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Massachusetts: claim deadlines

How quickly an insurer must acknowledge your claim, decide it, and pay once it agrees.

Time to acknowledge your claimNo fixed number of days; must act with reasonable promptness
Time to accept or denyReasonable time
Time to payNot set by rule
RuleM.G.L. c. 176D

General information only, not legal, insurance or financial advice. Not affiliated with any government agency. Exceptions can apply. Confirm with the state agency, the court or a licensed professional in Massachusetts.

How Massachusetts compares

14 of 51 states and DC share this answer (No fixed number of days): Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Wyoming.

Alaska: 10 working daysAKMaine: No fixed number of days; must act with reasonable promptnessMEVermont: 10 business daysVTNew Hampshire: 10 working daysNHWashington: 10 working daysWAIdaho: No fixed number of days; must act with reasonable promptnessIDMontana: No fixed number of days; must act with reasonable promptnessMTNorth Dakota: No fixed number of days; must act with reasonable promptnessNDMinnesota: 10 business daysMNIllinois: 15 working daysILWisconsin: 10 daysWIMichigan: Request proof of loss within 30 daysMINew York: 15 business daysNYRhode Island: 15 daysRIMassachusetts: No fixed number of days; must act with reasonable promptnessMAOregon: 30 days (unless paid sooner)ORNevada: 20 working days (acknowledge and start investigating)NVWyoming: No fixed number of daysWYSouth Dakota: 30 days to acknowledge and act on communicationsSDIowa: 15 daysIAIndiana: No fixed number of days; must act with reasonable promptnessINOhio: 15 daysOHPennsylvania: 10 working days (unless paid sooner)PANew Jersey: 10 working days (acknowledge and start investigating)NJConnecticut: No fixed number of days; must act with reasonable promptnessCTCalifornia: 15 daysCAUtah: 15 daysUTColorado: No fixed number of days; must act with reasonable promptnessCONebraska: 15 working daysNEMissouri: 10 working daysMOKentucky: 15 daysKYWest Virginia: 15 working days (acknowledge and start investigating)WVVirginia: 15 calendar daysVAMaryland: 15 working daysMDDelaware: 15 working days to respond; start investigating within 10 working daysDEArizona: 10 working daysAZNew Mexico: No fixed number of days; must act with reasonable promptnessNMKansas: 10 working daysKSArkansas: 15 working daysARTennessee: 30 daysTNNorth Carolina: No fixed number of days; must act with reasonable promptnessNCSouth Carolina: No fixed number of days; must act with reasonable promptnessSCDistrict of Columbia: No fixed number of days; must act with reasonable promptnessDCOklahoma: 30 days (unless paid sooner)OKLouisiana: 14 days to start adjusting (30 days for catastrophic losses)LAMississippi: No fixed number of days; must act with reasonable promptnessMSAlabama: 15 daysALGeorgia: 15 daysGAHawaii: 15 working daysHITexas: 15 daysTXFlorida: 7 days (property claims, since Mar. 1, 2023)FL
  • 15 days (9)
  • 10 working days (8)
  • 15 working days (6)
  • No fixed number of days / other (28)

Also for Massachusetts: Malpractice rules in Massachusetts · Small claims limits in Massachusetts · Small estate limits in Massachusetts · Debt time limits in Massachusetts · Shared fault rules in Massachusetts · Medicaid expansion in Massachusetts · ACA marketplace in Massachusetts · Estate and inheritance tax in Massachusetts · All Massachusetts rules on one page

How we checked this

Deadlines were compared between a 50-state survey of fair claims handling rules and a 2026 regulation-cited state-by-state table, and checked against official state code for Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota and Virginia. Where a state sets no fixed number of days, insurers must act with reasonable promptness. Last checked: November 12, 2026. Laws change; confirm with the state agency or a licensed professional before acting.

Cross-checked sources agree   Checked on official source confirmed on a government, court or legislature site   Single detailed source one detailed table built from statutes or official data   Under review sources disagree; read the note and the law.