Regular Program Community
Plain-English definition and practical context.
Definition: Regular Program Community | (NFIP Regular Program)
pronunciation: reg-yuh-ler pro-gram kuh-myoo-nuh-tee
A Regular Program Community is a community that participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) after completing detailed flood hazard studies and receiving an official Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) from FEMA.
To enter the Regular Program, a community must adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations that meet or exceed NFIP requirements and are based on the flood risk data shown on the FIRM. These regulations govern new construction, substantial improvements, and development within mapped flood hazard areas.
Communities in the Regular Program are eligible for higher limits of flood insurance coverage than those available under the Emergency Program. In addition, new construction and substantially improved buildings in Regular Program communities are generally rated using actuarial flood insurance rates that more accurately reflect the property’s flood risk.
Most NFIP-participating communities eventually transition from the Emergency Program to the Regular Program once flood mapping and regulatory requirements are completed.
Sources & Authority
National Flood Insurance Program – Community Participation
Program structure, participation requirements, and coverage limits administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency under Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations.