If an Oregon insurer won't fix a problem, you can file a free complaint with the Division of Financial Regulation (DFR). File online, print a form to mail or fax, or call 888-877-4894. A consumer advocate reviews it and sends a copy to the company for a response. DFR says most complaints wrap up within 60 days.

What can DFR help with?

DFR regulates insurance companies and agents in Oregon. Its Consumer Advocacy team handles complaints and questions from people having trouble with companies the division regulates. That covers auto, homeowners, health, life, long-term care and annuities, among others.

Common reasons people file:

• A claim was denied and the reason doesn't make sense.
• A claim is dragging and nobody returns calls.
• A policy was canceled or not renewed and you think it was handled wrong.
• A premium or bill doesn't match what you were told.
• An agent sold you something that isn't what was described.

If your problem falls outside DFR's authority, the team says it can often refer you to the right regulator.

Should you try the company first?

Usually, yes. Call or write to the company, ask for a supervisor, and request the reason for its decision in writing. Health plans often have an internal appeal you need to start within a set window. If that goes nowhere, or the company stops responding, that's a good time to bring in DFR. You don't need to wait forever, though. A stalled claim is reason enough to file.

Who is DFR not?

DFR is clear about this on its complaint page: "We are not attorneys and cannot act as your legal representative." What advocates can do is determine whether the company or agent is following Oregon laws and rules. If an advocate finds a violation or questionable practice, the file can go to the division's market regulation, investigations or enforcement staff.

So DFR can push a company to follow the rules and explain itself. It can't sue on your behalf or decide a dispute the way a court would.

How do you file?

DFR gives you a few ways in:

• Online: the Insurance Complaint Form on DFR's "File a complaint" page, in English or Spanish.
• Print: a PDF form you can mail or fax.
• Phone: 888-877-4894, toll-free in Oregon. The Salem number is 503-378-4140.
• Email: DFR.InsuranceHelp@dcbs.oregon.gov.

The mailing address is PO Box 14480, Salem, OR 97309, and the fax number is 503-947-7862. Hours for Consumer Advocacy are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

One note from DFR: medical providers shouldn't use the consumer form. Providers have their own email address for complaints.

What should you include?

The better your file, the faster an advocate can act. Gather:

• Your policy number and claim number.
• The company's name and the names of any adjusters or agents you dealt with.
• Dates of the loss, the claim and each call or letter.
• Copies of denial letters, emails, photos, estimates and receipts. Send copies, not originals.
• A short, plain timeline of what happened and what you want the company to do.

Keep the timeline tight, and note what you've already tried, like a supervisor request or an internal appeal. One page of dates and facts beats five pages of frustration.

What happens after you file?

DFR says your identity and personal information stay confidential under state and federal law. To resolve the complaint, though, a copy goes to the company or agent for a response. The advocate reviews that response against Oregon law and follows up with you.

DFR says most complaints are resolved within 60 days, depending on the type. Its "After you file a complaint" page explains the steps in more detail.

Does filing actually work?

The numbers suggest it can. DFR reports that in 2025 its team handled 5,653 complaints and 16,849 phone calls and emails, and recovered $6,875,375 in benefits for Oregon consumers. Insurance makes up the largest share of complaints by far. DFR's quarterly table shows 1,057 insurance complaints opened in the third quarter of 2026 alone, plus 236 more about insurance matters the division doesn't regulate, which advocates try to route to the right agency.

That doesn't mean every complaint ends with a payment. Sometimes the company was within its rights. Even then, you usually get a clearer explanation than you had before.

What if you're not happy with the result?

Ask the advocate to explain how the company's answer lines up with Oregon law and your policy language. If you still disagree, you can talk with an attorney about your options, especially if a large claim is at stake. Keep filing deadlines in your policy in mind, since a complaint with DFR doesn't automatically pause them.

Can you check a company before you buy?

Yes. DFR's complaint compare search tool lets you pick a type of insurance and compare complaint history across insurers. DFR also publishes yearly complaint data by line, including auto, health and homeowners. It's worth a look before you switch companies.

FAQ

Is it free to file an insurance complaint in Oregon? Yes. DFR's Consumer Advocacy help is free.

Will the insurance company see my complaint? Yes. DFR sends a copy to the company or agent for a response. Your personal information otherwise stays confidential under state and federal law.

How long does an Oregon insurance complaint take? DFR says most are resolved within 60 days, depending on the type of complaint.

Can DFR act as my lawyer? No. DFR says it isn't an attorney and can't represent you, but it can check whether the company followed Oregon law.

Next step

Write a one-page timeline and gather copies of every letter before you file. If the problem is about what your policy should cover going forward, talk with a licensed local agent who can review your coverage and help you ask the company the right questions.

Sources: Oregon DFR: File a complaint; Oregon DFR: Consumer advocacy.

Most Oregon insurance policies do not cover flood. The Division of Financial Regulation says that directly, including for people near recent wildfires, where flood and mudflow risk can stay high for several years. A new National Flood Insurance Program policy generally takes 30 days to go into effect. Buying it the week the river rises does not cover that rise.

Fire coverage and flood coverage are different contracts. A wildfire claim does not add flood to the homeowners policy.

Why does DFR mention flood after a fire?

The division's wildfire page says Oregonians in and around wildfire-affected areas face a higher flood and mudflow risk for several years. Burned slopes shed water faster. The page tells people to consider flood insurance now, and it points to FloodSmart.gov and an insurance agent. It also points to the state's page on wildfire flood risk and fraud.

That warning is not limited to a mapped coastal zone. If your homeowners policy paid for the fire, read the flood exclusion before the first heavy rain. The FAIR Plan, if that is the only property policy you could buy, is still a property policy with its own exclusions. See what the Oregon FAIR Plan covers after two declinations.

What is the 30-day wait?

DFR says it takes 30 days for a new NFIP policy to go into effect. Count from the date the policy says it starts, not from the day you called. If you are buying a house and the lender requires flood insurance at closing, ask the agent whether that purchase changes the wait. Do not assume a homeowners binder includes flood because the lender asked for "insurance."

Private flood policies exist. Ask whether the quote is NFIP or private, what the building limit is, and whether contents are included. A building-only policy leaves furniture and clothes unpaid.

What does a homeowners policy still pay?

Fire, smoke, and ash are the wildfire page's typical homeowners perils. Flood is the one it says most policies exclude. A burst pipe inside the house is a different water question. Ask the insurer to say which exclusion applies. Do not describe a hillside mudflow as a plumbing leak to get it under the fire policy.

Additional living expenses, actual cash value, and the later replacement-cost payment are claim steps for a covered fire loss. They are explained in Oregon wildfire claims. Those steps do not create flood coverage.

The car is not on the homeowners policy either. Comprehensive auto coverage is what DFR names for fire, smoke, and ash on a vehicle. Auto liability minimums are a separate statute. See Oregon's 25/50/20 liability schedule.

What should buyers ask before closing?

Ask whether the lender requires flood insurance, what it costs, and the effective date. Put that premium next to the property-tax bill. Oregon's November payment and the 3 percent discount are in how the November 16 discount works. Assessed value and market value are not the same number. See assessed value versus market value.

The seller's disclosure form asks about flooding. ORS 105.475 gives you five business days after delivery to revoke, unless you waived that right. See Oregon's seller disclosure and the five-business-day revocation. The form is not a warranty and not a flood map.

What if I am moving?

A policy from another state does not follow the furniture to an Oregon address. Bind flood coverage on the new house early enough that the 30 days have run before the rainy season you care about. The mover, if the job stays in Oregon, should be ODOT-certified. See how to hire an ODOT-certified mover.

You can look up a flood map at FEMA's Flood Map Service Center. The map helps with a lender requirement. It does not change the exclusion in the policy you already have.

Mudflow after a fire is the risk DFR flags for several years, not a one-season problem. Buying flood coverage the winter after the fire is late if the 30 days have not run. Put the purchase on the same list as the debris contractor.

Write the effective date on the fridge. Thirty days is long enough to forget, and a storm in that window is still uninsured for flood. If the agent gives you a binder, read whether the binder is homeowners only. FloodSmart and the insurer's flood application are the papers that start the NFIP clock DFR describes.

Renters need the same question. A landlord's policy on the building does not cover a tenant's belongings in a flood. Ask for a contents quote with its own effective date.

FAQ

Does a typical Oregon homeowners policy cover flood? DFR says most insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

How long before an NFIP policy starts? DFR says a new NFIP policy takes 30 days to go into effect.

Does a wildfire claim add flood coverage? No. The division discusses flood insurance as something to buy in addition, especially near burned areas.

Does the FAIR Plan include flood? Do not assume it does. Read the exclusions. DFR's general warning is that most policies do not cover flood.

Where do I compare NFIP information? DFR points people to FloodSmart.gov and to an insurance agent.

Next step

Ask a licensed Oregon agent for an NFIP or private flood quote with the effective date printed on it. If that date is 30 days out, do not treat the house as covered for a storm this week.

Sources: Oregon DFR: Wildfire and insurance, flood section, FloodSmart.gov.

Oregon's minimum auto policy is more than the liability numbers in ORS 806.070. ODOT says a driver must have bodily injury and property damage of $25,000 per person, $50,000 per crash, and $20,000 for property damage, plus $15,000 of personal injury protection per person, plus uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash.

A policy used for financial responsibility still has to meet ORS 806.080: it names the vehicles, covers the named insured and people who use the car with permission, and provides at least the 806.070 liability limits. PIP and uninsured motorist coverage are separate requirements on that policy.

What does each number pay?

The $25,000 is for one person's injuries or death in one crash. The $50,000 is the cap for everyone injured in that crash, and it cannot override the per-person cap. Two badly injured people do not each get $50,000 out of a minimum policy. The $20,000 pays for other people's property, such as a car or a fence. It does not repair your own car.

You can meet the liability requirement with one policy or with policies that together meet the limits, under ORS 806.080. Self-insurance under ORS 806.130 is the other path in ORS 806.060.

Who has to be listed?

The policy has to insure the named insured and other people insured under its terms, including people who use the vehicle with the named insured's consent. Someone specifically excluded under ORS 742.450 can be left off. If a household driver is excluded, ask what happens when that person drives anyway. The exclusion is a coverage decision, not a note in the glove box.

When you move to Oregon, an out-of-state card does not automatically satisfy Oregon's schedule. Ask a licensed Oregon agent to put the 25/50/20 limits on a policy that meets 806.080 before you treat the old card as enough. The furniture mover is a different credential. In-state household moves use an ODOT-certified mover. See how to hire one.

What PIP and uninsured motorist coverage are required?

ORS 742.520 requires personal injury protection benefits on a motor vehicle liability policy issued for delivery in Oregon that covers a private passenger vehicle. ORS 742.524(1)(a) sets the medical piece at reasonable and necessary medical, hospital, dental, surgical, ambulance, and prosthetic expenses incurred within two years, not more than $15,000. That $15,000 is the medical cap. It does not eat the wage benefit.

If the injured person usually works and the disability lasts at least 14 days, PIP pays 70 percent of lost income, up to $3,000 a month, for up to 52 weeks. If the person does not usually work, and disability lasts at least 14 days, PIP pays essential services by someone who is not a relative and does not live in the household, up to $30 a day for 52 weeks. Funeral expenses are up to $5,000, incurred within one year.

ORS 742.502 requires uninsured motorist coverage on a liability policy issued for delivery in Oregon, or delivered by an insurer doing business here for a vehicle principally used or garaged here. The limits must match the policy's bodily injury liability limits unless a named insured elects lower limits in writing. That election cannot go below the ORS 806.070 bodily injury amounts, $25,000 and $50,000. The coverage includes underinsured motorist protection. ODOT lists the floor as $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash.

What does liability leave unpaid?

Liability pays other people. Collision and comprehensive pay your car, if you bought them. A lender often requires those even though 806.070 does not. Fire, smoke, and ash on a car parked in a garage are a comprehensive question. The Division of Financial Regulation says a homeowners policy does not cover that car. Wildfire claim steps are in Oregon wildfire claims and additional living expenses.

Home insurance is separate again. If standard companies decline the house, the FAIR Plan is the last resort after two declinations. See the Oregon FAIR Plan. Health insurance is Explore Health, not this auto schedule. See shopping Explore Health for 2027.

How should I compare a quote to the statute?

• Read the declarations page for bodily injury, property damage, PIP, and uninsured motorist coverage.
• Match liability to $25,000, $50,000, and $20,000. Match PIP medical to $15,000. Match uninsured motorist to at least $25,000 and $50,000, or to your higher bodily injury limits if you did not elect a lower UM limit in writing.
• Ask whether anyone in the household is excluded.
• Ask the price of a higher limit before you stop at the minimum. A $20,000 property-damage limit does not replace a new truck.
• Ask what the policy pays for your own car. If the answer is nothing, you have liability only.

Bring the declarations page to the agent and point at liability, PIP, and uninsured motorist coverage. If property damage is $20,000, ask what a crash into a newer car would cost above that. Higher liability limits are allowed. The 806.070 figures are the liability floor, and PIP and uninsured motorist coverage still have to be on the policy.

If you lend the car, the policy covers a permissive user unless that person is excluded under ORS 742.450. Tell the agent who lives in the household and who drives the car even occasionally. An exclusion you forgot about is the one that shows up in the claim letter.

FAQ

What are Oregon's minimum auto liability amounts? ORS 806.070: $25,000 for one person's injury or death, $50,000 for two or more people in one crash, and $20,000 for other people's property. ODOT also lists $15,000 PIP per person and uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash.

Does the $50,000 get paid on top of the $25,000 for each person? No. The $50,000 is subject to the $25,000 limit for any one person.

Does this pay to fix my car? No. These figures are liability to others. Your car needs collision or comprehensive if you want the policy to pay for it.

Can two policies together meet the minimum? Yes. ORS 806.080 says the requirements may be met by policies of one or more carriers that together meet the limits.

Is a homeowners policy a substitute? No. Financial responsibility for the car is the auto policy or self-insurance under ORS 806.060.

Next step

Read the declarations page against ORS 806.070, the $15,000 PIP medical benefit in ORS 742.524, and the uninsured motorist floor in ORS 742.502. If any required number is missing, ask a licensed Oregon agent to reissue the policy before you rely on the card in a crash.

Sources: ODOT Driver & Motor Vehicle Services: insurance requirements, ORS 806.070 and 806.080, ORS 742.524, ORS 742.502.

If an Oregon wildfire makes your home unlivable, many homeowners and renters policies help pay extra lodging and food. The Division of Financial Regulation calls that additional living expenses. The first claim check is usually actual cash value, which is depreciated. Replacement cost comes later, after you repair or replace, and your deductible applies to the whole loss.

Call your insurer or agent before you throw anything away. DFR's consumer advocates are at 888-877-4894 if the company will not answer.

What should I do on an evacuation alert?

DFR splits the advice by alert level. On a Level 1 or 2 alert, if it is safe, the division says fire, smoke, and ash damage to the home and personal property is typically covered. The car is not. You need comprehensive coverage on the auto policy for fire, smoke, or ash, even when the car is in the garage.

Take photos of each room, including closets and the attic, and gather titles, deeds, and account records into a bag you can carry. On a Level 3 mandatory evacuation, save receipts for lodging, food, and pet boarding. Additional living expenses are typically subject to the deductible, so ask whether filing makes sense before you open a claim you do not need.

DFR is explicit that a claim can count against you for underwriting even when the company pays nothing. That is a reason to ask, not a reason to hide a real loss.

How do the two payments work?

After the inspection, DFR says a settlement is often paid in two steps. The first check is actual cash value: repair cost and personal property depreciated to the value at the time of loss. It will be less than the full job. The second step is replacement cost. When the repair is done, or the new item is bought, the company reimburses the difference between actual cash value and full repair or replacement cost. One deductible applies to the entire loss.

An advance is not a grant. DFR says advances usually cover additional living expenses or part of the personal-property settlement, and the final payment is reduced by the advance. Accepting one is fine if you know what it covers.

House Bill 2982, as the division describes it, requires insurers to offer at least 70 percent of the contents coverage you had bought, without making you finish an inventory at the same time, when the contents loss is from a major disaster. The insurer must also tell you that more benefits may be available if you submit the inventory. Ask how long you have. DFR says you do not have to give every item at once.

What deadlines did Senate Bill 82 add?

DFR's wildfire page summarizes Senate Bill 82 (2023) this way:

• Cancellation, nonrenewal, and premium-increase notices have to carry more usable information.
• Insurers must consider home hardening and defensible space in rating and underwriting.
• Homeowners get at least 24 months to repair, rebuild, or replace property lost in a fire during certain declared emergencies.
• The state wildfire risk map cannot be used for rating and underwriting.

The same page says the FAIR Plan raised its residential limit from $400,000 to $600,000. If you are on that plan, the claim rules above still depend on the policy you hold. Read how the Oregon FAIR Plan works after two declinations.

What should I not throw out?

DFR says not to discard damaged items until the insurer has seen them and said you can. Make temporary repairs to stop further damage, save the receipts, and ask before you start permanent work. The company may want to inspect first. Debris removal is typically covered and subject to policy limits.

Your mortgage payment does not pause because of the fire. Tell the servicer. Checks may be payable to you and the lender together. Make sure the insurer has the right servicer on file.

Flood after a fire is a separate hole. DFR says most policies do not cover flood, and a new NFIP policy generally takes 30 days to start. See Oregon flood insurance and the 30-day wait.

Who watches the settlement?

You can ask to see the full evaluation, the bid, and comparable values. DFR says you should not be rushed. Complaints go to dfr.oregon.gov, and the advocate line is 888-877-4894. Unlicensed contractors are a different problem. Check them with the Oregon Construction Contractors Board. Charity and disaster scams are a Department of Justice topic at oregonconsumer.gov.

If you are moving because the house is gone, the mover question is separate from the claim. In-state moves use an ODOT-certified mover. See how to hire an ODOT-certified mover.

FAQ

Does a wildfire claim pay hotel bills? Many policies pay additional living expenses if you cannot live in the home. DFR says the benefit is typically subject to the deductible and that each company handles it differently.

Why is the first check smaller than the repair bid? DFR says the first payment is actual cash value, after depreciation. Replacement cost is paid after you repair or replace, minus the deductible on the whole loss.

Can a claim count if the insurer pays nothing? Yes. DFR says a claim can be counted for underwriting even when no payment is made.

How long do I have to rebuild after a declared fire emergency? Senate Bill 82, as DFR describes it, gives homeowners at least 24 months to repair, rebuild, or replace property lost in a fire during certain declared emergencies.

Does homeowners insurance cover the car? No. DFR says you need comprehensive coverage on the auto policy for fire, smoke, or ash, including a car in the garage.

Next step

Call the insurer, ask whether additional living expenses apply, and ask how long you have to submit the contents list. If the answers stall, call DFR at 888-877-4894 before you sign a settlement you have not read.

Sources: Oregon Division of Financial Regulation: Wildfire and insurance.

If two standard insurance companies decline your Oregon home, you can apply to the Oregon FAIR Plan. The Division of Financial Regulation calls it a last-resort policy for people who cannot find coverage in the standard market. Premiums are often higher than a standard policy, and the coverage is less complete. The residential limit is $600,000.

A declination letter is the ticket in. A high quote from one company is not the same thing as two companies saying no.

Who can buy a FAIR Plan policy?

DFR's home-insurance page says you must have been declined by two standard insurance companies. Keep those letters. The plan is an association of insurers authorized to write property and casualty insurance in Oregon. It exists so a house that the voluntary market will not take can still get basic property insurance.

Every producer licensed to write property insurance in Oregon can submit an application after registering with the plan. You do not walk into a state office and bind a policy yourself. Ask a licensed agent to submit it, and ask which two declinations they will attach.

What does the policy leave out?

DFR says the coverage is less comprehensive than a standard homeowners policy, and the price is often higher. The plan's own dwelling manual says coverage is actual cash value only, not replacement cost, and that the maximum on a dwelling policy is $600,000 unless facultative reinsurance is arranged case by case. DFR's wildfire page describes the same residential increase, from $400,000 to $600,000, and a commercial property limit increase from $700,000 to $1 million.

Actual cash value pays depreciated value. On an older roof, that gap is real money. Ask the agent to show you, in dollars, what a total loss would pay against what a rebuild would cost. If $600,000 is below the rebuild cost, ask whether reinsurance for a higher limit is available before you assume the cap moved with you.

Other structures are limited. The dwelling manual sets Coverage B at 10 percent of Coverage A, with notes. Read the quote. Do not assume a detached shop is fully insured because the house is.

How does wildfire risk affect eligibility?

The plan's manual says proximity to wildfire-prone areas is a common reason standard companies nonrenew or decline, and that wildfire exposure is not automatically ineligible at the FAIR Plan. Each risk is reviewed. The manual says the owner must take reasonable steps to reduce exposure, including clearing debris from the roof and gutters, ember-resistant vents, and a noncombustible buffer near the house.

Senate Bill 82, as DFR summarizes it, requires insurers to consider home hardening and defensible space in rating and underwriting, and bars use of the state wildfire risk map for rating and underwriting. That is a standard-market rule described on the division's wildfire page. It does not turn the FAIR Plan into a full homeowners policy. For a claim after a fire, see what to ask about additional living expenses after an Oregon wildfire.

What is the surplus-lines alternative?

DFR also points people who were turned down to the surplus-lines market. Those insurers cover risks the standard market often will not. You can usually get broader coverage, and you pay more. DFR lists the Oregon Surplus Line Association at 503-718-6700. A surplus-lines policy is not the FAIR Plan. Ask the broker which one you are being offered, and whether the insurer is in the plan or outside it.

What should I ask before I accept the quote?

• The two declination letters, by company name and date
• Whether the dwelling limit is actual cash value and whether it stops at $600,000
• What liability, theft, and water damage are missing compared with the policy you used to have
• The wildfire score or inspection the plan wants, and what hardening it expects
• Whether flood is excluded. Most policies do not cover flood. DFR says a new NFIP policy generally takes 30 days to start.

Health coverage is a different shopping trip. Oregon's marketplace is Explore Health for 2027, not the FAIR Plan. Auto liability minimums are in Oregon's 25/50/20 auto schedule.

FAQ

How many declinations do I need for the Oregon FAIR Plan? Two, from standard insurance companies, according to the Division of Financial Regulation.

Is FAIR Plan coverage replacement cost? The plan's dwelling manual says dwelling coverage is actual cash value only. The maximum dwelling limit is $600,000 unless higher reinsurance is arranged.

Did the residential limit change? DFR's wildfire page says the FAIR Plan raised the residential limit from $400,000 to $600,000 and the commercial property limit from $700,000 to $1 million.

Can I buy it without an agent? Applications go through a licensed producer who has registered with the plan. The plan's manual says submissions are made through its online portal.

Who do I call if I am stuck? DFR consumer advocates at 888-877-4894, or the division's help page. For a surplus-lines question, DFR lists 503-718-6700 for the Oregon Surplus Line Association.

Next step

Save the two declination letters and ask a licensed Oregon agent to price the FAIR Plan and a surplus-lines quote side by side, with actual cash value and the $600,000 cap written on the page. If the house needs more than that cap to rebuild, ask about reinsurance before you bind the lower limit.

Sources: Oregon DFR: Help with home insurance, Oregon DFR: Wildfire and insurance, Oregon FAIR Plan dwelling manual, version 11.5.