North Carolina Policy Limits Disclosure: How G.S. 58-3-33 Works

Last reviewed November 2, 2026, against the statute text as published by the North Carolina General Assembly on that date. Verify the current text before relying on this summary.

North Carolina has a statute that lets a claimant, in certain cases, ask an insurer for liability policy limits before filing suit. This guide summarizes how G.S. 58-3-33 works in plain language. It is a summary of a statute, not an interpretation of it, and it does not replace reading the statute.

What the statute covers

As summarized, the statute sets up a conditional pre-suit disclosure process for nonfleet private passenger motor vehicle liability claims. It excludes some matters, including medical malpractice claims and claims where the insurer denies coverage. If your claim involves a commercial or fleet vehicle, a premises claim or another type of policy, the statute may not apply, and you should look at other options such as a commercial and trucking search or the discovery rules once suit is filed.

How to make the request (certified mail)

The claimant, usually through the attorney, sends the request to the insurer by certified mail. Keep the mailing receipt and the delivery confirmation. Identify the insured, the date of loss and the claim as clearly as you can, and enclose whatever the statute requires with the request. Because the clock under the statute runs from the insurer's receipt of the required items, an incomplete request can delay the response.

The conditions the insurer can require

The statute allows the insurer to condition disclosure on the claimant providing certain documents or consents. The exact items and wording are in the statute, so read the current text and prepare them before you send the request. Missing a required item is the most common reason a response is delayed.

Timelines: 15 business days notice, 30 days to provide limits

In summary, the insurer is to notify the claimant within 15 business days of what it needs, and is to provide the policy limits within 30 days of receiving the required documents. Calendar both dates when you mail the request and follow up in writing if they pass.

What the statute does not cover

• Claims outside its scope, such as fleet or commercial vehicle claims, premises claims and the excluded categories above.
• Confirmation that a policy was in force on a specific date or that a particular vehicle was covered. Those points still need the carrier's response, a declarations page or discovery.
• Claims where the insurer denies coverage.

When a policy limits search helps in North Carolina

A statutory request is the route that produces the insurer's own written answer, and it is worth using when it applies. A policy limits search can help in the gaps: when the claim falls outside the statute, when the conditions cannot be met quickly, when a deadline will pass before the insurer must respond, or when you want an early read at intake. A search is research, not the insurer's statement, and it does not confirm coverage on the date of loss. See how other states compare and the general sequence for finding an at-fault driver's limits.

Based in Cornelius, on Lake Norman, we work with firms across North Carolina and the rest of the United States. Submit a request or contact us.

This guide is informational only and is not legal advice. Trace Policy Limits is not a law firm. Statutes change; confirm the current text with qualified North Carolina counsel.