When I shop a policy for a trucking company or a contractor, the first thing a new carrier wants is proof of how the business has actually performed, and the loss run is that proof. It is the insurer’s own list of claims under the policy, not your memory of them. Each line shows a date, a description, what was paid and, on open claims, what the carrier has set aside. A clean run makes a submission easy; a messy one needs a story. Either way you can’t get a competitive quote without it, so the practical question is how to get copies fast. The answer is a written request to the carrier, and in many states a statute puts a clock on how long the carrier has to answer.
What a loss run shows
A loss run is a claim-by-claim report from the insurer. It shows whether each claim is open or closed, its date and description, the amount paid so far and, on open claims, the reserve: the carrier’s estimate of what is still to be paid. Paid plus reserved is the incurred amount, the number underwriters sort by.
Some states spell out the contents. California describes a loss history report as a list of individual claims by date with total incurred and paid losses. New York requires closed and open claims with date, description and payments on each, plus notices of occurrence with date and description. Florida’s definition is the policy number, period of coverage, number of claims, paid losses and date of each loss.
An open claim with a large reserve counts against you before anything is paid. Louisiana addresses this directly: a carrier there is not required to give out reserve information, and a new insurer can’t refuse to write you only because it couldn’t get it.
How many years underwriters want
The usual ask is three to five years of runs, one from every carrier in that time, each dated recently; an old run doesn’t show which claims have closed or how reserves have moved. The statutes use the same window. California’s report covers your tenure with the carrier or the three years before the current policy period, whichever is shorter, plus the current period. Florida and Kentucky (commercial property and casualty) require five years, or the complete history with that carrier if shorter; Louisiana’s commercial-lines rule covers the five previous policy years.
If you’ve changed carriers, you need a run from each one. A year with no run and no explanation reads as a question, not a clean year.
How to request them
- Put it in writing. Every deadline below runs from a written request. Who can sign varies: California accepts the insured or an authorized agent or broker of record, New York the first-named insured or an authorized agent or broker, Kentucky the insured or the insurer’s agent, Louisiana the first named insured, by mail, fax or email, and Texas the policyholder. Ask for all policies and years with that carrier, currently valued.
- Send it to the right place. Florida’s clock starts when the person or office the insurer designated receives the request, so use the carrier’s loss run address or portal. Kentucky counts portal access that lets you view or generate the report as providing it.
- Ask early. California’s statute applies to requests made within 60 days before renewal or after a cancellation or nonrenewal. I request runs when shopping starts, not after a quote comes back.
- Don’t pay for the first copy. Florida bars a fee for one statement a year, Kentucky for one statement, and New York for the information its statute requires.
State deadlines: verified examples
Deadlines vary by state and line of business. Examples I checked in the statutes:
- California: 10 business days for a premium and loss history report on commercial policies other than professional liability (Ins. Code §679.7).
- New York: 10 days for loss information on a commercial risk, professional liability or public entity policy (Ins. Law §3426(g)).
- Florida: 15 calendar days, five years of history (Fla. Stat. §627.444).
- Louisiana: 10 business days, five previous policy years, commercial lines (R.S. 22:1964(21)).
- Kentucky: 20 calendar days, five years, commercial property and casualty; an agent who receives the run has five calendar days to pass it on (KRS 304.20-100).
- Texas: 30 days for a list of claims and payments on a property and casualty policy (Ins. Code §§542.102–542.103); workers’ compensation carriers also have 30 days and must include reserves and a statement of how claims affect your rates (§2051.151).
If a carrier ignores a request, send a second one citing the statute, then contact your state insurance department.
What a no-loss letter is
A no-loss letter (a statement of no loss) is a signed statement that for a stated period you have had no losses, claims or events likely to lead to a claim. Carriers ask for it when a run can’t cover the period: a new business with no prior policy, a gap after a cancellation or lapse, or the days between your last run and the new policy’s start. Reinstatement works the same way: the carrier puts the policy back in force on the strength of your statement and relies on it being true.
It is a representation, not a substitute for the run. Sign it only if it is true for every day it names; if something happened, say so and let the carrier decide.
How claims history affects your quote
I won’t put numbers on it; the effect depends on the carrier, the line and the submission. In my experience frequency, several small claims over a few years, worries underwriters more than one large claim with a clear cause; it looks like a pattern. A large claim that closed years ago and hasn’t repeated is a conversation, not a disqualifier. Texas makes the link explicit for workers’ compensation: carriers must give you a statement explaining the effect of your claims on premium rates.
For each significant claim I add a short note: what happened, what changed afterward, whether it is closed. The trucking carriers I work with want separate runs for auto liability, cargo and physical damage; the contractors I place are usually asked for general liability and workers’ compensation runs together. A certificate of insurance proves you have a policy today; the loss run shows how you’ve used it.
Common questions
Who can request loss runs?
The named insured, or an agent or broker the insured has authorized. California’s statute covers a written request from the insured or from the agent or broker of record where the insured has authorized it; New York’s names the first-named insured or that insured’s authorized agent or broker. When I’m your broker I request them with a signed authorization from you.
How far back do loss runs go?
Underwriters usually ask for three to five years. The state statutes track that range: California’s report covers your tenure with the carrier or three years, whichever is shorter, Florida and Kentucky require five years or the complete history if it is shorter, and Louisiana’s commercial-lines rule covers the five previous policy years.
Do loss runs show reserves?
Often, but not always. Texas workers’ compensation runs must show the reserves set on each claim, while a Louisiana carrier is not required to give out reserve information at all. If a new carrier wants reserves, ask for them by name in your request.
What if I’ve never had a policy?
Then there are no loss runs to pull. The carrier will ask for a no-loss letter covering the period and will underwrite from the application, your years in the trade and the operation itself.
Can the carrier charge for loss runs?
It depends on the state. Florida prohibits a fee for one statement a year, Kentucky for one statement, and New York for the information its statute requires. Ask before you agree to one, and request all years in a single letter.
Sources
- California Insurance Code §679.7: premium and loss history report on request (10 business days; who may request; three-year window; commercial policies other than professional liability)
- New York Insurance Law §3426(g): loss information within ten days (closed and open claims, notices of occurrence; no fee for required information)
- Florida Statutes §627.444: loss run statements (definition, 15 calendar days, five years, no fee for one statement a year)
- Louisiana R.S. 22:1964(21): claims history on commercial lines (ten business days, five previous policy years, no reserve information required)
- KRS 304.20-100: Kentucky loss run statement on request (commercial property and casualty, 20 calendar days, five years, portal access, no fee for one statement)
- Texas Insurance Code Chapter 542, §§542.102–542.103: claims list on a policyholder’s written request, 30-day deadline (Texas Legislature PDF)
- Texas Insurance Code §2051.151: workers’ compensation claims, payments, reserves and rate-effect statement within 30 days
- IRMI glossary: incurred losses (paid claims plus loss reserves)
- IRMI glossary: loss reserve (the insurer’s estimate of claims not yet paid)
- Universal Property & Casualty: statement of no loss (reinstatement form)
General information about insurance loss runs and state loss-run statutes as of October 2026, not legal or tax advice; your policy, your carrier’s procedures and your state’s statute control. Coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued.