The Mississippi Appraisal Clause Playbook
Mississippi treats the appraisal clause as a contractual right that survives even after a carrier closes your file. Once you invoke in writing from anywhere in the state — Jackson included — the carrier is bound by Miss. Admin. Code 19-1-19 (Unfair Claims Practices). to participate. Most standard Mississippi auto policies include a binding appraisal clause — check the Loss Settlement or Conditions section of your policy. If the carrier stalls past ten business days, the Mississippi Department of Insurance (1-800-562-2957) logs the delay as an unfair-claims data point.
Where to send the demand
Send the written demand by certified mail with return receipt to the claims address on your declarations page. Cc the adjuster by email so there is a same-day timestamp. In Mississippi, keep a parallel copy ready for the Department of Insurance (1-800-562-2957); you do not file it on day one, but having it ready accelerates the carrier's response under Miss. Admin. Code 19-1-19 (Unfair Claims Practices)..
Umpire selection in Mississippi
If the two appraisers cannot agree on ACV, they jointly select a neutral umpire — usually a senior independent appraiser, a retired adjuster, or a licensed dealer. In Mississippi, most umpires are selected by mutual agreement within 7–14 days; if not, either side can petition a Mississippi court of competent jurisdiction to appoint one. The Jackson regional pool of qualified umpires is deep, which keeps fees competitive.
Timeline expectations
Mississippi appraisal-clause matters run 48 business days on average. Carrier acknowledgment is the fastest step; umpire scheduling is the slowest. If the umpire is local to Jackson, the entire arc compresses to about 38 days.
Who pays what
Costs are shared in Mississippi: each side covers its own appraiser, and the umpire (if needed) is paid equally by both parties. Most ACV appraisal-clause matters resolve before the umpire is retained, so 60–70% of cases pay only their own appraiser. Mississippi-licensed appraisers usually bill $350–$550.
Three tactics that move Mississippi carriers fastest
- Pull your own comp set before the demand goes out. Knowing local dealer asking prices means you can immediately push back on the carrier's first appraiser position.
- Request a copy of the actual comparable vehicle window stickers cited in the valuation, not just the line items. Most reports cite trims and options that the comps do not actually have.
- If the umpire is undecided, supply a clean PDF binder: window sticker, prior-damage clearance, three comps, your appraiser's signed report. Binders win the gray-area decisions.
Three pitfalls that void or weaken the clause in Mississippi
- Skipping certified mail. A demand sent by regular mail or email-only is a demand a carrier can later claim it never received.
- Surrendering the vehicle before photographing every option, panel, and the odometer. Salvage yards strip vehicles within days.
- Calling the appraisal demand a "complaint" or "dispute." Use the exact phrase "I am invoking the appraisal provision of my policy" so the file routes correctly.
Mississippi appraisal-clause demand letter (copy-ready)
Replace bracketed fields with your claim details. Send certified mail with return receipt to the claims address on your declarations page. Cites Miss. Admin. Code 19-1-19 (Unfair Claims Practices)..
[Date]
[Carrier name]
[Claims address from your declarations page]
Re: Claim No. [your claim number]
Policy No. [your policy number]
Insured: [your name]
Loss date: [date]
Loss location: Jackson, MS
Governing authority: Miss. Admin. Code 19-1-19 (Unfair Claims Practices).
Regulator: Mississippi Department of Insurance (1-800-562-2957)
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the appraisal provision of the auto policy referenced above,
and consistent with Miss. Admin. Code 19-1-19 (Unfair Claims Practices)., I am hereby invoking the appraisal
clause to determine the actual cash value of my totaled vehicle. Most standard Mississippi auto policies include a binding appraisal clause — check the Loss Settlement or Conditions section of your policy.
I have appointed [appraiser name, license, contact] as my appraiser.
Please identify your appraiser within ten (10) business days of receipt
of this letter so that the appraisal may proceed. If the two appraisers
cannot agree, they shall jointly select a competent and disinterested
umpire as the policy provides.
Per Mississippi practice, the resulting ACV shall include the statutory
sales tax and title/registration fees that form part of actual cash value
in this state (Insurers must include the 5% motor vehicle tax plus title fees in the settlement.). Salvage retention, if elected, is
governed by Mississippi uses a total-loss formula; salvage titles required for totaled vehicles.
This letter is sent by certified mail with return receipt requested. All
further communications regarding ACV should be in writing. A copy of this
letter will be retained for the Mississippi DOI file at 1-800-562-2957
if the carrier does not acknowledge within ten business days.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Address, phone, email]This template is a starting point, not legal advice. We'll send a tailored demand on your behalf as part of every Auto ACV engagement in Mississippi.