The Minnesota FAIR Plan, explained
What Minnesota's insurer of last resort covers, who qualifies, and how to use it as a bridge instead of a destination.
By the TMRW Team · Published September 2, 2026
The short answer
- The Minnesota FAIR Plan (Fair Access to Insurance Requirements) is Minnesota's insurer of last resort — basic property coverage for homes the regular market won't take.
- Like most FAIR plans, it covers fewer kinds of damage than a normal policy and usually costs more — treat it as a bridge while you work back to a regular insurer.
- Check the alternatives below before settling in; many homeowners qualify for the regular market again sooner than they expect.
Quick facts
| Official name | Minnesota FAIR Plan (Fair Access to Insurance Requirements) |
| Website | mnfairplan.org |
| Consumer phone | (800) 524-1640 toll-free; (612) 338-7584 local |
| Established | 1968 |
| Maximum home coverage | $500,000 |
| Covers | Fire and lightning, plus explosions that start inside the home, "Extended coverage" — an industry bundle of additional causes of damage beyond fire that comes standard on FAIR Plan dwelling policies, Vandalism (someone deliberately damaging your property), Homeowners-form policies also include theft and personal liability (legal responsibility if someone is hurt on your property); basic dwelling fire policies do NOT cover theft, Payouts are based on the home's market value, not the cost to rebuild — the plan calls this non-replacement coverage, and the state describes it as actual cash value (the depreciated worth of what was damaged) |
Verified against the official plan site and state insurance department — see Sources.
Who qualifies
You must have been canceled, non-renewed, or otherwise unable to get property insurance from a private-market insurer — a single rejection qualifies you to apply; no minimum number of declinations is required (Minn. Stat. 65A.34) If any private insurer has offered you coverage, you do not qualify (plan underwriting guideline 1.23) The property must be in Minnesota and have a market value on file with the county assessor The property must meet reasonable underwriting standards: not condemned or structurally unsafe, no unsafe heating or wiring, no piled-up rubbish or flammable materials, property taxes not delinquent, and generally not vacant unless being renovated or listed for sale Your neighborhood or location can never be the reason you are refused — state law forbids it, and the plan cannot deny you over the property's condition without a free inspection first For the homeowners form specifically: the home must be your owner-occupied primary residence with two families or fewer; owner-occupied homes valued above the $500,000 surplus-lines threshold in Minn. Stat. 60A.201 do not qualify, and the policy limit cannot exceed the home's market value
How to apply
- 1.
Get turned down first
You need to have been canceled, non-renewed, or rejected by a private insurer. The application asks for the reason. If a private company has offered you a policy, you don't qualify.
- 2.
Contact any licensed Minnesota insurance agent
There is no direct-to-consumer online application. Any agent licensed in Minnesota can submit your application, and by law an agent who sells property insurance cannot refuse to submit it (Minn. Stat. 65A.41). Agents cannot bind coverage themselves — the FAIR Plan decides.
- 3.
Provide the paperwork
A completed application, photos of the buildings to be insured, and your most recent property tax statement showing market value (or sale documents if you bought recently).
- 4.
Wait for the decision — it's quick
The plan must tell you within 5 business days of receiving a completed application whether you're accepted, declined, or accepted at an adjusted limit. A free inspection of the property may be required; if you're declined, you can appeal to the plan's board and then to the Commissioner of Commerce.
- 5.
Pay the premium to start coverage
You have 30 days to pay the initial premium, and coverage does not go into force until payment is received. You can pay online or by mail (not by phone), and premiums can be split into 4 installments with no added fees.
What it costs
The plan publishes no premium table, and its own brochure is blunt: FAIR Plan policies "cost more than private insurance companies charge" and provide non-replacement coverage based on market value, for fewer causes of loss than private policies.
Rates are set using a market survey of what private companies charge for similar coverage and must be pre-approved by the Minnesota Department of Commerce; per the plan's underwriting guidelines, rates "may be more than those charged by private insurers" and are not set with operating profit as a goal.
Premiums can be paid in 4 installments with no additional fees, except policies paid by a mortgage company, which must be paid in full up front.
Inspections are always free — by statute, any inspection of your property is done at no cost to the applicant.
Alternatives in Minnesota
Keep shopping the private market through independent agents — the FAIR Plan's stated purpose is to return customers to private insurance, which its own materials say costs less and covers more (replacement cost, more perils). Surplus and excess lines carriers (specialty insurers licensed to take risks the standard market won't): owner-occupied homes valued above $500,000 do not qualify for the FAIR Plan and fall to this market under Minn. Stat. 60A.201. If the FAIR Plan itself declines you, you have a formal appeal path: first to the plan's board of directors, then to the Minnesota Commissioner of Commerce (Minn. Stat. 65A.39).
Wherever you land, most FAIR-type policies leave gaps a second policy has to fill — see the gap (DIC) policy, explained.
Common questions
TMRW is an independent wildfire-mitigation company. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the California FAIR Plan Association or any state FAIR Plan, wind pool, or insurance program.
This page is educational. TMRW is not an insurance agent, broker, or producer, and nothing here is insurance advice, a coverage recommendation, or an offer of insurance. Talk to a licensed agent or broker about your coverage.
Sources
- Minnesota FAIR Plan — About the Plan — Minnesota FAIR Plan, accessed 2026-09-02
- Minnesota FAIR Plan — Policyholders (payments, contact, hours) — Minnesota FAIR Plan, accessed 2026-09-02
- Minnesota FAIR Plan consumer brochure (PDF) — Minnesota FAIR Plan, accessed 2026-09-02
- Minnesota FAIR Plan Act, Minn. Stat. 65A.31–65A.42 (PDF) — Minnesota FAIR Plan / Minnesota Legislature, accessed 2026-09-02
- Minnesota FAIR Plan Underwriting Guidelines, Appendix A (PDF, eff. 2016-03-16) — Minnesota FAIR Plan, accessed 2026-09-02
- Insurance Rules and Regulations (FAIR Plan section) — Minnesota Department of Commerce, accessed 2026-09-02
- Minn. Stat. 60A.201 (surplus lines threshold referenced by the FAIR Plan's maximum-limit rule) — Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, accessed 2026-09-02
Keep reading
FAIR Plans: insurance of last resort, explained
FAIR Plans are state-organized insurers of last resort — expensive, fire-focused, and thinner than they look. What they are, what they cost, and how homeowners get back to regular insurance.
The gap policy: Difference in Conditions (DIC) insurance, explained
A DIC policy is the gap-filler that turns bare-bones FAIR Plan coverage back into something like normal home insurance. What it covers, what it costs, and how to buy one.
The California FAIR Plan, explained
What the California FAIR Plan is, what it really costs with the second policy you'll need, what happens if it runs out of money — and how homeowners get back to real insurance.