How to File a Complaint Against an Insurance Company

• Before you file
• Florida: Department of Financial Services
• New Jersey: Department of Banking and Insurance
• New York: Department of Financial Services
• Pennsylvania: Insurance Department
• What makes a complaint clear
• Where a licensed public adjuster fits
• Frequently asked questions

Regulators review how an insurance company handles a claim: delays, missing responses, unexplained denials and similar conduct. Florida's Department of Financial Services, for example, asks consumers to give the insurance company a chance to resolve the issue first, and says it cannot set the value of a claim, act as your adjuster, or make a company pay unless a law or policy provision was broken.

That makes a complaint one tool among several. It can put a stalled claim back on someone's desk. It does not replace a complete, documented claim file.

How to file: start at Florida DFS: Get Insurance Help and use the Consumer Assistance Portal link to submit an insurance concern online. The Division of Consumer Services handles property insurance concerns for policies purchased in Florida.

What to have ready: the exact name of the insurance company; the name of any agent or adjuster involved; your policy number; your claim number and date of loss; a copy of your declarations page; a detailed description of your concern; and copies of supporting documents.

What happens next: the Division contacts the company, which has 14 days by statute to respond to the Department, and the Division aims to resolve concerns within 30 days. Submissions become public records under Florida law.

How to file: start at New Jersey DOBI: Consumer Inquiries and Complaints and choose the insurance complaint form. You can file online, or print the form and mail or fax it. Formal insurance complaints must be submitted in writing.

What to have ready: the company or agent name; your policy and claim numbers; documents that support your position; a brief description of the problem; and, if they apply, your declarations page and any claim denial letter.

What happens next: the Department's Consumer Inquiry and Response Center logs your complaint, assigns a tracking number and sends you an acknowledgment.

How to file: start at New York DFS: File a Complaint and use the DFS Portal to open the online Consumer Complaint application. The same portal lets you check the status of your complaint or add information later. Printable complaint forms are available in several languages.

What to have ready: the insurance company's name; your policy and claim numbers; the date of loss; a short timeline of what happened; and copies of estimates, letters and emails. If someone is filing for you, DFS accepts a Letter of Authorization.

What happens next: DFS reviews the complaint and may share a copy with the company so it can respond.

How to file: start at Pennsylvania Insurance Department: File a Complaint, Ask a Question or Get Help and use the Consumer Services Online (CSO) portal. The Department asks consumers to report insurance problems through the CSO portal, not its general contact form.

What to have ready: an email address for the portal account; the insurance company's name; your policy and claim numbers; the date of loss; a short timeline; and copies of the insurer's letters, estimates and any denial to upload.

What happens next: you create a CSO account, upload documents that support your complaint, and communicate online with the Bureau of Consumer Services investigator assigned to it. The portal keeps a history of what you filed.

• A one-paragraph summary: what was damaged, when, and what you are waiting for.
• A dated timeline of notice, inspections, requests and responses.
• Copies, not originals, of the policy declarations page, estimates, letters and emails.
• The specific outcome you are asking for, such as a decision, a written explanation or a response to a submitted estimate.

Keep it factual. Regulators read many complaints, and a short, organized file is easier to act on.

A complaint addresses how the insurer is handling your claim. A public adjuster addresses what is in the claim. United Claims Specialists is a licensed public adjusting firm that works for property owners: we review the policy, document the damage, prepare a supported estimate and handle communication with the insurance company. Many property owners use both: a complaint to restart a stalled file and a public adjuster to make sure the file is complete.

For the deadlines insurers must meet in each state, see how long an insurance company has to pay a claim.

• How long does an insurance company have to pay?: Claim deadlines in FL, NJ, NY and PA
• Why you should not accept the first offer: Before you sign off on a number
• What is an appraisal clause?: When the amount of loss is disputed
• What is a public adjuster?: Who works on your side
• Public adjuster FAQ: Common questions from property owners

Last reviewed November 3, 2026.