Louisiana Citizens (lacitizens.com) is not Florida's Citizens. Here's what it actually requires.
Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation runs lacitizens.com. It shares a name with Florida's insurer of last resort, and not much else. The eligibility rule, the programs and the rates are all different. Here's how its pricing works, the diligent-search test that decides if you qualify, and how its takeout program works.
Two programs, one required step before either.
Louisiana Citizens isn't one product. It's two, split by geography. Both sit behind the same private-market declination rule.
Get your declination from the private market first
Before Citizens will write you, you generally need at least one declination from a private insurer. This "diligent search" shows the standard market won't take the risk. Ask any Citizens-appointed producer to run it and document it. Skipping this step is the most common reason an application stalls.
Comparing rates across several carriers at once is also the fastest way to get that declination in writing. You can start a comparison here.
Or check specific carriers directly: State Farm, Progressive, and Liberty Mutual all write homeowners coverage directly, and Insurify pulls quotes from several carriers at once. If you or a family member served in the military, USAA is another option — membership is required.
Know which plan you actually need
The Louisiana FAIR Plan covers property statewide when the private market won't. The Coastal Plan is narrower. It covers wind and hail for homes in designated coastal parishes, much like a wind-only policy. Ask your producer which one fits your address.
If you're already on Citizens, know how the takeout program actually works
Citizens regularly picks out policies that can move to a private insurer, usually at a lower price. This is a "takeout." Unlike Florida's clearinghouse, nothing happens unless your producer authorizes the transfer. In a recent round, producers authorized only about 5,000 of 21,000 approved offers. Most eligible policyholders stayed put, by choice or by doing nothing.
Louisiana FAIR Plan — property coverage when the private market won't write you, subject to the diligent-search test above
Louisiana Coastal Plan — wind and hail coverage for designated coastal parishes; pair with a private multiperil policy for full protection
Louisiana Citizens says it is state-mandated to cost more than private insurers. Re-run your search of the private market now and then, not just once.
Sequence matters here too.
Applying out of order is how people get stuck. They wait on a declination they should have gotten first, or pay for a retrofit before applying for grant money.
Get the diligent-search declination in writing from at least one licensed producer before applying to Citizens.
Apply through a Citizens-appointed producer for the FAIR Plan or Coastal Plan, whichever matches your parish.
If you plan a roof retrofit, apply for the state’s Fortify Homes grant before you hire anyone: work started before approval isn’t eligible. It pays up to $10,000 toward a FORTIFIED Roof. Grants are awarded by lottery, and registration is closed until the next round is announced.
If you are later offered a takeout, ask your producer if they will authorize it. Confirm before you assume your policy has moved.
What people ask before they call a producer.
Is Louisiana Citizens the same company as Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance?
No. Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and Florida Citizens Property Insurance Corporation are separate state entities. They share a name and a similar mission: both are nonprofit insurers of last resort, each created by its state legislature. Their eligibility rules, programs and rates are entirely different.
How much does a Louisiana Citizens policy cost in 2026?
Louisiana Citizens doesn’t publish a typical premium, and it says it is state-mandated to be more costly than private property insurers. So if a private insurer will write your home, expect Citizens to cost more for similar coverage. A Citizens-appointed producer can give you the exact figure.
Do I need a broker to apply for Louisiana Citizens, or can I go direct?
You apply through any insurance producer appointed to write Citizens business. There’s no direct-to-consumer channel. The real gate is eligibility, not finding an agent: you generally need at least one declination from a private carrier first.
What is the Citizens takeout program, and do I have to accept an offer?
It’s a state-run program that picks out Citizens policies that can move to a private insurer at a lower price. Unlike Florida’s mandatory clearinghouse, your producer must authorize the transfer. In a recent round, producers authorized only about 5,000 of 21,000 approved offers. So an offer on your policy doesn’t mean you’re being moved automatically. Louisiana Citizens has run these depopulation rounds since 2008 under La. R.S. 22:2314, and is planning Round 25 with an assumption date of April 1, 2027.
What is the Louisiana Fortify Homes program?
It’s a Louisiana Department of Insurance grant program that pays up to $10,000 toward upgrading a roof to the FORTIFIED Roof standard. Only primary residences in 25 listed parishes are eligible, the home must have an active insurance policy with wind coverage, and work started before approval doesn’t qualify. Grants are awarded by lottery; registration is closed until the next round is announced.
Can I get a wind mitigation discount in Louisiana?
Usually. The Louisiana Department of Insurance says admitted insurers must offer actuarially justified premium discounts for wind mitigation; surplus lines insurers don’t have to. You need a Louisiana Hurricane Loss Mitigation Survey completed by an inspector authorized by the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code Council, submitted to your insurer or agent.