N.J. Admin. Code § 11:3-15.5

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 24, December 18, 2024

Section 11:3-15.5 - New Jersey Auto Insurance Buyer's Guide

(a) There are established two Buyer's Guides for use by insurers: a personal lines Buyer's Guide and a commercial lines Buyer's Guide for individually owned vehicles written on commercial policies. The Buyer's Guides shall be available on the Department's website.

1. The personal lines Buyer's Guide can be found at http://www.state.nj.us/dobi/siteindex.htm#IIS .

2. The commercial Buyer's Guide can be found at http://www.state.nj.us/dobi/siteindex.htm#IIS .

(b) The Buyer's Guide shall be reproduced in the format presented on the website, duplicating the information provided therein and, to the extent practicable, the layout, fonts, type-point sizes, colors and illustrations. Notwithstanding the foregoing, consistent with the requirements of N.J.A.C. 11:2-18.4, all text in the Buyer's Guide shall be printed in at least 10-point type on paper of a quality sufficient to assure that the printing does not bleed from one side to the other.

(c) The Department shall notify insurers of any changes to the Buyer's Guides by Bulletin. Insurers shall provide the Buyer's Guide, as revised, for new and renewal business as soon as practicable, but no later than 90 days after the date of the Bulletin. The Buyer's Guide shall provide general descriptions of:

1. How to begin to shop for automobile insurance;

2. The types of policies available and the basic differences between them;

3. Various insurance coverages such as Personal Injury Protection (PIP), Liability (including bodily injury and property damage liability coverage), Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists, Collision and Comprehensive;

4. Policy terms such as limits, deductibles, producer and direct writer;

5. PIP options such as deductibles and health care primary and PIP package coverage such as income continuation, essential services, death benefit and funeral expense benefit;

6. Comprehensive and Collision options such as limits, deductibles and named driver exclusions;

7. A Lawsuit Limitation Selection Guide that explains the tort threshold options with a warning that insurance companies and their producers shall not be held liable for the consumer's choice of right to sue options; and

8. Information on how the consumer can contact the Department of Banking and Insurance.

(d) In addition, the Buyer's Guide may include company-specific information, such as its name and/or company logo, contact information and company-specific coverage options, provided that the information is consistent with the purposes of this subchapter.

(e) The Buyer's Guide shall contain a statement advising the insured or applicant that additional information concerning coverages or premiums is available by contacting the insurer or the producer. Insurers that write at least two percent of the New Jersey private passenger automobile market shall provide a toll-free telephone number for this purpose.

(f) As required by N.J.S.A. 17:29E-11, the Buyer's Guide shall contain a notice describing the functions of the Insurance Claims Ombudsman, the mailing address of the Ombudsman and a toll-free information telephone number.

N.J. Admin. Code § 11:3-15.5

New Rule, R.1989 d.117, effective 2/21/1989.
See: 20 N.J.R. 2984(a), 21 N.J.R. 558(b).
Repealed "General content of buyer's guide".
Amended by R.1989 d.624, effective 12/18/1989 (operative January 1, 1990).
See: 21 N.J.R. 3244(a), 21 N.J.R. 3922(a).
(c) deleted.
Amended by R.1990 d.580, effective 11/19/1990 (operative January 1, 1991).
See: 22 N.J.R. 1681(a), 22 N.J.R. 3488(b).
Amended to clarify when a Buyer's Guide and Coverage Selection Form are required to be received by the public, and, for convenience to the reader, to reference the rules concerning the use of the Coverage Selection Form (see section 13 of the "Fair Automobile Insurance Reform Act of 1990").
Repeal and New Rule, R.1998 d.595, effective 12/21/1998 (operative March 22, 1999).
See: 30 N.J.R. 3577(a), 30 N.J.R. 4452(a).
Section was "Content of written notice; receipt by public".
Amended by R.2004 d.117, effective 3/15/2004.
See: 35 N.J.R. 3523(a), 36 N.J.R. 1420(a).
Rewrote the section.
Amended by R.2011 d.166, effective 6/6/2011.
See: 42 N.J.R. 1981(a), 43 N.J.R. 1350(a).
Rewrote the introductory paragraph of (a); added (a)1 and (a)2; and rewrote the introductory paragraph of (c).
Notice of readoption with technical change, effective 1/3/2022.
See: 54 N.J.R. 67(b).