NFIP Map Revision Eligibility

The Map Revision Exception allows certain NFIP policyholders to qualify for a reduced waiting period when a building's flood zone designation changes due to a FEMA map revision. This exception reduces the standard 30-day waiting period to a 1-day waiting period, provided the eligibility requirements are met.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the Map Revision Exception, the following conditions must be satisfied:

Requirement	Description
FEMA Flood Map Change	The exception applies only when NFIP Maps are revised.
New SFHA Designation	The revision results in a building being newly designated within a Special Flood Hazard Area where it was previously not in one.
Application within 13 Months	The insurer must receive the Application Form (or endorsement request) and the full amount due within 13 months from the effective date of the flood map revision.
Eligible Buildings	The exception applies to all eligible buildings, including those owned by condominium associations.

If these eligibility requirements are not met, then the Standard 30-day Waiting Period will apply.

Flood Map Changes

First, there must be a Physical Map Revision of either a Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM) or a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). If the zone is changed by means of a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR), then the property does not qualify for the Map Revision Exception.

Also, local zoning and planning offices do not have the authority to authorize NFIP map revisions. A community that equivocates a local map change to an NFIP map change does not grant eligibility for the Map Revision Exception to any property under its jurisdiction.

New SFHA Designation

Next, the Physical Map Revision must result in a zone designation change for a specific building. This means that:

1. The previous flood zone did not classify the property within an SFHA.
   • Flood Hazard Boundary Maps do not contain flood zones, so there is no chance of one designating a property in a SFHA.
2. The updated flood map now places the property inside an SFHA.

Eligible Scenarios

Before the Map Revision	After the Map Revision
Example 1: FHBM to Zone AE
A homeowner’s property was located in an Emergency Program community with a Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM).	A new Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) was created for the community that placed the home in Zone AE (a SFHA).
Example 2: Zone B to Zone VE
A coastal property was in Zone B, which carries a lower flood risk and does not require flood insurance for federally backed loans.	Due to erosion and updated flood modeling, FEMA reclassifies the area as Zone VE, a high-risk coastal flood zone.

Ineligible Scenarios

1. No Change in SFHA Status
   • If a property was already within an SFHA before the map revision and remains in an SFHA after, it does not qualify for the exception.
   • Example: A home was in Zone AE before the update, and the new map still shows it in Zone AE.
2. Zone Change That Does Not Increase Flood Risk
   • If a property moves from one SFHA designation to another, but there is no significant increase in flood risk, it may not qualify.
   • Example: A property shifts from Zone AE to Zone AO, both of which are SFHAs. This may not be considered a significant change.
3. Zone Change That Lowers Flood Risk
   • If a property is removed from an SFHA (e.g., Zone AE to Zone X), the exception does not apply because flood insurance is now optional.

Application and Premium within 13 Months

This page contains information about the NFIP. Find more NFIP Resources.