§ 20-1654 — Sending notice of intention not to renew to insured; time; term of policy

A. Unless the insurer, at least thirty days before the end of the policy period, sends to the named insured notice of its intention not to renew the policy or to condition its renewal on reduction of limits or elimination of coverages, the insurer shall not fail to renew the policy on payment of the premium due on the effective date of the renewal, in accordance with the then existing rating manual of the insurer.

B. For the purposes of this section:

1. Any policy written for a term of less than one year may be renewed for a term of one year if the notice is not given as required by subsection A of this section. For the purposes of subsection A of this section, a policy with no fixed expiration date is deemed written for successive policy periods of one year.

2. Nonrenewal does not include the issuance and delivery of a new policy within the same insurer or an insurer under the same ownership or management as the original insurer as provided in this paragraph. An insurer may transfer any of its policies to an affiliated insurer. An insurer may not transfer a policyholder because of the policyholder's location of residence, age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin or ancestry. A transfer by an insurer pursuant to this paragraph does not allow the insurer to apply a new unrestricted sixty-day period for cancellation or nonrenewal.

C. This section does not apply if the insured has accepted replacement coverage or has agreed to nonrenewal.