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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho establishes mandatory auto insurance appraisal and umpire dispute resolution process
Last action · February 26, 2026: Reported Printed and Referred to Business
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What This Bill Proposed
Idaho requires all licensed auto insurers to include appraisal provisions in policies, allowing policyholders or insurers to demand independent evaluations and an decision when they disagree on vehicle loss values or third-party settlement offers, effective July 1, 2026.
Policyholders and insurers gain a structured, binding timeline with fixed 20-day deadlines to select independent appraisers and s when settling disputed auto claim amounts or third-party offers, backed by state insurance code violation penalties.
- Idaho's legislature operates under the Idaho Code, which organizes state laws into numbered titles governing specific policy areas such as motor vehicles and insurance. context
- Chapter 13 of Title 41 in the Idaho Code governs trade practices and frauds within the state's insurance industry. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
automobile insurers licensed in Idaho
Insurers must ensure all policies contain appraisal provisions, comply with 20-day response and evaluation deadlines, and face statutory violations under chapter 13, title 41, Idaho Code, for noncompliance.
policyholders
Policyholders gain the right to demand formal independent appraisals and umpire dispute resolutions when disputing claim valuations or third-party settlement offers, while remaining responsible for the cost of their own appraiser.
third-party claimants
Third-party claimants are included in the scope of settlement offers eligible for the appraisal and dispute resolution process.
DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE
The department is authorized to promulgate rules subject to legislative approval for the implementation and administration of the new section.
Key Facts
- Every automobile insurer licensed in Idaho must include a policy provision allowing for appraisal by a competent and disinterested appraiser for disputed actual cash values, repairable amounts, total losses, or third-party liability settlement offers.
- Either a policyholder or insurer may submit a written demand letter to invoke the appraisal provision, and the receiving party has twenty calendar days to select an appraiser.
- Selected appraisers must appraise the loss and deliver a copy to the other party within twenty business days.
- If the two appraisers fail to agree, either party may initiate a dispute resolution with a competent and disinterested umpire within twenty calendar days after receiving the appraisal.
Show all 7 facts
- The umpire is mutually selected by the appraisers, receives documentation from both parties, and must issue an award to one of the appraisers within twenty business days.
- An insurer's failure to comply with these statutory procedures constitutes a violation of chapter 13, title 41, Idaho Code.
- The department of insurance is authorized to promulgate rules subject to legislative approval to implement and administer the section.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a party have to select an appraiser after receiving a demand?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Feb 26, 2026CommitteeReported Printed and Referred to Business
- Feb 25, 2026IntroducedIntroduced, read first time, referred to JRA for Printing
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Standardized Auto Claim Dispute Timeline
The bill introduces strict statutory timeframes (20 calendar days for demands/umpires, 20 business days for appraisals/awards) into Idaho insurance dispute resolution.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.idaho.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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