ALTA Board Approves 2021 Policy Forms
ALTA’s Board of Governors on May 26 approved a recommendation to adopt the 2021 ALTA Policy Forms collection. The intended effective date of the 2021 ALTA Forms is July 1, 2021. These forms are currently posted for industry comment through June 11, 2021 and are subject to change before final publication.
The ALTA standard Policy Forms have been formally revised over the years to reflect changes in the marketplace brought about by evolving business practices, expectations of insureds, laws, regulations and legal decisions. Advancements in electronic notarizations, changes in certain consumer and creditor’ rights law, and case law developments were primary drivers leading to the latest revision of the ALTA Loan and Owner’s policies and numerous other ALTA forms.
For historical perspective, the 1970 policies were revised in 1984, followed by a complete rewrite in 1987. In 1990, the forms were modified again, adding the creditor’s rights exclusion for the first time. A limited modification was made in 1992, followed by a complete rewrite of the base forms in 2006.
Forms may be downloaded at alta.org/policy-forms in the section titled “Recently Adopted Forms – For Public Comment by June 11, 2021 – Not Published.” Comments may be submitted to forms@alta.org.
The Forms are copyrighted, and use is restricted to ALTA Policy Forms Licensees (including ALTA Members) in good standing as of the date of use. Permission to reprint may be requested by contacting publications@alta.org.
2006 Operative Law Endorsements and Addenda Now Published
Effective April 2, 2021, the following Endorsements and Addenda to clarify the intended operative law for interpretation of the 2006 ALTA Policies have been published:
- ALTA Endorsement 47 Operative Law – 2006 Owner’s Policy
- ALTA Endorsement 47.1 Operative Law – 2006 Loan Policy
- ALTA Endorsement 47.2 Operative Law – 2013 Homeowner’s Policy
- ALTA Endorsement 47.3 Operative Law – 2015 Expanded Coverage Residential Loan Policy
- ALTA Addendum – Operative Law – 2012 Short Form Residential Loan Policy
- ALTA Addendum – Operative Law – 2015 Short Form Residential Loan Policy – Current Violations
- ALTA Addendum – Operative Law – 2015 Short Form Expanded Coverage Residential Loan Policy
These ALTA Forms are available at alta.org/policy-forms, in the “Forms Effective April 2, 2021” section.
These new Endorsements and Addenda have been designed to accompany the 2006 policies while those forms are still in use, where considered appropriate by the issuing title insurer.