Privacy Law Library

Minnesota Insurance Fair Information Reporting Act

MN Insurance Fair Information Reporting Act

Financial · Health

Minnesota's version of the NAIC insurance information privacy model law. It requires insurers and agents to give a written notice of information practices, lets individuals see and copy personal information held about them and learn who received it, lets them seek correction, requires reasons for adverse underwriting decisions, and bars disclosing personal or privileged information without authorization except in listed cases such as fraud prevention.

Where
Minnesota
Citation
Minn. Stat. 72A.49 to 72A.505
Status
In force
Enforced by
Aggrieved persons by civil action (72A.503); Commissioner of Commerce (general insurance regulatory authority)
People can sue
Yes
Penalties
Violators are liable to aggrieved persons to the same extent as civil remedies under 13.08, subd. 1 (damages, costs, and attorney fees, with exemplary damages for willful violations under that section), and courts may grant equitable and declaratory relief (72A.503).
Applies to
  • Insurers, insurance agents, and insurance-support organizations that collect, receive, or maintain information about Minnesota residents in insurance transactions or transact insurance with Minnesota residents (72A.492, subd. 1)
  • Excludes title insurance public-record information and property and casualty insurance primarily for business or professional needs (72A.492, subd. 3)

What a privacy notice must say

  • Provide applicants and policyholders a written notice of information practices, including whether information may be collected from others, the types of information and sources, and investigative techniques used.Minn. Stat. 72A.494 · Only if: Not required for group policies not individually underwritten, or certain renewals collecting no outside information
  • Give the specific reasons for an adverse underwriting decision.Minn. Stat. 72A.499

Rights it gives people

  • Within 30 business days of a written request, tell individuals what personal information is held, let them see and copy it, identify who received it in the past two years, and explain how to request correction.Minn. Stat. 72A.497, subd. 1
  • Individuals may request correction, amendment, or deletion of personal information.Minn. Stat. 72A.498

Practices it requires

  • Do not disclose personal or privileged information collected in an insurance transaction without the person's authorization, except as specifically permitted (fraud prevention, health care verification, regulators, law enforcement, legal process, and similar cases).Minn. Stat. 72A.501, 72A.502
  • Do not use pretext interviews or other improper means to obtain information.Minn. Stat. 72A.493, 72A.504

Sources

Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.

Unverified: Sections 72A.493, 72A.498, 72A.499, 72A.501, and 72A.504 were summarized from their headnotes only; their text was not read. | Effective date of the original act (Laws 1989) not verified.

Research reference, not legal advice.