Florida cut the window to report a hurricane claim in half. Here's how the deadlines work now — and why a claim you already filed can still have options after they pass.
Florida’s 2022–2023 reforms (Senate Bill 2-A) rewrote the clock on property claims. The change most policyholders feel is the notice deadline: you now generally have one year from the date of loss to give your insurer notice of a new or reopened hurricane claim, and 18 months to file a supplemental claim. That is down from the older, longer windows, and it is codified at Fla. Stat. § 627.70132.
What the deadlines actually govern
The one-year clock is about notice — telling the carrier a loss happened. It is not the deadline to finish the claim, and it is not the deadline to sue. Under Florida’s general statute of limitations, the time to file a lawsuit for breach of an insurance contract is longer (commonly five years, § 95.11) and runs from the breach, not the storm.
That distinction matters. For storms now several years past — Ian (2022), Helene and Milton (2024) — the one-year notice window has closed. But a claim you already filed that was denied or underpaid can still have paths open: appraisal on an amount dispute, or litigation on a filed-and-denied claim within the longer limitations period.
What to do with your dates
- Find the date of loss and the date you gave notice — both drive which deadlines apply.
- If a claim was already filed and denied, the notice deadline is behind you; the question becomes the deadline to dispute or sue, which is different.
- Deadlines are strict and fact-specific. Confirm your exact dates and the current statutes with a licensed attorney before relying on any of this.
The takeaway: a passed notice deadline does not automatically end a claim you already filed. But the windows are short and unforgiving, so the dates are the first thing to nail down.
General information, not legal advice — laws and policies vary and change. Confirm current statutes and your own dates with a licensed attorney before acting.