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United States
Department of Agriculture

Risk Management Agency Fact Sheet

Washington National Office — Washington,DC

Revised July 2022

Requesting Insurance Not Available in Your County

General Information
A written agreement can provide crop insurance for insurable crops, types, or practices when coverage or rates are unavailable, or to modify existing terms and conditions in the crop insurance policy when specifically permitted by the policy. A written agreement is an individually underwritten insurance policy reviewed by RMA Regional Offices (RO). RMA RO’s are authorized to approve, deny, or not accept WA requests on behalf of FCIC.
Filing a Request
If you would like to request insurance on a crop that is not insurable in your county, but is insurable in other counties, you may complete and submit a Request for Actuarial Change through a crop insurance agent.
Counties Available
The opportunity to request insurance coverage by a written agreement varies from county to county. Please contact your insurance agent for additional information.
Important Dates

Your request for coverage on crops not available in your county (request type XC) must be submitted on or before the cancellation date for your crop.

Your request for coverage on a practice or type not available in your county (request type TP) must be submitted on or before the applicable acreage reporting date for your crop, practice, and type.

For information on sales closing, acreage reporting, and cancellation dates, visit the Risk Management Agency’s (RMA) website at: The Web Actuarial Information Browser.

Crops Covered
For a complete list of crops insured nationwide go to: General Policies
Requirements for Making a Request

Terms and requirements vary based on the request, however, in general a completed request must contain at least the following supporting documentation:

  • A signed and completed actual production history (APH) form (for crops that require an actual production history) based on verifiable records of actual yields in the county or area where insurance coverage is being requested for at least the most recent 3 crop years in the base period for the crop or a similar crop, if applicable.
  • Acceptable acreage and production records for at least the most recent 3 crop years, if previously grown.
  • Confirmation from agricultural experts that the crop can be produced in the county unless RMA does not require such evidence.
  • Dates you and other growers in the area normally plant and harvest the crop.
  • Name, location, and approximate distance to the place the crop will be sold or used by the producer.
  • For an irrigated practice, the water source, method of irrigation, and amount of water needed for an irrigated practice for the crop. The legal description of the requested land with FSA farm numbers, tract numbers, and field numbers; or FSA aerial photographs or other GPS maps that are legible and clearly define where you intend to plant or have planted the requested crop.
  • If the requested crop has not been planted in the county, you must verify with a signature.
  • Pre-Acceptance Inspection Report (PAIR) and Pre-Acceptance Worksheet (PAW) are applicable only to perennial crops.
  • For Pecan Revenue policy; 4 years of production and gross sales records.

This fact sheet provides only general guidance and RMA may request additional information. You can find all written agreement regulations in the Written Agreement Handbook at: Handbooks 24000.

Where to Buy Crop Insurance
You can buy a crop insurance policy from approved participating crop insurance agents. You can get a list of agents at any USDA service center or on the RMA website at: Agent Locator

  National Office

  • USDA/RMA/Stop 0801/Room 2004-South
    1400 Independence Ave. SW
    Washington, DC 20250
  • Email: FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov

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Note: PDF version looks different than website but content is exactly the same.

This fact sheet gives only a general overview of the crop insurance program and is not a complete policy. For further information and an evaluation of your risk management needs, contact a crop insurance agent
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, complete, sign and mail a program discrimination complaint form, (available at any USDA office location or online at www.ascr.usda.gov), to: United States Department of Agriculture; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights; 1400 Independence Ave., SW; Washington, DC 20250-9410. Or call toll free at (866) 632- 9992 (voice) to obtain additional information, the appropriate office or to request documents. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay service at (800) 877-8339 or (800) 845-6136.