Title insurance is a form of indemnity insurance, developed in the United States in the 1870s, that protects an insured party against financial loss arising from defects in the title to real property — liens, encumbrances, forgeries, recording errors and competing ownership claims — that existed before the policy was issued.

It is sold in two principal forms: a lender's (loan) policy, ordinarily required as a condition of a mortgage, and an owner's policy, which is optional for the buyer.

The industry is regulated at the state level, is highly concentrated among a few underwriters, and has been the subject of recurring policy disputes over pricing, referral practices, and federal pilot programs that would waive the lender's policy requirement.

Scope note: this entry describes the United States market, where the product originated and is most developed.

I do not have sourced material sufficient to describe non-U.S.

title insurance markets and therefore omit them.

Title insurance Summary Title insurance NAIC Content +1 NAIC Content NAIC Content NAIC Content California Department of Insurance +1 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Texas Department of Insurance Texas Department of Insurance California Department of Insurance Texas Department of Insurance Texas Department of Insurance +1 American Land Title Association California Department of Insurance Consumer Financial Protection Bureau California Department of Insurance +1 Government Accountability Office +1 NAIC source CFPB lender-policy source CFPB owner-policy source California DOI source Texas DOI source ALTA policy-form source GAO report