Requires notice of cancellation or nonrenewal of automobile and homeowners insurance policies to be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested.

S3644

SENATE, No. 3644

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 24, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� LINDA R. GREENSTEIN

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Senator� RAJ MUKHERJI

District 32 (Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires notice of cancellation or nonrenewal of
automobile and homeowners insurance policies to be sent by certified mail,
return receipt requested.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning the cancellation or nonrenewal of
certain

insurance policies and amending
P.L.1968,
c.131

and

P.L.1968,
c.158.

����
Be It Enacted

by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 1 of P.L.1968,
c.131 (C.17:29C-1) is amended to read as follows:

���� 1.���
a.
�� In addition
to the powers conferred upon him by any other law, the Commissioner of Banking
and Insurance is hereby authorized and empowered to direct, by rule or
regulation as hereinafter provided, that insurance companies organized under
the laws of this State or organized to do business in this State, shall include
provisions in policies of insurance written by any such� company in this State,
whereby 30 days' written notice shall be given
[
;
]

:
(1)
to the insured, of the cancellation of any such policy;
[
and,
]
(2) to any
designated mortgagee not named therein as the insured of the cancellation of
any interest in such policy; and
[
,
]
(3) to the
insured, of intent not to renew� any such policy.

����
b.��� With respect to a
homeowners insurance policy, no written notice of cancellation or of intention
not to renew sent by an insurer to an insured pursuant to subsection a. of this
section shall be effective unless it is sent by certified mail with return receipt
requested, and by regular mail.� At the time of mailing of the notice by
regular mail, the insurer shall obtain a date stamped proof of mailing from the
United States Postal Service showing the name and address of the insured.�
The insurer shall retain a duplicate copy of the mailed notice which is
certified to be a true copy.

(cf: P.L.1968, c.131, s.1)

���� 2.��� Section 5 of P.L.1968,
c.158 (C.17:29C-10) is amended to read as follows:

���� 5.��� No written notice of
cancellation or of intention not to renew sent by an insurer to an insured in
accordance with the provisions of an automobile insurance policy shall be
effective unless
[
a.
(1)
]

it is sent by certified mail
[
or
(2) at the time of the mailing of said notice, by regular mail, the insurer has
obtained from the Post Office Department a date stamped proof of mailing
showing the name and address of the insured
]
,
with return receipt requested,
and
[
b.
the
]

by
regular mail.� At the time of the mailing of the notice by regular mail, the
insurer shall obtain a date stamped proof of mailing from the United States Postal Service showing the name and address of the insured.� The
insurer
[
has retained
]

shall
retain
a duplicate copy of the mailed notice which is certified to be
a true copy.

(cf: P.L.1980, c.165, s.2)

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect on the 60th day following enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires that a
written notice of cancellation or nonrenewal of a homeowner�s insurance policy
or an automobile insurance policy must be sent by certified mail, return
receipt requested, and by regular mail with a proof of mailing, or the policy
remains in effect.