Why Did My Oregon Car Insurance Go Up? A New Law Lets You Ask for the Reasons in Writing

If your qualifying Oregon auto policy renews at a higher premium on or after September 1, 2026, you can ask the insurer in writing to explain the increase. The insurer must provide a clear, reasonable written explanation no later than 20 days after receiving your request.

The right comes from ORS 742.075, enacted through HB 2563. It gives you a way to ask about your own renewal price rather than guess which factors affected it. It does not guarantee a lower premium, a refund, or a finding that the increase was improper.

Does Your Renewal Increase Qualify?

Check the Renewal Date, Not Just the Request Date

The law’s operative and application date is September 1, 2026. Under HB 2563, sections 3–4, the duty applies to qualifying policies renewed on or after that date.

Sending a request after September 1 does not retroactively bring an earlier renewal within the law. Check the renewal date on your policy documents, not simply the date you noticed the higher bill.

Check the Policy and Type of Increase

This is a right concerning a qualifying renewal increase, not every higher insurance bill. ORS 742.075(7) excludes new-policy applications and purchases, as well as changes the insured initiates to coverage or premium amount.

Not every vehicle policy is covered. Excluded categories include motorcycle, boat, recreational-vehicle, and off-road-vehicle policies, as well as qualifying collector antique and specialty-use vehicles. Personal umbrella and certain other insurance policies are also excluded. This is not an exhaustive eligibility list; the policy and the kind of change matter.

There is no minimum 2% overall increase required to ask. Any qualifying renewal premium increase can support a written request. The rule’s 2% figure concerns the explanation’s contributing factors, as discussed below.

How to Request the Reasons in Writing

The renewal offer or automatic-renewal notice must prominently state your right to request an explanation. The first premium invoice after renewal must repeat that notice, whether sent electronically or in print. Notice of the right is not the individualized explanation itself. You must request that explanation in writing. (ORS 742.075(2), (4))

Under OAR 836-054-0130 in Oregon’s adopted implementing rules, include:

• Your name and address as the insured.
• The policy number and policy type.
• A clear request for an explanation of the renewal premium increase.

You may submit a printed, typed, or legibly handwritten request by postal mail, email, hand delivery, or an available insurer portal. A phone call alone is not enough.

Sample Written Request

I am requesting a written explanation of the premium increase at renewal for my Oregon [policy type] policy, number [policy number]. My name is [insured’s name], and my address is [address]. The renewal date is [date]. Please explain the reasons for the increase and provide contact information for follow-up questions.

This is optional wording, not an official form. The renewal date is useful context; it is not an additional required identifying item under the request rule.

Keep your renewal documents, a copy of the request, and any delivery or portal confirmation. Those are practical recordkeeping steps, not extra conditions for exercising the right. Evidence of receipt is particularly helpful because the response period runs from when the insurer receives the request.

When the Insurer Must Respond—and What to Look For

The insurer must respond no later than 20 days after receiving the written request. The statute says 20 days, not 20 business days. This is the insurer’s response deadline, not a 20-day deadline for you to submit a request. (ORS 742.075(5))

When the explanation arrives, check for:

• Understandable reasons: A clear, reasonable explanation in nontechnical language an average policyholder can understand.
• Relevant contributing factors: The significant factors behind the increase, or the required insured-specific explanation if none meets the significance test.
• Identifying information: Insurer, insured, and policy identification, plus the policy period and effective date.
• A date and a way to follow up: The explanation date and contact information for questions.

The response-content requirements appear in ORS 742.075 and OAR 836-054-0120 in the adopted rules.

Why the 2% Factor Test Does Not Limit Your Right to Ask

OAR 836-054-0115(3) uses two requirements to identify a significant contributing factor. The increase attributable to that factor must:

1. Exceed 2% of the current premium; and
2. Be among the four highest dollar impacts contributing to the increase.

Both parts apply. This test determines which factors qualify as significant for the response; it does not establish a minimum total increase for requesting an explanation.

The insurer is not required to identify more than four significant factors, and it does not have to invent four reasons if fewer qualify. If no factor meets the test, the insurer must still identify and explain all factors and information specific to the insured that generally contributed to the increase. The rules also permit additional information.

What an Explanation Can—and Cannot—Tell You

Possible reasons include driving record, mileage, where the vehicle is stored, claims history, discounts, fees, surcharges, or base-rate changes. These are examples recognized by the statute—not a diagnosis of your renewal price.

A clean driving record does not rule out other contributing factors. Conversely, a premium increase after a crash does not by itself establish that the crash caused the increase, how much it contributed, or who was at fault.

The right to meaningful reasons is also not a right to inspect the insurer’s complete pricing algorithm. ORS 742.075(7)(b) preserves confidentiality protections for specified underwriting and scoring materials, eligibility rules, trade secrets, and usage-based insurance materials.

If the explanation is unclear, use its follow-up contact information to ask which factors applied to your policy and to clarify any information you do not understand. Keep the response with your request and renewal documents. This process provides information; it is not a guaranteed route to reversing the price.

For questions beyond this request process, see our guide to broader Oregon auto-insurance coverage and cost factors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Ask If My Increase Is Less Than 2%?

Yes, if the policy and renewal otherwise qualify. The greater-than-2% figure is part of the significant-factor test, not a threshold for your right to request an explanation.

Can I Stop Paying While I Wait for an Explanation?

No. Requesting an explanation does not suspend premium-payment, cancellation, or renewal obligations. Continue to address the deadlines in your policy documents while pursuing the request.

Primary Sources

• ORS 742.075: written-explanation right, notice requirements, response deadline, factors, exclusions, and confidentiality protections.
• Enrolled HB 2563, sections 3–4: September 1, 2026 operative date and application to renewals.
• Oregon DFR adopted rule order ID 2-2026: OAR 836-054-0115, 836-054-0120, and 836-054-0130 governing the factor test, response contents, and written requests.

This article provides educational information only and is not legal advice. Insurance policies and individual circumstances vary.