What Is a CLUE Report and How Does It Affect Your Insurance?

Updated 2026 · 6 min read

Every time you file a homeowners insurance claim, it's recorded in a database called the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange — CLUE. Every insurer you apply to pulls your CLUE report before quoting you. And most homeowners have never seen theirs.

If your CLUE report contains errors, you can be denied coverage or charged more — often without knowing why. Here's how it works in and how to check yours for free.

What a CLUE Report Contains

CLUE is operated by LexisNexis Risk Solutions. It contains:

  • Loss history for the past 7 years — every claim filed on the property, regardless of who owned it at the time
  • Claim details — date, type of loss, amount paid, and the insurer who paid it
  • Property information — address, year built, square footage
  • Inquiries — which insurers have pulled your report and when

Important: CLUE reports follow the property, not the person. When you buy a home, you're inheriting its claims history. A prior owner's water damage claim can affect your premium for up to 7 years after it was filed.

Why It Matters in Florida

Florida is a claims-heavy state, and carriers are more sensitive to loss history than in almost any other market. In :

  • Even a single water damage claim can make you ineligible with some carriers for 5 years
  • A "claim" that was filed but paid nothing (like a call about a potential issue that turned out to be nothing) still appears on your CLUE report and can be counted against you
  • Multiple inquiries in a short period can signal to carriers that you're shopping because you were non-renewed — which they interpret as a red flag
The "claim filed, no payment" trap: If you call your insurer to ask about potential damage and they open a claim, it shows up on CLUE even if no money was paid. This is one of the most common causes of unexpectedly high quotes — and it's fixable.

How to Get Your Free CLUE Report

By federal law (the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act), you're entitled to one free CLUE report per year from LexisNexis. Here's how:

  1. Go to consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com/request
  2. Request the "CLUE Home Seller's Disclosure Report" (for a property you're selling) or "CLUE Homeowner's Loss History Report" (for a property you own)
  3. Verify your identity
  4. Receive the report by mail within 7–10 business days

There's also an expedited online option if you need it sooner. If you've been denied coverage or charged a higher premium based on the report, you're entitled to a free copy regardless of the annual limit.

How to Dispute Errors

If your CLUE report contains errors — claims that weren't yours, duplicate entries, or claims marked "paid" when nothing was paid — you have the right to dispute them.

  1. File a dispute with LexisNexis. Include documentation: insurance company letters, cancelled checks, or statements showing the claim status.
  2. LexisNexis must investigate within 30 days. They will contact the insurer who reported the claim to verify it.
  3. If the error is confirmed, it will be corrected or removed. You'll receive an updated report.
  4. File a dispute with the original insurer. The reporting insurer must correct their records, which then flows to CLUE.

If LexisNexis refuses to correct a legitimate error, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.

Before You Buy a Home in Hillsborough County

Ask the seller for a CLUE report before you close. Sellers are entitled to one free report per year, and the report tells you exactly what claims have been filed on the property. If the property has a history of water or mold claims, that's information you need before you commit.

This is especially important in older Tampa neighborhoods where homes have been through multiple hurricanes.

For how claims affect your premium, see our insurance costs guide. For what to do if a claim goes wrong, see our file a claim guide.

Bottom line: Your CLUE report tracks claims for 7 years — even claims that paid nothing. Get your free report annually, dispute errors promptly, and ask for the CLUE report before buying a home. Errors on this report can cost you thousands.