Glossary

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.

Also called: National Association of Insurance Commissioners

The NAIC, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, is a standard-setting organization governed by the chief insurance regulators of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. Founded in 1871, it gives state regulators a place to coordinate, share data and write model laws and regulations that states may adopt, change or ignore. It is not a government agency and cannot regulate an insurer on its own. Each state's department of insurance holds that authority.

For a homeowner, the NAIC is mostly a source of data. It publishes market share reports that rank insurers by premiums written, including homeowners multiple peril, and a Consumer Insurance Search tool for looking up complaint information. The NAIC complaint index compares an insurer's complaints with its size, with 1.00 as the national baseline. The NAIC also maintains the Market Regulation Handbook that many states follow for a market conduct exam.

Treat NAIC numbers as starting points. They carry a year and a method, and a high complaint count for a big insurer can reflect size rather than behavior. See what the NAIC does and use your state's insurance commissioner to find the regulator that applies to you.

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. Department of insurance The state agency that licenses and supervises insurers and agents, reviews policy forms and rates, and takes consumer insurance complaints. NAIC complaint index A ratio comparing an insurer's share of confirmed consumer complaints with its share of premium, where 1.00 means complaints in line with its size. 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. Direct premiums written The total premium on the policies an insurer issues itself in a period, counted when written and before any share is passed to reinsurers. Market share An insurer's portion of all premiums written in a given line, state and year, calculated by dividing its direct premiums written by the market total.

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