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Texas Department of Insurance
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Underwriting guidelines

Who must file underwriting guidelines?

Insurers writing personal automobile, residential property, or workers’ compensation insurance must file underwriting guidelines.

When must I file?

You must file not later than 10 days after use. The filing must include a comprehensive set of underwriting guidelines, a document showing any changes, and information about third-party data and models. (28 Texas Administrative Code Section 5.9342).

What if my group files guidelines for several companies together?

The filing must identify which underwriting guidelines apply to each company.

How do I file underwriting guidelines?

Filings must be made using the System for Electronic Rate and Form Filings (SERFF).
If you have questions about SERFF, contact the SERFF Help Desk at 1-816-783-8990 or serffhelp@naic.org.

Which statutes and rules require insurers to file underwriting guidelines?

Are the guidelines kept confidential?

Personal automobile and residential property: Texas Insurance Code Section 38.002 does not make your guidelines confidential. They are subject to open records requests. If you mark your guidelines confidential, and we receive an open records request, we will ask the Texas Office of the Attorney General for a ruling. See Commissioner’s bulletin B-0021-15.

Workers’ compensation: Texas Insurance Code Chapter 2053 and Section 38.003 make your guidelines confidential.

Questions?

Contact the Property and Casualty Lines Office at 512-676-6710 or PropertyCasualty@tdi.texas.gov.

Last updated: 1/12/2024