insurance, coverage limits and waiting period, retrieved November 2, 2026.
- Congressional Research Service, What Happens If the NFIP Lapses? (updated September 11, 2026), retrieved November 2, 2026.
- Pinellas County Property Appraiser parcel data and county GIS FEMA flood hazard layer, as loaded in our site data on October 6, 2026, zip 33767, queried November 2, 2026.