Missouri Revised Statutes

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 379.118 (2026)

Notice of cancellation and renewals, due when

✓ current as of May 2026

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379.118. Notice of cancellation and renewals, due when — reinstatement, when — exemption, when. — 1. If any insurer proposes to cancel or to refuse to renew a policy of automobile insurance delivered or issued for delivery in this state except at the request of the named insured or for nonpayment of premium, it shall, on or before thirty days prior to the proposed effective date of the action, send written notice of its intended action to the named insured at his last known address. Notice shall be sent by United States Postal Service certificate of mailing, first class mail using Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb), or another mail tracking method used, approved, or accepted by the United States Postal Service. Where cancellation is for nonpayment of premium at least ten days' notice of cancellation shall be given and such notice shall contain the following notice or substantially similar in bold conspicuous type: "THIS POLICY IS CANCELLED EFFECTIVE AT THE DATE AND TIME INDICATED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS IS THE FINAL NOTICE OF CANCELLATION WE WILL SEND PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE AND TIME OF CANCELLATION INDICATED IN THIS NOTICE.". The notice shall state:

(1) The action taken;

(2) The effective date of the action;

(3) The insurer's actual reason for taking such action, the statement of reason to be sufficiently clear and specific so that a person of average intelligence can identify the basis for the insurer's decision without further inquiry. Generalized terms such as "personal habits", "living conditions", "poor morals", or "violation or accident record" shall not suffice to meet the requirements of this subdivision;

(4) That the insured may be eligible for insurance through the assigned risk plan if his insurance is to be cancelled.

2. Issuance of a notice of cancellation under subsection 1 of this section constitutes a present and unequivocal act of cancellation of the policy.

3. An insurer may reinstate a policy cancelled under subsection 1 of this section at any time after the notice of cancellation is issued if the reason for the cancellation is remedied. An insurer may send communications to the insured, including but not limited to billing notices for past-due premium, offers to reinstate the policy if past-due premium is paid, notices confirming cancellation of the policy, or billing notices for payment of earned but unpaid premium. The fact that a policy may be so reinstated or any such communication may be made does not invalidate or void any cancellation effectuated under subsection 1 of this section or defeat the present and unequivocal nature of acts of cancellation as described under subsection 2 of this section.

4. (1) An insurer shall send an insured written notice of an automobile policy renewal at least fifteen days prior to the effective date of the new policy. The notice shall be sent by first class mail or may be sent electronically if requested by the policyholder, and shall contain the insured's name, the vehicle covered, the total premium amount, and the effective date of the new policy. Any request for electronic delivery of renewal notices shall be designated on the application form signed by the applicant, made in writing by the policyholder, or made in accordance with sections 432.200 to 432.295. The insurer shall comply with any subsequent request by a policyholder to rescind authorization for electronic delivery and to elect to receive renewal notices by first class mail. Any delivery of a renewal notice by electronic means shall not constitute notice of cancellation of a policy even if such notice is included with the renewal notice.

(2) An insurer shall provide a written notice of a reduction in coverage to the named insured no less than fifteen days prior to the effective date of the proposed reduction in coverage or shall send such notice of reduction in coverage with the written notice of renewal described in subdivision (1) of this subsection. Written notice of a reduction in coverage may be satisfied by providing the named insured a copy of or access to the updated policy form or the policy form language that will be changed. The notice shall be sent by first class mail or may be sent electronically if agreed to or requested by the policyholder.

5. An insurer shall be exempt from the requirements of this section regarding notice of nonrenewal if:

(1) The insurer assigns or transfers the insured's policy to an affiliate or subsidiary within the same insurance holding company system;

(2) The assignment or transfer is effective upon the expiration of the existing policy; and

(3) Prior to providing coverage for a subsequent policy term, an insurer accepting an assignment or transfer of the policy shall provide notice of such assignment or transfer to the named insured.

However, if the assignment or transfer of a policy does not result in coverage substantially equivalent to the coverage that was contained in the policy being assigned or transferred, the insurer shall, in lieu of providing the notice in subdivision (3) of this subsection, at least fifteen days in advance of the effective date of the assignment or transfer, notify the policyholder that some coverage provisions will change due to the assignment or transfer, advise the policyholder to refer to the new policy for coverage details, and provide a copy of or access to the replacement policy form or the executed replacement policy.

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(L. 1973 H.B. 354 § 5, A.L. 1974 S.B. 572, A.L. 1989 S.B. 250, A.L. 1990 H.B. 1739, A.L. 2008 H.B. 1690, A.L. 2014 S.B. 691, A.L. 2015 H.B. 391, A.L. 2016 H.B. 2194, A.L. 2018 S.B. 708)

CROSS REFERENCE:

Notice may be given by higher class U.S. mail, 375.011

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 12 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1977–2025 · leading case: Shqeir v. Equifax, Inc., 636 S.W.2d 944 (Mo. 1982).

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Shqeir v. Equifax, Inc., 636 S.W.2d 944 (Mo. 1982). · cites it 48× “for failure to inform them of the actual reason for nonrenewal of two insurance policies on plaintiffs' automobiles, in violation of § 379.118, RSMo 1978. [1] The Shqeirs settled with Equifax but proceeded to trial against American Family.”

O'Connor v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 831 S.W.2d 748 (Mo. Ct. App. 1992). · cites it 8× “120, no insurer shall exercise its right to cancel a policy except for the following reasons: (1) Nonpayment of premium; or [[Image here]] Section 379.118, RSMo 1986, 3 reads: If any insurer proposes to cancel .”

Fuller v. Lloyd, 714 S.W.2d 698 (Mo. Ct. App. 1986). · cites it 4× “Missouri has a similar public policy embodied in § 379.118, RSMo 1978, which requires an insurer who proposes to cancel a policy of automobile liability insurance to send notice by certified mail to the insured of its intended action at least thirty days prior to the…”

Hudson v. State Sec. Ins. Co., 555 S.W.2d 859 (Mo. Ct. App. 1977). · cites it 3× “See sections 379.118 and 379.120. When a statute is remedial and its overall purpose is plain, it will be construed broadly and liberally to effect its plain purpose.”

Safeco Ins. Co. of Am. v. Stone & Sons, Inc., 822 S.W.2d 565 (Mo. Ct. App. 1992). · cites it 2× “In expressing this public policy, the court referred to § 379.118 RSMo.1986, which applies only to private passenger automobile insurance contracts.”

R.L. Nichols Ins. Inc. v. Home Ins. Co., 865 S.W.2d 665 (Mo. 1993). · cites it 2× “280 was a penalty statute providing penalties for the violation of § 379.118. Section 374.280 provides for the forfeiture of a sum not to exceed one hundred dollars for each violation, which the director of insurance may impose after notice and hearing, and further provides that…”

Shelter Mut. Ins. Co. v. Flint, 837 S.W.2d 524 (Mo. Ct. App. 1992). · cites it 2× “Indeed, the insurance policy had a clause that provided notice to the insured if the company decided to cancel or refuse to renew the policy, except where the cancellation or nonrenewal was at the request of the insured or for nonpayment of premium.”

Overman v. Sw. Bell Tel. Co., 675 S.W.2d 419 (Mo. Ct. App. 1984). “banc 1982), which held (on a four to three decision) that no private cause of action was created by § 379.118, requiring an insurance company to give written notice setting forth clearly and specifically the actual reason for nonrenewal of automobile policies.”

Armstrong v. Safeco Ins., 748 P.2d 666 (Wash. Ct. App. 1988). · cites it 2× “1982) (interpreting Mo. Rev. Stat. § 379.118 (1987), which requires insurer to give notice of actual reasons for its proposed action).”

Saunders v. Farmers Ins. Exch., 515 F. Supp. 2d 1009 (W.D. Mo. 2007). · cites it 2× “1982)(en banc), the plaintiffs brought a claim against American Family arguing that American Family in violation of Mo. Rev.Stat. § 379.118 had failed to give them written notice which accurately set forth the reason their homeowners’ insurance was not renewed.”

Jeremy Scott, & Stephanie Scott, Appellants. v. Farm Bureau Town & Country Ins. Co. of Missouri (Mo. Ct. App. 2025). · cites it 7× “Farm Bureau replied that the applicable statute, Section 379.118 RSMo (Cum. Supp. 2018), 1 only requires that the notice be mailed, not received, and under the terms of the parties’ policy that was set to expire on December 14, 2019, proof of mailing is sufficient evidence that…”

Patterson v. Bank of Am. N.A. (E.D. Mo. 2023). · cites it 2× “2d at 948–950 (concluding that because the legislature had established a means of enforcement of chapters 374 through 379, the violation of Mo. Rev. Stat. § 379.118 did not give rise to a private cause of action); R.”

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