How Long Do You Have to File a Hurricane Damage Claim in Florida?

Citizens Property Insurance, Florida’s insurer of last resort, still had more than 266,000 policies in force as of late August 2026.

Every one of them runs on the same two-part clock: One year from the date of loss to file an initial hurricane damage claim, and 18 months for a supplemental claim on damage that turns up later.

Fla. Stat. § 627.70132 treats a late claim as barred, so an insurer can deny it on timing alone.

Note: This is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Filing deadlines and policy terms can change, so confirm your situation with your insurer or agent, or with the Florida Department of Financial Services.

One-Year Deadline for an Initial Hurricane Damage Claim

Florida spells out the filing clock for a hurricane damage claim in one law, and the first number to know is one year.

Fla. Stat. § 627.70132 bars an initial hurricane claim that hasn’t reached your insurer within one year after the date of loss.

That clock starts the day the storm caused the damage to your home, not the day you noticed a stain on the ceiling.

Every week you wait cuts into that one-year window.

A phone call to your insurer’s claims line usually counts as notice, but a follow-up in writing protects you if anyone disputes when you called.

That’s the whole window.

Reopened Claims Keep the Same Clock

A reopened claim keeps running on Florida’s original clock instead of starting over.

Many reopened claims start the same way: An insurer pays and closes the file, then a contractor finds cracked trusses hiding behind the drywall months later.

Asking to reopen that file still has to happen within one year of the date of loss.

That’s the same deadline as your original notice, under state law.

You get no second chance.

18-Month Window for Supplemental Claims

Supplemental claims get six extra months under Florida law, compared to a first-time filing.

A supplemental claim covers new damage from the same hurricane that surfaces after your insurer already adjusted the original claim.

Picture a contractor finding rotted framing behind a wall only after tear-out starts, months after the adjuster’s first visit.

Notice of that supplemental claim has to reach your insurer within 18 months of the date of loss, six months past the deadline on an initial or reopened claim.

That’s six extra months many homeowners never realize they have.

Condo Owners Get One Extra Rule

Condo owners in Florida face one more twist in the filing clock, on top of the deadlines above.

When storm damage triggers a special assessment from the condo association, an owner can file that loss-assessment claim within one year of the date of loss.

A later assessment vote can stretch that window to 90 days after the vote instead, whichever date lands later.

Either way, Florida caps that window at three years after the date of loss, so a slow-moving association can’t stretch it forever.

That cap protects an owner from an association that drags its feet for years.

What Happens When You File Late

Once the clock runs out, Florida doesn't leave any wiggle room.

Fla. Stat. § 627.70132 treats a late claim as barred, meaning your insurer can deny it outright on timing alone.

A missed deadline can sink an otherwise solid claim, no matter how much damage sits behind that missed date.

That's rarely negotiable.

Insurers rarely grant exceptions on their own, and Florida courts have upheld denials built on nothing more than a late notice.

Florida draws similarly firm lines elsewhere in its insurance and traffic law, including how soon you have to report a car accident.

Your Flood Policy Runs on a Different Clock

Those one-year and 18-month deadlines cover wind damage under a Florida homeowners or wind-only policy, not storm surge or flooding.

Flood damage from a hurricane usually runs through a separate flood insurance policy, either through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood insurer.

That federal flood policy runs on a much shorter clock.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires a signed, sworn Proof of Loss within 60 days of the flood, not the year or year-and-a-half Florida law allows for wind damage.

FEMA has stretched that 60-day window after some past disasters, but only when it announces an extension for that storm, so don't count on an extension showing up automatically.

Sixty days moves fast.

You Don't Need a Finished Repair Bid to Meet the Deadline

Meeting the one-year or 18-month deadline only takes notice of the claim under Florida law, not a completed repair estimate or signed contractor bid.

A homeowner can send that notice the same week the storm passes.

Photos, estimates, and invoices can follow later, as the repair work moves forward.

A roof that looks fine right after the storm can still hide mold or wood rot that shows up months later, once the humidity does its work.

That's exactly the gap the 18-month supplemental deadline exists to cover.

Paperwork can wait.

Florida holds homeowners to other deadlines just as tightly, including what happens when a homeowners association levies a missed assessment payment.

FAQ

Quick answers to what homeowners want to know after a storm.

How long do you have to file a hurricane damage claim in Florida?

You have one year from the date of loss for an initial or reopened claim, under Fla. Stat. § 627.70132.

A supplemental claim on damage tied to the same storm gets 18 months instead.

What counts as the date of loss for a hurricane claim?

It's the date the storm itself caused the damage, not the day you noticed it or the day you filed the paperwork.

Does the deadline change for flood damage from a hurricane?

Yes. A federal flood policy through the National Flood Insurance Program runs on a different deadline.

It gives you 60 days to file the Proof of Loss form, apart from the state deadlines above that cover wind damage.

What happens if you miss the filing deadline?

Florida law says a late claim is barred, meaning your insurer can deny it purely on timing, regardless of how much damage you have.

There's no exception.

How long does a Florida insurer have to pay or deny your claim?

Normally 60 days after your insurer receives your proof-of-loss paperwork, or up to 90 days when the state has declared an emergency tied to that storm.