New Hampshire FAIR Plan: there isn't one, and what to do instead

Does New Hampshire have a FAIR Plan?

No. New Hampshire does not operate a FAIR Plan or any state-run insurer of last resort. If every admitted carrier in New Hampshire has turned you down, the route is the surplus-lines (E&S) market: a licensed surplus-lines broker places the policy with a non-admitted carrier. Expect a higher premium and no state guaranty-fund backstop if the carrier later fails.

What is changing right now?

Aug 2, 2024: Governor Sununu signs HB 1259 (P&C laws cleanup; specific-reason requirement codified). Jan 1, 2025: HB 1259 effective. 2025: NHID Freelook Period letter to insurers re: homeowner-insurance cancellations during freelook window. July 11, 2025: NHID 2025 Homeowners Market Data Call Report published (2024 data). 2025: 30+ new insurers enter NH market. 2025-2026: NH experiences historic drought driving 27% increase in wildfires and 16% increase in acres burned year-over-year.

How New Hampshire handles hard-to-insure homes

Surplus lines (non-admitted / E&S) market; no FAIR Plan, no JUA, no state-backed insurer of last resort. NH is not a PIPSO member. (Source: New Hampshire Insurance Department, verified 2026-05-14.)

Surplus lines is the de-facto coverage-of-last-resort path in NH for homeowners that admitted carriers decline. NHID maintains a publicly downloadable Surplus Lines Eligible Company List. Domestic-surplus-lines designation requires a minimum $15M policyholder surplus; eligible insurers must file annually by March 15. (Source: New Hampshire Insurance Department , Surplus Lines, verified 2026-05-14.)

New Hampshire non-renewal rate

NHID's 2025 Homeowners Market Data Call Report characterizes non-renewal activity in NH as low and the market as competitive enough not to require a residual mechanism. No NH-specific aggregate percentage was published in the U.S. Senate Budget Committee 2024 data call summary for the NH-specific row. (Source: NHID 2025 Homeowners Market Data Call Report, verified 2026-05-14.)

How New Hampshire regulates the homeowners market

New Hampshire Insurance Department (NHID) (Source: New Hampshire Insurance Department , Contact Us, verified 2026-05-14.)

New Hampshire is a prior-approval state for personal-lines property/casualty rate filings under RSA 412. Carriers must file rates with NHID and obtain approval before use. (Source: New Hampshire Insurance Department , P&C Rate and Form Filings FAQ, verified 2026-05-14.)

New Hampshire requires at least 45 days' written notice of cancellation or nonrenewal of homeowners and certain other property/liability policies under RSA 417-B:4, with specific reason(s) for the action stated in the notice. A 10-day notice is allowed only for nonpayment of premium or cancellation within the first 90 days of a new policy. RSA 417-B:3-a prohibits nonrenewal based solely on a single valid claim in the prior or current policy term. (Source: New Hampshire Revised Statutes RSA 417-B, verified 2026-05-14.)

Post-disaster protections and mitigation credits

New Hampshire does not have a standing post-disaster nonrenewal moratorium analogous to California's Cal. Ins. Code § 675.1. NHID may issue bulletins after a declared disaster (e.g. the 2025 Freelook Period letter to insurers regarding homeowner-insurance cancellations during the freelook window) but lacks emergency moratorium authority to suspend nonrenewals across affected ZIP codes by order. (Source: New Hampshire Insurance Department / RSA 417-B, verified 2026-05-14.)

New Hampshire has no statutory mandate that carriers credit defensible space, Class-A roofing, or home-hardening on homeowners policies. Mitigation discounts in NH are voluntary and carrier-specific. No active Resiliency / Mitigation Council equivalent to AZ's 2024-2025 DIFI council has been convened. (Source: New Hampshire Insurance Department, verified 2026-05-14.)

Recent New Hampshire home-insurance changes

Aug 2, 2024: Governor Sununu signs HB 1259 (P&C laws cleanup; specific-reason requirement codified). Jan 1, 2025: HB 1259 effective. 2025: NHID Freelook Period letter to insurers re: homeowner-insurance cancellations during freelook window. July 11, 2025: NHID 2025 Homeowners Market Data Call Report published (2024 data). 2025: 30+ new insurers enter NH market. 2025-2026: NH experiences historic drought driving 27% increase in wildfires and 16% increase in acres burned year-over-year. (Source: New Hampshire Insurance Department, verified 2026-05-14.)

Your protections if you're declined in New Hampshire

If admitted carriers decline you in New Hampshire, your options are: (1) shop with an independent agent , 127 NH homeowners writers operate under 64 groups, so most homeowners can find admitted-market coverage somewhere; (2) work with a NH-licensed surplus-lines broker who can place coverage with a non-admitted (E&S) insurer on NHID's eligible list, recognizing that surplus-lines policies are not backed by the NH Insurance Guaranty Association (RSA 404-B); (3) file a complaint with NHID Consumer Services at (800) 852-3416 or via https://www.nh.gov/insurance/complaints/index.htm if you believe a cancellation or nonrenewal violated RSA 417-B:3 or :4 (especially RSA 417-B:3-a, single-claim protection). (Source: New Hampshire Insurance Department, verified 2026-05-14.)

New Hampshire Insurance Guaranty Association (NHIGA) covers claims against insolvent admitted property/casualty carriers under RSA 404-B; it does not cover surplus-lines / non-admitted carriers. Covered-claim threshold is net unpaid claims in excess of $50, within the policy's applicable limits. (Source: New Hampshire Revised Statutes RSA 404-B, verified 2026-05-14.)

How we compile and verify every fact on this page →

What to do this week if you just got a non-renewal notice

1. Read the notice fully. Note the cancellation date: that is your runway.
2. Call your current agent and ask why. Some non-renewals are reversible (a minor issue, a missed inspection); most aren't.
3. Get quotes from at least three other admitted carriers before reaching the surplus-lines market. If you're rural / WUI / coastal you may strike out; that's normal.
4. If admitted carriers decline, contact a licensed surplus-lines (E&S) broker in New Hampshire. They can submit on your behalf the same week.
5. Don't let coverage lapse. A lapse triggers force-placed insurance from your lender: much more expensive, and worse coverage.

For the full playbook see I just got a non-renewal notice →