NFIP Newly Mapped Eligibility

The Newly Mapped Discount allows NFIP policyholders to qualify for a Statutory Discount when a building's flood zone designation changes due to a FEMA map revision. This discount reduces the policy premium without changing the rating, provided the eligibility requirements are met.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the Newly Mapped Discount, the following conditions must be satisfied:

Requirement	Description
FEMA Flood Map Change	The exception applies only when NFIP Maps are revised.
New SFHA Designation	The revision results in a building being newly designated within a Special Flood Hazard Area where it was previously not in one.
Application within 12 Months	The insurer must receive the Application Form and the full amount due within 12 months from the effective date of the flood map revision.
Application within 24 Months	The insurer must receive the Application Form, the full amount due, and a lender's letter requiring flood insurance coverage dated within 45 days from the effective date of the flood map revision. [1]
Eligible Buildings	The exception applies to all eligible buildings, including those owned by condominium associations.

If these eligibility requirements are not met, then the Newly Mapped Discount will not apply.

Validation with Flood Zone Determinations

Flood Zone Determinations can be used to validate eligibility for the Newly Mapped Discount.

Three areas on the document should be reviewed to confirm eligibility.

1. Current Flood Zone
2. Current Map Revision Date
3. Prior Flood Zone

In the image above, the property is eligible for the Newly Mapped Discount so long as application/request and premium are received on or before November 23, 2025.

Review the sections below for more information about how these details confirm eligibility.

Flood Map Changes

First, there must be a Physical Map Revision of either a Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM) or a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM).

If the zone is changed by means of a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR), then the property does not qualify for the Newly Mapped Discount.

Also, local zoning and planning offices do not have the authority to authorize NFIP map revisions. A community that equivocates a local map change to an NFIP map change does not grant eligibility for the Newly Mapped Discount to any property under its jurisdiction.

New SFHA Designation

Next, the Physical Map Revision must result in a zone designation change for a specific building. This means that:

1. The previous flood zone did not classify the property within an SFHA.
2. The updated flood map now places the property inside an SFHA.

Flood Hazard Boundary Maps do not contain flood zones, so remapping from FHBMs into SFHAs qualifies for Map Revision.

Eligible Scenarios

Before the Map Revision	After the Map Revision
Example 1: FHBM to FIRM/Zone AE
A homeowner’s property was located in an Emergency Program community with a Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM).	A new Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) was created for the community that placed the home in Zone AE (a SFHA).
Example 2: Zone B to Zone VE
A coastal property was in Zone B, which carries a lower flood risk and does not require flood insurance for federally backed loans.	Due to erosion and updated flood modeling, FEMA reclassifies the area as Zone VE, a high-risk coastal flood zone.

Ineligible Scenarios

Before the Map Revision	After the Map Revision	Criteria for Ineligibility
Example 1: FHBM to FIRM/Zone X
A homeowner’s property was located in an Emergency Program community with a Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM).	A new Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) was created for the community that placed the home in Zone X (a Non-SFHA).	Although there was a Physical Map Revision, the property is in a Non-SFHA. NFIP coverage is voluntary.
Example 2: Zone AE to Zone VE
A coastal property was in Zone AE, which carries a moderate flood risk.	Due to erosion and updated flood modeling, FEMA reclassifies the area as Zone VE, a high-risk coastal flood zone.	The property was already in a SFHA prior to the map revision.
Example 3: Zone AE to Zone C
An urban property was in Zone AE, which carries a moderate flood risk.	Due to community earthworks projects, FEMA reclassifies the area as Zone C, a low risk zone.	The zone went from a SFHA to a Non-SFHA, making NFIP coverage optional.

Lender's Letter

Finally, the insurer must receive the Application Form and full premium payment within 12 months of the effective date of the Physical Map Revision unless a lender's letter accompanies the application.

If the application and payment are submitted after the 12-month window, the property is no longer eligible for the Newly Mapped Discount.

This deadline is strictly enforced, and no extensions or exceptions are granted. Property owners and agents must verify the FIRM revision date and ensure timely submission to benefit from the discount.

Requirement	Details
Triggering Event	FEMA revises a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) or Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM), reclassifying a property from a lower-risk flood zone into a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).
Eligibility Window	The NFIP insurer must receive the Application Form and full premium payment within 12 months from the map revision’s effective date.
12 Month Period	If the map revision condition is met within 12 months, the Newly Mapped Discount applies
24 Month Period	If the conditions for the map revision and the lender letter are met within 24 months, the Newly Mapped Discount applies
Late Applications (Beyond 24 Months)	If the policy application and premium payment are received after the 12-month or 24-month windows, the Newly Mapped Discount does not apply.

Additional Resources

• NFIP Discounts
• Statutory Discounts

This page contains information about the NFIP. Find more NFIP Resources.