Colorado HB25-1182

Colorado HB25-1182

In May 2025, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed House Bill 25-1182 — "Risk Model Use in Property Insurance Policies."

The law will take effect July 1, 2026, and it fundamentally changes how insurance companies can use wildfire risk models, what they have to disclose, and how mitigation gets recognized in your premium.

If you own property in wildfire country in Colorado — and especially if you've recently been non-renewed, seen a significant premium increase, or had your risk score raised — this law matters to you.

Why This Law Exists

For years, Colorado homeowners in wildfire-prone areas have been caught in an expanding insurance problem.

Carriers were non-renewing policies based on proprietary wildfire risk scores, raising premiums aggressively, or refusing to write new coverage — and homeowners often couldn't find out what was in their risk score, why it was what it was, or what they could do to change it.

At the same time, homeowners investing in real mitigation work — clearing defensible space, hardening their structures, participating in Firewise communities — often found that their insurer didn't recognize or credit any of it. The risk score was opaque, the underwriting decision was opaque, and the homeowner's options were limited.

HB25-1182 addresses this gap.

It doesn't tell insurers what to charge, and it doesn't guarantee lower premiums. What it does is require transparency, mitigation recognition, and a path to appeal.

What the Law Requires

The law places four main obligations on insurers that use wildfire risk models, catastrophe models, or wildfire-based scoring methods in underwriting homeowners insurance in Colorado:

Disclosure to the state.

Insurers must submit their wildfire risk models — including the model's structure, its impact on rates, and how it's used in underwriting — to the Colorado Division of Insurance as part of their rate filings.

Disclosure to you.

Each policyholder must receive an annual written notice that includes their wildfire risk score or classification, the mitigation discounts available, and how the score is being used.

Mitigation recognition.

Insurers must either (a) incorporate property-specific mitigation actions (defensible space, home hardening, certified mitigation) and community-level mitigation (Firewise USA designations, local programs) into their risk models, or (b) provide separate discounts to policyholders who document these actions.

Appeal rights.

You can appeal your wildfire risk score or classification. The insurer must acknowledge receipt in writing within 10 calendar days and respond with a reconsideration and decision within 30 calendar days.

What This Means for You

In practical terms, HB25-1182 creates three things that didn't reliably exist before:

The right to know your score.

Your insurer has to tell you your wildfire risk score or classification, in plain language, once a year. If you don't know yours, you can request it in writing.

The right to have mitigation count.

Work you've done — or will do — has to be either built into your carrier's model or credited through a separate discount. "I hardened my home and got no credit" is no longer the end of the conversation; it's the beginning of an appeal.

The right to challenge a decision.

If your score doesn't reflect your property's actual mitigation status, you can appeal it with documentation, and the insurer is required to respond on a defined timeline.

What Documentation Actually Counts

The law requires insurers to consider mitigation but doesn't specify exactly what documentation they must accept.

That's where it gets practical: insurers are building their own documentation standards, and they want evidence that's specific, professional, and verifiable.

What tends to work:

• Photo documentation of completed work — before-and-after, GPS-tagged, dated

• Certified mitigation reports from credentialed professionals, aligned with recognized standards (CSFS, NFPA 1140, IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home)

• Community-level certifications like Firewise USA designation if your neighborhood participates

• Receipts and invoices documenting mitigation spending and the scope of work

What tends not to work:

• Homeowner self-attestation without supporting evidence

• General statements like "I cleared the brush" without documentation

• Photos without clear dates, locations, or context

• Mitigation work done years ago without any current documentation of its condition

This is where a FireFile℠Report comes in.

It's specifically built to provide the kind of documentation an insurer's underwriting or appeals review process will actually credit — credentialed authorship, scored rubric, photo documentation, alignment with recognized standards, and a verifiable Report ID.

Learn more about the FireFile℠ Report→

What HB25-1182 Does Not Do

It's worth being clear about what the law doesn't do, because over-promising it sets homeowners up for disappointment:

It doesn't guarantee lower premiums.

It requires mitigation to be considered, but insurers still set their own rates.

It doesn't prevent non-renewal.

Insurers can still decide not to renew a policy; they just have to do it transparently and recognize mitigation in the process.

It doesn't force insurers to use any specific scoring method.

Carriers can still use their own proprietary models, as long as they disclose them and follow the other requirements.

It doesn't apply to every insurance situation.

Some policy types and some insurer categories are treated differently under the law.

It isn't automatic.

The law creates rights — but exercising them still requires you to know your score, document your mitigation, and file an appeal if you disagree with a decision.

When HB25-1182 Matters Most

Not every homeowner needs to worry about the law day-to-day.

But there are specific moments when it becomes directly relevant:

You've been non-renewed.

Request your risk score, request the reasoning, and evaluate whether an appeal with proper documentation could change the outcome.

Your premium has jumped significantly.

Same approach — understand the score, understand what's driving it, and see if mitigation documentation could affect it.

You're considering major mitigation work.

HB25-1182 is the reason that work can now translate into real insurance savings — but only with proper documentation.

You're buying property.

A pre-purchase FireFile℠ Report can identify what the property's risk score is likely to be, what mitigation is needed, and what a new insurance policy will probably require.

You're renewing your annual policy.

Check your annual notice. Know your score. Track it year over year.

How Colorado Safe Lands Fits In

We produce the documentation — the FireFile℠ Report— that gives your mitigation the strongest possible footing when you're interacting with your carrier.

We don't sell insurance, represent you in insurance disputes, or guarantee specific premium outcomes.

If you're facing an insurance situation where HB25-1182 matters to you, a FireFile℠ Report is often the right next step. It produces the kind of credentialed, evidence-based, documented report that insurers can actually work with.

This page is general information about the law — it isn't legal advice, and it isn't specific to your situation. For legal questions about HB25-1182 or its application to your circumstances, talk to an attorney. For the mitigation documentation that lets you exercise the rights the law creates, see our FireFile℠ Report page →.

HB25-1182 was signed by Governor Jared Polis on May 28, 2025, and takes effect July 1, 2026. This page is informational only and does not constitute legal advice. For the official text of the law and its implementing regulations, visit the Colorado General Assembly and Colorado Division of Insurance.