HOA & Condo D&O Insurance in Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Northeast Florida

Florida statute does not require D&O insurance for condo or HOA boards, but directors carry personal fiduciary exposure under FS 718.111(1)(d) without it. For Jacksonville and St. Augustine boards, claims follow the decisions the law assigns to the board, including the insurance limit and deductible, the three-year appraisal cycle and the structural reserve study.

D&O coverage for Jacksonville and St. Augustine boards: the 2025 and 2026 decisions Florida law puts on directors, what it covers, how to get it right.

Figures reviewed against Florida Statutes and carrier bulletins on September 27, 2026.

Board liability in Jacksonville and St. Augustine

Directors and officers coverage answers for decisions. Florida gave Northeast Florida boards several new ones to make in 2025 and 2026.

The decisions a Northeast Florida board now owns

The statute holds every officer and director to the care an ordinarily prudent person would exercise in a like position (FS 718.111(1)(d)). These are the choices that standard turns on today.

  • The insurance limit and deductible: Citizens raised condo-association rates 7.7% (multiperil) and 14.1% (wind-only) on July 1, 2026 while the private market softened, so staying put is a decision an owner can question, and a deductible above the lenders' 5% and $50,000 per-unit caps can block unit sales.
  • The appraisal cycle: the replacement cost behind the master policy must be redetermined at least once every 3 years (FS 718.111(11)(a)); a board that skips it is choosing the coinsurance penalty on the next partial loss.
  • Structural compliance: a structural integrity reserve study at least every 10 years for buildings three habitable stories or higher (FS 718.112(2)(g)) and the milestone inspection under FS 553.899; deferring either is the fact pattern behind most fiduciary claims after a loss.
  • Manager oversight: since July 1, 2025 board members and officers have a duty to ensure the community association manager or firm is properly licensed under Chapter 468 before contracting (FS 718.111(3)(g), added by HB 913, Chapter 2025-175).
  • Loss assessment fallout: owners' HO-6 policies carry as little as $2,000 of loss assessment coverage (FS 627.714), and Citizens will not raise that limit, so the assessment a board levies after an underinsured loss is largely uninsured for the owners who then sue the board.

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Data sources

Frequently Asked Questions

What decisions expose a Northeast Florida condo board to a claim in 2026?

The ones the statute assigns to the board: the insurance limit and deductible, the three-year appraisal cycle under FS 718.111(11)(a), the structural integrity reserve study and milestone inspection, and, since July 1, 2025, ensuring the manager is licensed under Chapter 468 before contracting. D&O coverage responds to claims against directors for those decisions.

Does D&O insurance cover an injury on association property?

No. D&O coverage responds to claims against directors for the decisions the statute assigns to the board, such as the insurance limit and deductible. A bodily-injury claim on the property is a general liability matter.

Is D&O insurance legally required for Florida condo and HOA boards?

No. Florida law does not require it: FS 718.111(11)(e) says a condominium association may buy directors and officers coverage, and Chapter 720 has no mandate for homeowners associations. Directors still owe a fiduciary duty to the owners (FS 718.111(1)(d), FS 720.303(1)), so without D&O coverage they face personal financial exposure if sued over a board decision.

What does D&O insurance cover for HOA and condo board members?

D&O insurance covers defense costs and settlements arising from claims of breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, defamation, discrimination, employment disputes, wrongful foreclosure actions, failure to maintain common elements, selective enforcement of rules, and mismanagement of association funds. It protects individual board members from having to pay legal defense costs out of their own pockets.

How much does D&O insurance cost for a Florida condo or HOA?

It depends on the number of units, the limit, the deductible, the association's claims and litigation history, and whether the policy includes entity coverage and defense outside the limit. In 2026 the private market is competing for well-run Northeast Florida associations, so the D&O quote often improves when it is placed with the property program.

What is the difference between claims-made and occurrence D&O policies?

A claims-made policy covers claims made and reported during the policy period, regardless of when the alleged wrongful act occurred (subject to the retroactive date). An occurrence policy covers wrongful acts that occur during the policy period, regardless of when the claim is filed. Most community association D&O policies are claims-made, so continuous coverage is critical to avoid gaps.

Can individual HOA board members be sued personally in Florida?

Yes. Directors of condominium associations (FS 718.111(1)(d)) and homeowners associations (FS 720.303(1)) owe a fiduciary duty, and FS 617.0834 allows personal liability for a breach that involves a crime, an improper personal benefit, recklessness or bad faith. D&O insurance pays for the defense of such lawsuits and for covered damages.

Does D&O insurance cover employment-related claims against the association?

Many D&O policies include Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) coverage, which protects against claims of wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, and wage disputes brought by association employees such as maintenance staff, office administrators, or security personnel. If your association employs staff, make sure your D&O policy includes EPLI coverage or obtain it as a separate policy.

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