Pet insurance has become one of the fastest-growing categories of insurance in North America, with U.S. gross written premium reaching $5.68 billion in 2025 according to NAPHIA’s 2026 State of the Industry Report, a market that has more than doubled over the last five years. Yet the rules that govern what insurers must disclose, how they handle claims, and what consumers can expect if something ever goes wrong can vary dramatically from state to state.
This report compiles, for the first time in a consumer-facing format, the complete state-by-state regulatory landscape for pet insurance, including the 13 states that have formally adopted the NAIC Model Act, the eight states with related legislation, the 29 states plus DC with no specific protections, and the premium cost data that determines what consumers actually pay across the country.
The short version
As of June 2026, 13 states have formally adopted the NAIC Pet Insurance Model Act, including New Jersey, which enacted on January 12, 2026 (effective January 1, 2027). Eight more states have related pet insurance legislation, four of them (California, Florida, Montana, and Rhode Island) with substantively similar protections. And 29 states plus DC have no pet insurance-specific statute at all, including Texas (the 4th-largest pet insurance market) and New York, where the legislature has unanimously passed protective legislation two years in a row and the governor has vetoed it both times. Premiums vary by about 90% between the cheapest and most expensive geographies, driven by veterinary cost differences, not regulation.
Jump to a section
- Why this matters
- The NAIC Pet Insurance Model Act
- The state-by-state regulatory landscape
- The California exception
- Florida’s 2026 reform
- What pet insurance costs consumers state by state
- The biggest markets without regulation
- How the regulatory environment is shifting
- What to do if you live in an unregulated state
- Frequently asked questions
Why this matters
NAPHIA’s 2026 State of the Industry Report shows U.S. gross written premium reached $5.68 billion in 2025, up 19.7% year-over-year, with 6.98 million pets insured at year-end. NAPHIA also reports the average annual premium for an accident-and-illness policy, the most common plan type, at $836 for dogs and $435 for cats in 2025, up from $749 and $386 a year earlier. Yet consumer awareness of how pet insurance actually works lags far behind that growth, and state regulation has only recently begun to catch up. Rising veterinary care costs are a meaningful driver: the BLS Consumer Price Index for veterinary services has outpaced general inflation every year since 2020.
Until the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) adopted Model Act #633 in Summer 2022, there was no standardized framework for pet insurance consumer protection in the United States. Pet insurance was, and in most states still is, regulated as a generic property and casualty product, despite having underwriting characteristics, claim processes, and consumer concerns that more closely resemble human health insurance.
The result has been a patchwork of state-level approaches. California led the way in 2014 with the nation’s first pet insurance-specific statute. The NAIC followed in 2022 with a model framework. Adoption among states has accelerated through 2024 and 2025, but more than half of U.S. pet owners still live in jurisdictions with no specific pet insurance consumer protections at all.
The NAIC Pet Insurance Model Act, briefly
The NAIC Pet Insurance Model Act (Model #633) was adopted by the NAIC membership at its Summer 2022 National Meeting. The Model Act creates a comprehensive legal framework for pet insurance covering definitions, disclosures, policy conditions, wellness program separation, producer training, and enforcement.
For consumers, state adoption of the Model Act adds ten substantive protections:
Standardized definitions
Insurers must use specific, regulated definitions of terms like “chronic condition,” “congenital anomaly or disorder,” “hereditary disorder,” “orthopedic,” “pre-existing condition,” and “waiting period.” Those definitions must be posted on the insurer’s main website.
Mandatory disclosure document
A standardized, plain-language “Insurer Disclosure of Important Policy Provisions” document must be delivered with every new policy, in at least 12-point type, summarizing the policy’s key terms.
15-day free look period
Consumers have at least 15 days to examine and return the policy for a full refund as long as no claim has been filed. Specific notice language is prescribed.
Insurer burden of proof on pre-existing conditions
When an insurer denies a claim citing a pre-existing condition, the insurer, not the consumer, must prove the exclusion applies.
Once covered, never pre-existing
A condition for which coverage was afforded under a policy cannot be considered pre-existing upon renewal of the same policy.
30-day maximum waiting period for illness
Insurers may impose waiting periods of up to 30 days for illnesses or orthopedic conditions, but waiting periods for accidents are prohibited entirely. Waiting periods cannot be applied to renewals.
Waiver of waiting period via vet exam
Insurers must offer a mechanism to waive the waiting period upon completion of a medical examination by a licensed veterinarian.
No vet exam required to renew
Insurers cannot require a veterinary examination of the covered pet as a condition of policy renewal.
Wellness program separation
The Model Act governs how a separate, non-insurance wellness program (routine-care plans covering things like vaccines and exams) may be sold alongside pet insurance: a wellness program cannot be marketed as pet insurance, cannot be made a condition of buying a policy, and must be sold with separate marketing, billing, and terms that clearly identify it as not insurance. Any wellness benefits built into the pet insurance policy itself are treated as insurance.
Producer training
Before selling pet insurance, a producer must be appropriately licensed and complete training covering pre-existing conditions; waiting periods; the distinction between insurance and non-insurance (wellness) products; how policies treat hereditary disorders, congenital anomalies, and chronic conditions; and rating, underwriting, renewal, and other administrative topics. Insurers must also ensure their producers are trained on the specific coverages and conditions of the products they sell.
The Model Act also requires insurers to disclose if the underwriting company differs from the brand name used to market the product, addressing a long-standing consumer-confusion issue in pet insurance, where brand names like ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, Hartville, and AKC Pet Insurance are marketing brands rather than actual underwriting carriers.
State-by-state regulatory landscape
The following classification reflects the NAIC Legal Division’s Summer 2025 State Adoption Tracker for Model Act #633, supplemented with the New Jersey enactment of January 12, 2026 (which post-dates the most recent NAIC tracker update).
Tier 1 — Formal Model Act adoption (13 states)
These 13 states have enacted statutes that adopt the most recent version of Model #633 in substantially similar manner.
| State | Statute | Year | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE | DEL. CODE ANN. tit. 18, §§ 8801 to 8809 | 2023 | Effective |
| HI | HAW. REV. STAT. ANN. § 431:-102 | 2025 | Effective |
| LA | LA. STAT. ANN. §§ 22:1371 to 22:1375 | 2023 | Effective Jan 1, 2024 |
| ME | ME. REV. STAT. ANN. tit. 24-A, §§ 3151 to 3161 | 2022 | Effective |
| MD | MD. CODE ANN., INS. §§ 19-1101 to 19-1107 | 2024 | Effective |
| MS | MISS. CODE ANN. §§ 83-87-1 to 83-87-9 | 2023 | Effective |
| NE | NEB. REV. STAT. ANN. §§ 44-6501 to 44-6510 | 2023 | Effective Jan 2024 |
| NH | N.H. REV. STAT. ANN. §§ 402-P:1 to 402-P:6 | 2023 | Effective |
| NJ | Public Law 2025, Ch. 224 (A1203) | 2026 | Effective Jan 1, 2027 |
| OH | OHIO REV. CODE ANN. §§ 3970.01 to 3970.08 | 2024 | Effective Jan 22, 2025 |
| PA | 40 PA. STAT. AND CONS. STAT. §§ 4701 to 4711 | 2024 | Effective Dec 2024 |
| VT | 8 VT. STAT. ANN. §§ 7151 to 7159 | 2024 | Effective |
| WA | WASH. REV. CODE ANN. §§ 48.205.010 to 48.205.080 | 2023 | Effective |
Tier 2 — Related activity (8 states)
These states have pet insurance legislation that does not meet the NAIC Legal Division’s threshold for full Model Act adoption. The protections vary widely, California’s law predates the Model Act and is in some respects stronger, while older statutes in Tennessee, Idaho, and New Mexico are limited.
| State | Statute | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA | CAL. INS. CODE §§ 12880.0 to 12880.8 | 2014/ | Predates Model Act; stronger free look and penalty provisions |
| FL | FLA. Stat. Ann. § 627.71545 | 2025 | HB 655 effective Jan 1, 2026, substantially aligned with Model Act |
| ID | IDAHO CODE ANN. § 41-1003 | 2017 | Pet insurance covered under limited lines insurance |
| MT | HB 78 | 2025 | Recent legislation |
| NM | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 59A-7-4 | 2017 | Pet insurance listed under kinds of property insurance |
| RI | SB 649; HB 5569 | 2025 | Effective Jan 1, 2026 |
| TN | TENN. CODE ANN. §§ 56-7-2101 to 56-7-2103 | 2008 | Significantly predates the Model Act |
| UT | UTAH CODE ANN. § 31A-23A-106 | 2023 | Pet insurance under license types |
Tier 3 — No current activity (29 states + DC)
These jurisdictions have no pet insurance-specific statute. Pet insurance is regulated by general property and casualty insurance code only.
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New York*, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
*New York is a special case discussed below.
The New York exception. The New York Assembly and Senate unanimously passed pet insurance legislation modeled on the NAIC Model Act in 2024. Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed it on November 22, 2024, citing her belief that the bill was “duplicative” of New York’s existing animal insurance statutory category. NAPHIA’s president at the time, Rick Faucher, publicly disputed that interpretation. The Assembly and Senate passed the bill again in 2025, again unanimously (the Assembly in late May, the Senate on June 9). Governor Hochul vetoed it again in October 2025, the second consecutive veto. The 2025 bill (A.1433 / S.5324) was sponsored by Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter (D-Syracuse) and Senator Jamaal Bailey (D-New York City), who indicated they intend to keep pursuing it. The practical effect: New York consumers, representing 7.4% of all U.S. insured pets, have had pet insurance consumer protection legislation pass both chambers twice and been left without protection both times. As of mid-2026, no pet insurance-specific statute has been enacted in New York, but the expectation is this bill will be reintroduced in the 2026 legislative session.
The California exception
California occupies a unique position in the U.S. pet insurance regulatory landscape. It was the first state to enact pet insurance-specific consumer protections (AB 2056, 2014), and in some respects its current statute provides protections stronger than the NAIC Model Act:
- 30-day free look period, double the NAIC Model Act minimum of 15 days
- Explicit civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, or $10,000 for willful violations, payable to the state
- Express authority for the Insurance Commissioner to hold hearings and adopt regulations
California amended its statute in 2024 (SB 1217, signed September 26, 2024, effective January 1, 2025), which added Insurance Code sections 12880.7 and 12880.8. SB 1217 brought California’s waiting-period, renewal, and wellness-program rules into line with the NAIC Model Act framework, for example, barring a previously covered condition from being reclassified as pre-existing on renewal, prohibiting a waiting period from being applied to a renewal of existing coverage, and adding wellness-program separation requirements. It left California’s longer 30-day free look (noted above) untouched, so these provisions are additive rather than in conflict. The NAIC Legal Division still classifies California’s law as “Related Activity” rather than “Model Adoption” because its overall structure differs from the Model Act despite covering substantially similar ground.
Given California currently accounts for 18.1% of all U.S. insured pets per NAPHIA, the practical effect is that nearly 1 in 5 insured pets in America are covered under the strongest pet insurance regulatory regime in the country.
Florida’s 2026 reform
Florida HB 655 took effect January 1, 2026. The legislation creates Florida Statutes § 627.71545 and substantially aligns Florida’s pet insurance regulatory framework with the NAIC Model Act, with several Florida-specific provisions:
- 30-day free look period, California-style, exceeding the NAIC Model Act minimum
- All standard Model Act consumer protections, standardized definitions, mandatory disclosure document, insurer burden of proof on pre-existing condition denials, 30-day max waiting period for illness, no accident waiting period, no vet exam to renew, wellness program separation, producer training
- Reclassification, Florida’s existing framework had required pet insurance to be filed under “livestock” insurance due to historical statutory definitions; HB 655 also amends Florida’s general insurance code to recognize pet insurance as a distinct line of property insurance
Florida holds 6.2% of all U.S. insured pets per NAPHIA, making HB 655 the most significant state-level pet insurance regulatory event of 2026 by market size affected. After HB 655 takes effect, California plus Florida together cover approximately a quarter of all U.S. insured pets in jurisdictions with the strongest pet insurance regulations in the country.
What pet insurance costs consumers state by state
State-level pet insurance premium data was triangulated from two independent sources: MoneyGeek’s 2026 analysis (modeled premiums for a standardized 6-year-old Labrador Retriever and 7-year-old Ragdoll under a $5,000 annual limit, $500 deductible, 80% reimbursement policy, drawn from 67,000+ pet profiles across 18 carriers) and Insurify’s June 2026 update (rolling 12-month median quotes across 250,000+ quotes from 10+ partner carriers, reported separately for dogs and cats).
A note on MoneyGeek’s standardized-profile methodology. MoneyGeek’s “combined monthly” figure represents the modeled premium for a specific pet profile: a 6-year-old Labrador Retriever and a 7-year-old Ragdoll, both insured under identical coverage parameters. This is an intentionally mid-aged, mid-cost-breed profile chosen to make state-to-state comparisons consistent. Because mid-aged pets cost more than puppies and kittens, and because Labradors are middle-of-the-pack on dog cost, MoneyGeek’s combined averages will run noticeably higher than the rolling median of all quotes someone might receive in real life. Don’t compare MoneyGeek’s combined column to Insurify’s dog/cat columns at the dollar level. What matters across both sources is the relative ranking of states. The two sources broadly agree on that ranking; they diverge a bit more on some of the smaller-population states, flagged with † below.
| State | Combined (MG) | Dog (Ins.) | Cat (Ins.) | Reg. Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC | $71 | $57 | $30 | None |
| WA | $64 | $42 | $26 | Model Act |
| MA | $62 | $63 | $31 | None |
| CO | $59 | $51 | $28 | None |
| CA | $57 | $48 | $25 | Related (strong) |
| CT | $55 | $51 | $27 | None |
| HI | $55 | $49 | $27 | Model Act |
| IL | $53 | $47 | $23 | None |
| NY | $53 | $56 | $28 | None* |
| WI | $53 | $46 | $24 | None |
| NH† | $52 | $55 | $26 | Model Act |
| PA | $52 | $43 | $21 | Model Act |
| AK† | $51 | $66 | $30 | None |
| NJ | $51 | $44 | $30 | Model Act (eff. 2027) |
| DE† | $50 | $57 | $32 | Model Act |
| GA | $50 | $38 | $22 | None |
| MD | $49 | $49 | $25 | Model Act |
| OR | $49 | $48 | $25 | None |
| TX | $49 | $37 | $20 | None |
| AZ | $48 | $47 | $25 | None |
| UT | $48 | $44 | $23 | Related |
| FL | $47 | $45 | $23 | Related (2026) |
| U.S. avg | $47 | — | — | — |
| OH | $47 | $35 | $18 | Model Act |
| VT† | $47 | $51 | $22 | Model Act |
| ID† | $46 | $49 | $26 | Related |
| NV | $46 | $39 | $18 | None |
| NC | $46 | $38 | $20 | None |
| SC | $46 | $36 | $17 | None |
| SD† | $46 | $44 | $23 | None |
| VA | $46 | $42 | $21 | None |
| LA | $45 | $40 | $20 | Model Act |
| MI | $45 | $43 | $18 | None |
| MN | $45 | $42 | $20 | None |
| MS | $44 | $32 | $11 | Model Act |
| WY† | $44 | $47 | $20 | None |
| KS† | $43 | $48 | $22 | None |
| ME† | $43 | $50 | $26 | Model Act |
| IA | $42 | $43 | $18 | None |
| NE† | $42 | $44 | $21 | Model Act |
| NM | $42 | $38 | $16 | Related |
| RI | $42 | $37 | $17 | Related |
| MT† | $41 | $45 | $18 | Related |
| OK | $41 | $34 | $15 | None |
| IN | $40 | $38 | $18 | None |
| MO | $40 | $38 | $16 | None |
| TN | $40 | $41 | $18 | Related |
| KY† | $38 | $44 | $21 | None |
| WV† | $38 | $41 | $17 | None |
| AL | $37 | $31 | $15 | None |
| AR | $37 | $33 | $20 | None |
| ND† | $37 | $44 | $20 | None |
Sources: MoneyGeek (2026 report); Insurify (June 2026 release). *New York: legislature passed bill 2024 and 2025, vetoed both times by Governor Hochul. †The two sources diverge more here, reflecting higher methodological uncertainty in small-population states.
Observations on the cost-regulation relationship
Both data sources confirm the same core finding: there is no consistent relationship between state regulation and premium cost. Washington State, which has full Model Act adoption, is the second-most-expensive jurisdiction in the country (after DC). Mississippi, also a Model Act state, is one of the cheapest. Of the five highest-cost jurisdictions (DC, Washington, Massachusetts, Colorado, California): only Washington has full Model Act adoption and California has strong related legislation; the other three have no specific regulation.
This is the expected result for any well-functioning insurance market. Premium pricing reflects expected claims cost in a region, which is driven by veterinary cost variation, and veterinary costs are tied to cost of living, density of specialty practices, and labor markets. MoneyGeek’s data shows a roughly 90% gap between the cheapest state (Alabama, about $37 per month) and the most expensive jurisdiction (Washington D.C., about $71 per month), consistent with those veterinary-cost and cost-of-living differences. State regulation governs disclosures, claim handling, and consumer rights, not pricing.
The takeaway for consumers: paying more for pet insurance does not buy stronger consumer protections, and stronger consumer protections do not necessarily mean higher premiums. What your state’s pet insurance guarantees, standardized definitions, a free look period, an insurer burden of proof on pre-existing-condition denials, depends on legislation, not on what you pay.
It is worth noting what this regulation does not do: the Model Act standardizes how pre-existing conditions are defined and handled, but it does not require insurers to cover them. A handful of state proposals have sought to go further, Minnesota’s HB 780, for example, would have required pet insurers to cover pre-existing conditions, but those measures have not advanced into law. Because pre-existing-condition exclusions are central to how the product is priced, a coverage mandate of that kind would likely raise premiums substantially.
The biggest markets without regulation
After Florida’s 2026 reform took effect, the largest pet insurance markets without specific consumer protections currently in force are listed below. New Jersey, now the 5th-largest U.S. market, enacted its law in January 2026, but it does not take effect until January 1, 2027, so it is shown here for reference.
| State | Share of US Insured Pets | Combined Premium | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NY | 7.4% | $53 | Legislature passed twice, vetoed by Governor twice |
| TX | 6.1% | $49 | No legislative activity |
| NJ | 4.7% | $51 | Enacted Jan 12 2026, effective Jan 1 2027 |
| MA | 3.4% | $62 | Pending legislation in committee |
| IL | 3.3% | $53 | Pending legislation in committee |
| CO | 3.0% | $59 | No legislative activity |
| NC | 2.7% | $46 | No legislative activity |
| GA | 2.3% | $50 | No legislative activity |
| AZ | 2.1% | $48 | No legislative activity |
| MI | 2.0% | $45 | No legislative activity |
Share-of-insured-pets figures are from NAPHIA’s 2026 State of the Industry Report, full 50-state + DC distribution, data as of December 31, 2025.
In these states, pet insurance consumers do not have the benefit of a statutorily required free look period, standardized definitions of pre-existing and chronic conditions, a required disclosure document, an explicit insurer burden of proof on pre-existing condition exclusions, a maximum waiting period for illness, a prohibition on accident waiting periods, a prohibition on vet exams as a renewal condition, mandatory wellness program separation, or required producer training.
While some insurers may already include these types of consumer protections, coverage in these states is governed only by general state insurance code, the specific terms of the insurer’s policy, and the consumer’s diligence in reading the fine print.
How the regulatory environment is shifting
The pace of state adoption has accelerated significantly since the NAIC Model Act was finalized in 2022:
- 2022: NAIC Model Act adopted (Summer); Maine becomes the first state to enact
- 2023: Delaware, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Washington adopt, six states in one year
- 2024: Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Vermont adopt the Model Act (Ohio via SB 175, signed October 2024, effective January 22, 2025); New York legislature passes pet insurance bill, Governor Hochul vetoes
- 2025: Hawaii adopts the Model Act (effective July 1, 2025); California updates its existing law via SB 1217; Florida enacts HB 655 (effective 2026); Montana enacts HB 78 signed April 3; Rhode Island enacts SB 649/HB 5569; New York legislature passes pet insurance bill again, Hochul vetoes again in October
- 2026: Florida HB 655 and Rhode Island’s law took effect January 1; New Jersey enacted Pet Insurance Act on January 12, 2026 (effective January 1, 2027); legislation pending in Illinois and Massachusetts; New York’s twice-passed bill remains vetoed (see above)
In just over three years, the count of states with full Model Act adoption has gone from zero to 13. Including states with substantively similar related legislation (California, Florida, Montana, Rhode Island), 17 states have meaningful pet insurance regulation in 2026, up from one (California) in 2022. The directional trend is clear: more states adopt the Model Act each year, which steadily widens the gap in consumer protections between residents of regulated and unregulated states, and pushes national carriers toward building their policies and disclosures to the stricter standards even where the law does not yet require it.
The single exception to this trend is New York, where the legislature has twice passed pet insurance legislation that has twice been vetoed by Governor Hochul, leaving 7.4% of America’s insured pets in regulatory limbo.
What to do if you live in an unregulated state
If your state appears in the Tier 3 list (no current activity), the burden of due diligence on a pet insurance purchase falls more heavily on you than it would on a consumer in a Model Act state. Six specific steps help close the gap.
Request the disclosure document anyway
Most major carriers produce an “Insurer Disclosure of Important Policy Provisions” to comply with the laws of their most-regulated states (California, the 12 Model Act states). They are required to provide it to consumers in those states and often make it available everywhere. Ask for it.
Identify the actual underwriting carrier
Pet insurance is heavily white-labeled. ASPCA Pet Health Insurance is underwritten by Crum & Forster. AKC Pet Insurance is underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company. Hartville is also a Crum & Forster brand. Pumpkin is underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company. Day-to-day claims are usually handled by a program administrator (often a managing general agent or third-party administrator), but the underwriting carrier is the entity legally responsible for paying claims and the one a complaint to your state Department of Insurance is filed against. The NAIC’s own regulator guidance notes that this split routinely confuses consumers about who pays and who to name in a complaint, so identifying the actual underwriter matters when a claim is disputed.
Read the pre-existing condition definition carefully
Without standardized definitions, “pre-existing condition” can mean different things at different carriers, and how an exclusion is applied is governed only by the policy’s own language. This matters most for high-cost claim categories: ACL surgery in dogs, IVDD in dachshunds and other long-bodied breeds, and any chronic condition that develops over time. Watch for “bilateral” exclusions as well, if your pet had a problem on one side (for example, one knee or one ear), some insurers will treat the other side as pre-existing too.
Verify the waiting periods
In a Model Act state, illness and orthopedic waiting periods are capped at 30 days (the Model Act’s “orthopedic” definition generally includes cruciate ligament conditions) and accident waiting periods are prohibited. Without those rules, insurers set their own waiting periods, and cruciate ligament conditions in particular often carry a separate, longer waiting period (six months is common), sometimes waivable with a veterinary exam. When comparing policies, check the illness, accident, and cruciate/orthopedic waiting periods specifically, and read the renewal terms.
Document everything at the vet from day one
In a Model Act state, the insurer must prove that a pre-existing-condition exclusion applies. Without that statutory rule, there is no pet-insurance-specific standard and contesting a denial can be harder, so a full set of veterinary records dated to or before your policy’s effective date is your best protection. This matters most if you enroll an older pet, which simply has more medical history on file for an insurer to review.
Know your state DOI complaint process
Even in unregulated states, the state Department of Insurance has authority over insurance carrier conduct. Complaints are public and tracked. The DOI complaint process is one of the few practical levers consumers have when an insurer refuses to honor a claim or applies a disputed exclusion.
Frequently asked questions
Which states have pet insurance laws?
As of June 2026, 13 states have formally adopted the NAIC Pet Insurance Model Act: Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey (effective January 1, 2027), Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Washington. Eight additional states, California, Florida, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Utah, have related pet insurance legislation (four of which, California, Florida, Montana, and Rhode Island, offer substantively similar protections). The remaining 29 states plus DC have no pet insurance-specific statute.
What is the NAIC Pet Insurance Model Act?
The NAIC Pet Insurance Model Act (Model #633) is a model law adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in Summer 2022. It creates a comprehensive consumer protection framework for pet insurance, including standardized definitions, a mandatory disclosures document, a 15-day free look period, insurer burden of proof on pre-existing condition denials, a 30-day maximum waiting period for illness, no waiting periods for accidents, wellness program separation requirements, and mandatory producer training. States adopt the Model Act through their own legislatures; adoption is voluntary and varies by state.
Is pet insurance regulated in my state?
Pet insurance in every U.S. state is regulated to some degree as a property and casualty insurance product, but only some states have pet insurance-specific consumer protections. The 13 states with full NAIC Model Act adoption (DE, HI, LA, ME, MD, MS, NE, NH, NJ, OH, PA, VT, WA) plus four of the eight related-activity states (CA, FL, MT, RI) with substantively similar laws provide the strongest specific protections. In the remaining states, pet insurance is governed only by general insurance code, which typically does not address pet insurance-specific issues like pre-existing conditions, waiting periods, or wellness program separation.
Why is pet insurance more expensive in some states than others?
Pet insurance premiums vary by state primarily because of differences in local veterinary costs, density of specialty care infrastructure, and cost of living. Insurers price against expected claim costs in each region. The gap between the cheapest and most expensive states is roughly 90%, but premiums also vary within a state, typically tracking rural-versus-urban differences.
State regulation does not appear to drive premium differences. Washington State has the strongest pet insurance regulation of any of the 50 states proper and the second-highest premiums in the country, while Mississippi has the same Model Act adoption and is among the cheapest.
What protections do I have if my state doesn’t regulate pet insurance?
In states without pet insurance-specific regulation, consumers are protected only by general property and casualty insurance code, the specific terms of the insurer’s policy, and the state Department of Insurance’s authority over insurance carrier conduct.
Practically, this means you should request the carrier’s standardized disclosure document anyway, identify the actual underwriting carrier behind the brand name, read the pre-existing condition definition carefully, verify the waiting periods, document everything at the vet from policy effective date, and know your state DOI complaint process.
When does the New Jersey Pet Insurance Act take effect?
New Jersey’s Pet Insurance Act (Public Law 2025, Chapter 224, formerly Assembly Bill A1203) was signed into law on January 12, 2026. The law takes effect for new policies issued on or after January 1, 2027. New Jersey is the 13th state to adopt the NAIC Pet Insurance Model Act and the first 2026 enactment.
Why has the New York pet insurance bill been vetoed?
The New York Assembly and Senate have passed pet insurance legislation modeled on the NAIC Model Act unanimously two years in a row, in 2024 and again in 2025. Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed the bill both times, most recently in October 2025, citing her view that the legislation was duplicative of New York’s existing animal insurance statutory category.
NAPHIA’s president at the time publicly disputed that interpretation, arguing that the animal insurance category does not provide the consumer protections of the proposed Model Act-based legislation. The bill’s sponsors have indicated they intend to keep pursuing the legislation.
The bottom line
Pet insurance regulation in America is moving in one direction, toward stronger and more standardized consumer protections, but the pace varies enormously by state. Seventeen states now have meaningful pet insurance laws on the books. But more than half of America’s insured pets still live in states that don’t.
If you live in a Model Act state, your insurer has to follow standardized rules on disclosures, waiting periods, pre-existing conditions, and producer training. If you don’t, you’re operating under general insurance code and the policy’s fine print, which means due diligence on your end matters more, not less.
Either way, knowing where your state stands is the foundation for buying pet insurance with eyes open. Cost is what you pay; regulation is what you can demand if something ever goes wrong.