Glossary

Department of insurance

The state agency that licenses and supervises insurers and agents, reviews policy forms and rates, and takes consumer insurance complaints.

Also called: DOI, insurance department, division of insurance, office of insurance regulation

Every state, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories have an agency that regulates insurance, and the name differs. It may be called a Department of Insurance, Division of Insurance, Office of Insurance Regulation or Insurance Department, or it may be a unit inside a larger agency such as a department of financial services or commerce. Federal law leaves most insurance regulation to the states. The agency, led by the insurance commissioner, licenses companies and agents, examines insurers' finances and market conduct, reviews policy forms and rate filings, enforces claim-handling rules and answers consumer questions.

If you believe an insurer or agent has acted improperly, such as paying late, denying a claim or canceling a policy, you can file a complaint online or by mail. The department sends it to the company, which must respond by a set deadline, and staff review the answer. Many departments also publish consumer guides, complaint data and lists of licensed companies and agents.

It is a free place to take a dispute short of hiring a lawyer, and where you can confirm that a company is licensed, that an agent holds a license, and whether an insurer is an admitted insurer. Keep your claim documents and correspondence handy. See how to file a complaint and who regulates home insurance.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026

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Related terms

Insurance commissioner The state official who heads the insurance regulator, oversees insurers and agents, reviews rates and forms, and handles consumer complaints. NAIC The standard-setting group governed by the chief insurance regulators of the 50 states, D.C. and five U.S. territories, founded in 1871. Market conduct exam A state regulator's review of how an insurer treats policyholders, covering underwriting, rating, sales, complaints and claim handling rather than its finances. Rate filing The package of proposed prices, rating factors and supporting data that an insurer submits to a state regulator before or when it changes its homeowners rates. Admitted insurer A company licensed by a state to sell insurance there, with its rates and forms under regulator review and its claims backed by the state guaranty fund. Unfair claims settlement practices act State laws, modeled on an NAIC template, that list claim-handling conduct insurers may not engage in and let the insurance commissioner discipline violators.

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Related tools

Home insurance rules by state Pick a state, or two side by side, to see its market, insurer of last resort, deductible and claim rules, and regulator contacts.