Pet Insurance in Texas
Since there is no standalone pet policy statute in the state, shopping for pet insurance Texas residents can use follows general property and casualty rules.
- Pet insurance law No pet-specific statute applies.
- Regulator: the Texas Department of Insurance.
- Complaints File your complaint.
- State specific: Pet insurance falls under inland marine insurance and is exempt from rate and form filing.
- State specific: Other inland marine risks are defined in 28 TAC § 5.5008, a Texas rule.
Sources include the Texas Department of Insurance home page, Texas Department of Insurance: file a complaint, the state page chart for NAIC Pet Insurance Model Act (#633), the Pet Insurance white paper from NAIC (publication-pin-op-pet-insurance), and Connecticut OLR Report 2026-R-0159: Pet Insurance Regulation.
Carriers offer plans as inland marine coverage, and the state insurance department oversees them under general property and casualty law. No special statute sets the policy rules, so what is covered comes down to your contract. Nationwide, 5.99% of U.S. dogs are insured, along with 2.29% of U.S. cats.
Across the country, dogs average $16 a month under accident-only plans, or $190 a year, while cats average $9 a month, or $112 a year. For routine wellness plans, dogs average $118 a month, or $1,414 a year, and cats average $72 a month, or $859 a year.
Texas pet insurance laws
State lawmakers haven't adopted a pet-specific statute, as the NAIC model law report shows. Related activity from 2023 is listed instead by regulators under 28 Tex. Admin. Under Code § 5.5008, pet coverage counts as inland marine insurance. Other inland marine risks are defined in state code by rule 28 TAC § 5.5008. Pet policies under this classification face no rate and form filing requirement.
Your consumer protections are set by the policy contract itself as you shop for pet insurance in Texas. Before you buy, read a sample contract to see how the insurer applies these rules:
- Free-look period: a brief window after purchase, during which you can cancel the policy and get a full refund.
- Waiting period: the time between enrolling and the start of vet care payments from your plan.
- Pre-existing condition rules: what the plan does when your pet already showed signs of an illness or injury before coverage started.
Texas pet insurance companies
If you want cat coverage, several national insurers offer plans here, and they also sell pet insurance for dogs in Texas:
- Policies from Nationwide are sold in all 50 states and DC.
- You can buy plans from Spot in all 50 states.
- Coverage from Embrace is offered across all 50 states.
- Fetch offers plans throughout every one of the 50 states.
- Trupanion does business throughout each of the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico (not every person may have access to products and discounts in every state).
- AKC Pet Insurance can be bought in all 50 states (not every feature is available in every state).
In 2025 NAPHIA data, the national average for accident and illness premiums for a dog comes to $836 a year ($70 a month). Willis Towers Watson put the report together; it shows an average cat premium of $435 a year ($36 a month). Although these are national figures instead of state averages, local owners represent 5.1% of U.S. premiums nationwide. Your quote reflects your pet's age, breed, species, and ZIP code.
How many pets in Texas have insurance?
The top 10 states in 2024 NAPHIA member data place this state number 4 nationwide. Its share of all U.S. insured pets is 5.5%, based on the report. In 2025, owners across North America covered 7.6 million pets, equal to 4.27% of every pet in the U.S.
How to file a complaint about pet insurance in Texas
The Texas Department of Insurance oversees property and casualty companies selling Texas pet insurance. When you cannot settle a dispute over a claim with your carrier, you can send a report through the state insurance complaint page. Collect your policy contract, your vet bills, and any claim denial letters, so your filing can include them.
Ask for prices on plans for your pet
We do not sell insurance, and we don't quote or bind it; your request goes to an insurance agency.