FEMA FORM 086-0-35 (10/23) Page 1 of 14

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Community Rating System Application Letter of Interest and Quick Check Instructions

OMB Control Number: 1660-0022 

Expiration: 10/31/2023

Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 45 hours per response for the application process. The burden estimate includes the time for 

reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and submitting the form. This collection of 

information is voluntary. You are not required to respond to this collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. Send comments 

regarding the accuracy of the burden estimate and any suggestions for reducing the burden to: Information Collections Management, Department of Homeland 

Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20472, Paperwork Reduction Project (1660-0022). NOTE: Do not 

send your completed form to this address.

Community Rating System (CRS) Application Letter of Interest and CRS Quick Check

Application for a Community Rating System (CRS) classification is voluntary. A community can request a CRS classification at any time provided that: 

- The community can meet all of the responsibilities listed under “Community Responsibilities” [see below] and 

- The credit points add up to at least 500 points, enough to become a Class 9. 

Community Request for a CRS Classification 

Two application items are needed to request a CRS classification. Communities must provide: 

(1) A letter of interest sent to the FEMA Regional Office that: 

- States that the community is interested in joining the CRS, 

- Designates the community’s CRS Coordinator, 

- States that the community will cooperate with the verification process, and 

- States that the community understands that approval from the FEMA Regional Office is needed for the ISO/CRS Specialist to visit the community 

and verify the creditable activities. 

The letter is signed by the community’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and is sent to the FEMA Regional Office. Copies of the letter are also sent to 

the State NFIP Coordinator and the Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO). A sample letter is provided on Page 2 of this form. 

Contact information for the State NFIP Coordinators can be found at https://floods.org/membership-communities/connect/state-floodplain-managers-scs/ 

(2) Documentation submitted to ISO showing that the community is implementing activities that warrant at least 500 points. This 

can be done by using the CRS Quick Check that is provided on Pages 11 to 14 of this form. Please read the instructions provided on Pages 3 to 10 of this 

form. 

Next Steps 

If the community’s submittal shows that 500 or more credit points are likely, the ISO/CRS Specialist will contact the FEMA Regional Office for approval to 

conduct an initial verification visit with the community. This is only approval for ISO to commence the application process. Communities must meet the 

minimum standards of the NFIP as determined by a Community Assistance Visit conducted by FEMA within six months of the verification visit. Therefore, the 

Regional Office (or State NFIP Coordinator) may opt to conduct the Community Assistance Visit before giving approval for the verification visit. 

When approval is received, the ISO/CRS Specialist will contact the community to schedule the initial verification visit. At the visit, 

the CRS is explained and each activity likely to receive credit is reviewed. 

Community Responsibilities 

To participate in the CRS, a community must: 

- Be in the Regular Phase of the NFIP for at least one year; 

- Be in full compliance with the minimum requirements of the NFIP. This is documented by a “letter of full compliance” from the FEMA Regional 

Office; 

- Keep Elevation Certificates, Flood Insurance Rate Maps, and Flood Insurance Studies for as long as the community is in the CRS; 

- Maintain flood insurance on all buildings owned by the community that are required to have flood insurance; 

- Designate a CRS Coordinator; 

- Cooperate with the ISO/CRS Specialist and the verification procedures; 

- Submit a recertification each year attesting that all credited activities are still being implemented; 

- Track the area of the regulated floodplain and the number of buildings in the regulated floodplain each year; and 

- Maintain other records of activities until they are reviewed at the next verification visit. 

These responsibilities are spelled out in more detail in the CRS Coordinator’s Manual (see Section 114.b and Section 211.a). 

Communities with repetitive loss properties have additional requirements. FEMA or the ISO/CRS Specialist can provide repetitive loss information to local 

officials.

Privacy Notice 

This Privacy Notice serves to inform you of why DHS is requesting the information on this form. 

AUTHORITY: FEMA is authorized to collect the information requested on this form pursuant to The National Flood Insurance Reform Act 

(NFIRA) of 1994 (P.L. 103-325, Sec. 541.). 

PURPOSE: FEMA is requesting this information to assist in the administration of the Community Rating System (CRS). FEMA will use this 

information to determine eligibility of a community to participate in the CRS, to facilitate communication between FEMA and communities for 

Floodplain management, and to assist in reducing the flood insurance rates for policyholder within a CRS eligible community. Additionally, 

FEMA uses the information to maintain a listing of communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program. 

ROUTINE USES: The information requested on this form may be shared externally with floodplain management partners and contractors to 

assist the Department of Homeland Security in administering the CRS or other floodplain management activities. 

CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION: Providing this information to FEMA is voluntary. However, failure to provide 

this information may result in FEMA's determination that a community is not eligible to participate in the CRS and in turn reducing potential 

NFIP flood insurance premium savings. Individuals and communities who do not provide this information may contact Bill Lesser, FIMA CRS 

Coordinator at FEMA at FEMA-CRS@fema.dhs.gov for further assistance.
FEMA FORM 086-0-35 (10/23) Page 2 of 14

Community Letter of Interest to Join the CRS 

{Community letterhead} 

{Date} 

{Name} 

Federal Emergency Management Agency 

Region { ______ } 

{Address} 

{City, ST, Zip} 

{See the list of FEMA Regional Offices at: http://crsresources.org/100-2/.} 

Dear ________________ {name}: 

The City/Town/County of ___________________ {name} is interested in participating in the Community Rating System (CRS) so that our residents will qualify 

for discounted flood insurance premiums. 

Our CRS Coordinator is ____________________ {name}, who can be reached at _______________ {phone} or 

___________________ {E-mail address}. 

We will cooperate with FEMA, the Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO), and the CRS verification process to ensure that our credited activities are fully earned 

and warranted. 

Please ask ISO to visit us to review our program in depth and verify the creditable activities. We understand that approval from the FEMA Regional Office is 

needed for the ISO/CRS Specialist to visit the community. 

Sincerely, 

___________________ {name} 

___________________ {title} 

{Note: This letter must be signed the by Chief Executive Officer of the community, such as the Mayor or City Manager.} 

cc: {ISO/CRS Specialist} 

{State NFIP Coordinator for your State} 

{See the list of ISO/CRS Specialists at: http://crsresources.org/100-2/.} 
FEMA FORM 086-0-35 (10/23) Page 3 of 14

CRS Quick Check Instructions 

This Community Rating System (CRS) Quick Check is a tool to help communities join the CRS. It is one of two application items required for a community to 

request a CRS classification. The other item is the letter of interest from the community's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), which is explained in Application to the 

Community Rating System on Page 1 of this form. A sample letter of interest is provided on Page 2 of this form. 

The objective of the CRS Quick Check is to show that the community is doing enough floodplain management activities above and beyond the minimum 

requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program to warrant 500 credit points, enough to be a CRS Class 9 or better. The CRS Quick Check can be found 

on Pages 11 to 14 of this form. The CRS Quick Check can be printed and completed on hard copy by the community. 

For the sake of space, the CRS Quick Check uses very short statements for each activity and element. More information on these activities and elements is 

provided in the table below. For a full explanation of each activity and element, see the CRS Coordinator's Manual. The section numbers in the left columns of 

the CRS Quick Check and the Instructions coincide with the section numbers in the CRS Coordinator's Manual. 

 The CRS Quick Check does not include everything that the CRS credits, only the more common items or elements. At least 75% of the communities that 

 participate in the CRS receive some credit for the elements that are highlighted in the CRS Quick Check. Highlighted items will probably provide the 500 points 

 that are needed. You are welcome to review the rest of the items to see where you community may be eligible for credit. 

 CRS credit for each activity or element is determined by the ISO/CRS Specialists following a community verification visit. The verification visit is conducted 

 following FEMA's review of the letter of intent and the CRS Quick Check. It is important to note that the credits described in the CRS Coordinator's Manual may 

 be less that a community anticipates due to the "impact adjustment" that is applied to the credit to reflect how much of a community's SFHA is affected by an 

 activity (e.g., a regulation or a project). Community's often over-estimate their possible CRS credit when the impact adjustment is not considered. 

General Instructions 

1. Collect the following from your ISO/CRS Specialist. ISO/CRS Specialists are listed at http://crsresources.org/100-2/. 

 a. The number of repetitive loss properties in your community. You can request a list of repetitive loss properties from the 

FEMA Regional CRS Coordinator for your region or the ISO/CRS Specialist for your state. 

b. The BCEGS class for your community. Enter the higher of the 2 numbers in the top line of the Quick Check. If there is 

no BCEGS class, enter “10.” 

2. Read each question and mark the appropriate box with a "y" or an "x" or any letter in the "Response" columns. 

a. Mark "Yes, currently" if your community already is doing the activity, or has the study or information. 

b. Mark "Will begin providing" column should be marked if your community could start doing this relatively easily. 

c. Mark "Will consider" if the activity is something that you feel you community should consider. 

d. Leave the columns blank, if you feel the question doesn't apply to your community or if you feel your community is not 

interested in the item. 

3. Column I in the Quick Check provides an example of the documentation that the ISO/CRS Specialist will need to credit the activity. Other 

4. The "Totals" are the bottom of the CRS Quick Check form are for the use of the FEMA Regional Office and the ISO/CRS Specialists. 

More Information on Quick Check Questions 

Section numbers in the left columns of the CRS Quick Check and these instructions coincide with the section numbers in the CRS Coordinator's Manual

Summary explanations for the questions are give below. Detailed information on each section can be found in the CRS Coordinator's Manual , which can be 

Acronyms used in the CRS Quick Check 

BCEGS: Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule, a classification system for building departments administered by ISO 

CEO: The Chief Executive Officer of a community, i.e., the official who is charged with the authority to implement and administer local laws, 

ordinances, and regulations. The CEO may be a mayor, city or county manager, county executive, chair or president of a county council, etc., but not 

a department head. 

CRS: The Community Rating System 

FIRM: The community's Flood Insurance Rate Map 

ISO: The Insurance Services Office, Inc., the company that administers the CRS for FEMA 

NFIP: The National Flood Insurance Program 

SFHA: The Special Flood Hazard Area shown on the community's FIRM 
FEMA FORM 086-0-35 (10/23) Page 4 of 14

Section Prerequisites

211 a (2) Have you had a Community Assistance Visit (CAV) in the last year that concluded you are in full compliance with the NFIP? 

If your community has not had a recent CAV, but you expect that all floodplain development has been properly regulated in accordance 

with your floodplain management ordinance, check “Can Meet.” Eventually, there must be an official letter from your FEMA Regional 

Office that your community is in full compliance with the NFIP before the full application can be processed. Meanwhile, the Quick Check 

can be used for the application submittal and to tell your ISO/CRS Specialist what credit is likely.

a (4) How many repetitive loss properties are there in your community? 

Some of them can be removed if they are not in your community's corporate limits or if they have been mitigated. If changes are needed, 

your ISO/CRS Specialist can go over the paperwork requirement (AW-501s) when he visits.

a (4) What is your repetitive loss category? (A = no rep losses, B = 1 - 49, C = 50 or more) 

Category A: No requirements 

Category B: Get a general sense of where the repetitive loss properties are. See if you can identify likely areas. See also “Mapping 

Repetitive loss Areas” at http://crsresources.org/500-2/. Your community will have to provide: 

a. A description of the causes of the repetitive loss flooding. This may be a brief paragraph for each area. 

b. A map identifying the repetitive loss areas. Those areas include the properties on the FEMA list and adjacent properties with 

similar flooding conditions. 

c. A list of the addresses of all properties in the repetitive loss area(s) with insurable buildings on them. 

d. A notice must be sent to each property in the repetitive loss areas every year. Your ISO/CRS Specialist can explain the 

details. 

Category C: Everything a Category B community has to do plus 

- A floodplain management plan that includes a map and a description of the repetitive loss areas, and a review of flood insurance claims 

information, or 

- A hazard mitigation plan that includes a map and a description of the repetitive loss areas, and a review of flood insurance claims 

information, or 

- Repetitive loss area analysis reports for each area. 

Check with your ISO/CRS Specialist to see if there's an approved hazard mitigation plan that covers your community. Look at the plan. If 

it covers your community's repetitive loss areas, you may have met this plan requirement. 

a (5) Have you maintained flood insurance policies on all buildings that have been required to have one? 

Your community needs to have a flood insurance policy on each building it owns for which a policy was required as a condition of federal 

aid (e.g., an Environmental Protection Agency grant or FEMA disaster assistance). Generally, these will only be buildings located in the 

Special Flood Hazard Area. Even if there was no requirement, it's a good idea. Any disaster assistance for publicly owned and insurable 

buildings in the SFHA will be reduced by the amount of flood insurance that should have been obtained. For more information see Figure 

210-1 in the CRS Coordinator's Manual.

213 a How many buildings are in your community's Special Flood Hazard Area? 

Provide as accurate a count as you can. This number will be kept updated over the years. Your ISO/CRS Specialist can provide guidance 

on how much of an effort is needed.

a How large is your community's Special Flood Hazard Area (in acres)? 

Provide as accurate a measure as you can. This number will be kept updated over the years. Your ISO/CRS Specialist can provide 

guidance on how much of an effort is needed.
FEMA FORM 086-0-35 (10/23) Page 5 of 14

Section CRS Activities and Elements

310 a Will you keep FEMA Elevation Certificates on all new buildings and substantial improvements in the SFHA and check that they are 

correctly filled out? This also applies to FEMA Flood-proofing Certificates and V Zone Certificates. 

This is a prerequisite for joining the CRS. “Correctly filled out” means that each item on the checklist is complete and correct. See 

http://crsresources.org/300-3/ and Figure 310-2 in the CRS Coordinator's manual.

b Do you have FEMA Elevation Certificates on buildings built before your CRS application? 

If so, there can be CRS credit provided.

320 a MI 1 This section is a prerequisite for the rest of the credits in 320. 

Are you willing to publicize that you will read FIRMs for inquirers and keep a record of what you told them? 

You must keep your FIRM up to date. “Up to date” means the FIRM used for permit decisions reflects new subdivisions, annexations, 

map revisions, and Letters of Map Change (LOMAs and LOMRs). 

Almost every community reads its FIRM for inquirers and keeps the FIRM up to date. The key for CRS credit is publicizing the service 

and keeping a record. 

- Publicity can be an article in a community newsletter that reaches everyone (a newspaper does not usually qualify) or a notice mailed to 

local lending institutions, insurance agencies, and real estate agencies. 

- A record of the service can be established by recording information in a log (Figure 320-5 in the CRS Coordinator's Manual) or by 

completing a form letter and keeping a copy. 

- Your community must advise the inquirer of the mandatory flood insurance purchase requirement. Examples of explanations are in the 

form letter template and in Figure 320-1 of the CRS Coordinator's Manual. 

b MI 2 Do you provide inquirers with other non-insurance related information that is shown on your FIRM? 

This is for providing non-insurance related information that is shown on most FIRMs, such as protected coastal barriers, floodways, or 

limit of moderate wave action (LiMWA).

c MI 3 Do you provide information about flood problems other than those shown on the FIRM? 

Such problems could include flooding in unmapped areas, local drainage problems, or the 500-year floodplain, outside the SFHA.

d MI 4 Do you provide information about flood depths? 

This can be site-specific information, such as the depth of the base flood at a building or a map like the one in Figure 320-3 in the CRS 

Coordinator's Manual.

e MI 5 Do you provide information about special flood-related hazards, such as erosion, subsidence, or tsunamis? 

The special flood-related hazards include alluvial fans, moveable bed streams, closed basin lakes, coastal erosion, ice jams, land 

subsidence, mudflow, and tsunamis

f MI 6 Do you provide information about past flooding at or near the site in question? 

This can include whether the property is in a repetitive loss area.

g MI 7 Do you provide information about areas that should be protected because of their natural floodplain functions? 

Providing data from a wetland or habitat map would qualify.

330 Does your community provide flood-related informational brochures, flyers, or other documents that for the public to pick up?

These can be documents prepared by any agency or organization, including FEMA and insurance companies, provided they address 

your community's flood hazard, flood insurance, flood protection, floodplain regulations, or natural floodplain functions.

Does your community prepare a flood-related newsletter, presentation, or other outreach project that is implemented every year?

a

a
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340 a Do real estate agents actively advise house hunters if a property is located in a Special Flood Hazard Area? 

If real estate agents actively advise people if a property is in the SFHA, enter 25 under “Could” and your ISO/CRS Specialist will go 

through the details. Often, the local real estate practice does not qualify for credit.

b Are there state or local requirements that sellers must disclose whether a property has been flooded? 

Examples are requiring real estate agents and/or sellers to advise potential purchasers whether “to the best of their knowledge and belief” 

the property has ever been flooded and requiring final recorded subdivision plats to display the flood hazard area. 

c

350 a Do you have any flood-related references in your public library? 

If there is interest in putting free FEMA publications in the library, then the CRS-credited publications are listed in the CRS Coordinator's 

Manual and are also available at CRSresources.org. 

If your community is in a county with a county-wide library system and another community in the county is getting this credit, enter 10 

points. Your ISO/CRS Specialist can tell you what communities are getting this credit

c Do you have flood-related information or links on your community's website? 

If your community's website has information or links to sites with information on the flood hazard, flood insurance, permit requirements, 

etc., you can get credit. See Section 350 of the CRS Coordinator's Manual for more details and to learn about a flood homepage.

360 a,b Do you visit homes and help people determine how they could reduce their flooding or drainage problem? 

Does (or could) your community make site visits to help property owners (1) determine why there is a flood or drainage problem and (2) 

provide general information on how to fix the problem (construction plans or specifications are not required). If your community is willing 

to publicize this service and keep a record of what the inquirer was told, you can earn credit. This activity must be publicized annually in a 

newsletter or other outreach project that reaches everyone in your community or in the floodplain. 

This credit is a prerequisite for the next credit on financial assistance.

c If so, do you talk to people about sources of financial assistance for flood or drainage protection measures? 

Financial assistance programs include funding available from your community, mitigation grants, Increased Cost of Compliance, etc. See 

Figure 360-1 in the CRS Coordinator's Manual.

370 Have you reviewed all your community's flood insurance policies and analyzed where coverage should be improved? 

 

Activity 370 (Flood Insurance Promotion) is a new activity that credits a series of elements to analyze flood insurance coverage 

and where improvements are needed, prepare an outreach program, implement the program, and provide advice to people with 

questions on flood insurance

410 a Have you conducted your own flood studies and do you use the data when regulating new development? 

This could be a separate flood study that your community uses or a study that was incorporated into the current FIRM. The study could 

have been prepared by your community, a developer, the county, the state, or any agency other than FEMA. 

a Do you provide (or require the developer to provide) base flood elevations in approximate A Zones? 

The minimum NFIP requirements of using available data and requiring base flood elevations from developments of 50 lots or 5 acres do 

not qualify for this credit. Base flood elevations would have to be calculated for every project that will involve construction of a new or 

substantially improved building. 

Do real estate agents give house hunters a brochure or handout advising them to check out the flood hazard before they buy? 

Credit is available if real estate agents give house hunters a brochure on checking out the flood hazard before they buy. 
FEMA FORM 086-0-35 (10/23) Page 7 of 14

b

420 Is a portion of your Special Flood Hazard Area kept as park or other publicly preserved open space? 

Credited open space includes public parks, athletic fields, golf courses, church camps, hunting clubs, and other green space that will be 

preserved as open space. There is no credit for open water greater than 10 acres, areas with buildings on them (other than rest rooms 

and similar necessary appurtenances), street rights of way, or areas where filling is allowed (e.g., a storage yard). 

The percentage entered is multiplied by the maximum score for the element, 1,450, to get the actual points for preserving floodplain open 

space.

c Are some of those parks or other publicly preserved open spaces preserved in or restored to their original natural state? 

This would require natural area(s) with no picnic grounds, ball fields, or recreational facilities other than trails. Your ISO/CRS Specialist 

will need a written statement from an expert in the natural sciences, such as a botanist, biologist, forester, or landscape architect.

e Does your community have density transfers or other regulations to encourage developers to keep the SFHA as open space?

Such regulations could include density transfers, transfers of development rights (TDRs), bonuses for avoiding the floodplain or other 

sensitive areas, and allowing for planned unit developments (PUDs) or cluster development .

f Is a portion of your SFHA zoned for minimum lot sizes of 5 acres or larger? 

The percentage entered is multiplied times 300 to get the actual points for low density zoning in the floodplain.

430 a (1) Does your community prohibit filling or require compensatory storage in all or parts of the SFHA? 

Compensatory storage requires the developer to remove a cubic foot of fill for every cubic foot that is brought into the floodplain. The 

requirement for compensatory storage is not credited if the restriction is limited to the floodway or V Zone. 

a (2) Does your community prohibit certain types of buildings from all or parts of the SFHA? 

An example would be a regulation that prohibits residential buildings in the regulatory floodway or V Zone. 

a (3) Does your community prohibit or limit the storage of hazardous materials from all or parts of the SFHA? 

b Does your community have a freeboard requirement? 

CRS credit is determined based on the amount of freeboard required, and increased when compensatory storage, for example, is 

required.

c Do you have compaction and erosion protection requirements for fill that is used to support buildings? 

Many communities require that all new buildings built on fill must be on compacted fill, protected from erosion and scour. This requirement 

may be in your building code. 

d Do you track building improvements and repairs cumulatively and add the values up to reach the 50% threshold? 

Some communities track all permits and add up all improvements and repairs made over the years to determine when the substantial 

improvement/substantial damage 50% limit is met. This may or may not need special ordinance language, but CRS credit depends on 

good record keeping. 

Did your community contribute to the cost of a Flood Insurance Study (e.g., provided cash or a base map with better topography)? 

If available, check the appropriate sections of the Flood Insurance Study to see if it included an existing study and/or better topo provided 

by your community, county, state, etc. Do not double count this and any credit counted as a flood study in 410.a. 

a
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e Do you define substantial damage to include two floods in 10 years with average damage at 25% of the building's value? 

f Do you require critical facilities to be protected to the 500-year flood level? 

Critical facilities include sites and structures that are vital to the community (e.g., hospital, fire station, water treatment plant) or that could 

cause significant problems if flooded (e.g., haz-mat site, wastewater treatment plant). Enter 30 points (instead of 20) if the regulations 

require critical facilities to be protected to the 500-year flood level and have dry ground access during a 500-year flood. 

g

Does your community enforce the International Building and Residential Codes (IBC and IRC)? 

Most state building codes are based on the International Codes and would be credited. The final credit will depend on local enforcement 

of the code.

BCEGS classes come in two numbers (the class for residential construction and the class for nonresidential construction). Enter the 

higher of the two in the top line of the Excel spreadsheet. If your BCEGS class is 5 or better, your BCEGS credit is calculated 

automatically. There is no credit for BCEGS classes of 6 or higher. 

If the building department does not know its BCEGS class, check with your ISO/CRS Specialist.

Do you have regulations that ensure that every new building will be built to be protected from local drainage flooding? 

Sections 1803.3 and 1805 of the International Building Code require positive drainage away from the structure. Enter 10 points if your 

community can document that this requirement is enforced (e.g., there are permit inspection records that show that the requirement was 

met). 

q Credit is provided for up to five CFMs or EMI NFIP course graduates working for your community. 

Five points can be added for each regulatory staff person who is a Certified Floodplain Manager and/or a graduate of the following fourday classes conducted by FEMA's Emergency Management Institute (EMI): Managing Floodplain Development through the NFIP (E273), 

Coastal Construction (E386), and Floodplain Management Advanced Topics (E194, E282, E284). The classes can be either at EMI or 

field deployed by the FEMA Regional Office.

q Do you keep paper records at a secure off-site storage site or scan them and back up the files? 

Five points can be provided if all elevation certificates, regulations, plans, and other key records for floodplain development permits are 

stored in a secure location, outside of any flood-prone area and at least one mile away from the permit office. The records must be copied 

to the off-site storage location at least once each year.

440 a Is your FIRM on a local geographic information system (GIS) layer and does the GIS also show streets and parcels? 

Credit is provided if your community's GIS system shows the SFHA boundaries, corporate limits, streets, and parcel or lot boundaries. 

The GIS must be used by the permit office. More points can be provided if the GIS has additional information, such as the floodway or 

contour lines, as listed in Section 442.a.

b Have you kept copies of all your old FIRMS? 

This credit is dependent on having every FIRM and Flood Insurance Study issued since the original FIRM date. Additional points are 

provided if your community has all of its Flood Hazard Boundary Maps.

c Credit provided for any benchmarks in the National Spatial Reference System that are properly maintained. With internet access, you can 

see if there are any qualifying CORS within 1 mile of the SFHA. 

h

h

i

Do you require a non-conversion agreement signed by the permit applicant for an elevated building? 

A non-conversion agreement ensures that the lower area of an elevated building is kept open for parking, storage, and building access 

and not improved or altered to make it non-conforming. 
FEMA FORM 086-0-35 (10/23) Page 9 of 14

450 a

c Do you have permit records that show that you require new developments to control erosion from construction projects? 

Most communities have erosion and sedimentation control requirements for construction projects. Note that these requirements must be 

enforced throughout the community, not just in the floodplain. Enter 10 points if your community can document that this requirement is 

enforced (e.g., there are permit inspection records that show that the requirement was met). 

d Do you have permit records that show that you require new storm-water facilities to include water quality provisions? 

Most communities require facilities to include measures such as grass swales and settling ponds to clean storm-water runoff. Note that 

these requirements must be enforced throughout the community, not just in the floodplain. Enter 20 points if your community can 

document that this requirement is enforced (e.g., there are water quality provisions in developers' drainage plans). 

510 a Have you adopted a floodplain management or hazard mitigation plan that has been approved by FEMA? 

This credit is most commonly provided for a county-wide hazard mitigation plan that your community adopted. Check with your ISO/CRS 

Specialist to see if there's an approved hazard mitigation plan that covers your community. If so, enter the number of points it is getting 

under the “Now” column. 

c Have you adopted a plan to protect aquatic or riparian species or other natural floodplain function? 

Almost any plan that protects the habitat for an aquatic or riparian species will qualify for the 15 points, provided that it has been adopted 

by your community's governing body or an appropriate regional agency. Plans that only address water quality are not credited. 

You have more than one qualifying plan.

520 Have buildings in the floodplain been acquired and the properties are now open space? 

This credit is provided for clearing primary structures. Do not count garages and other accessory structures or parcels where the old 

building was replaced by a new, compliant, one. The parcels must be preserved as open space. This should be easy to document if a 

FEMA buyout was involved.

530 Have pre-FIRM buildings been elevated voluntarily or otherwise floodproofed? 

This credit is provided for elevating primary structures. Do not count garages and other accessory structures. This should be easy to 

document if a FEMA mitigation grant was involved.

540 a Do you have a program to regularly inspect streams, ditches, and other channels and to remove debris when found? 

Your ISO/CRS Specialist will need to see written drainage maintenance procedures and records of annual inspections and actions taken 

when problems were found. Your ISO/CRS Specialist can give more guidance on what will be needed.

c Do you have a capital improvements program for drainage improvements? 

This credit is dependent on having a channel inspection and maintenance program (Section 540.a). 

Do you require new developments to build storm-water retention or detention basins? 

Retention/detention regulations for new development usually are found in the subdivision ordinance. The rules must cover the watershed 

(not just the floodplain). Attach a copy of the relevant ordinance section. It must clearly require that the peak runoff of 10-year or greater 

storms from new developments be no greater than the runoff from the site in its pre-development condition. If the regulations require the 

developer to retain or detain the 50- or 100-year storm, enter 40 or 50 points, respectively. 
FEMA FORM 086-0-35 (10/23) Page 10 of 14

d Do you have an ordinance that prohibits dumping debris, junk, grass, and other landscape waste in drainageways? 

This credit is dependent on having a channel inspection and maintenance program (Section 540.a). Note that a generic nuisance 

ordinance or an anti-pollution ordinance usually does not qualify. 

e If you have credit for 450.a, do you have a program to regularly inspect storage basins and to remove debris when found? 

This credit for inspecting and maintaining retention and detention basins is dependent on having regulations that require such basins in 

new developments (Section 450.a).

610 a - d Do you have a system for getting notified when flooding is expected (more than listening to the radio)? 

Do you have a flood response plan (or flood annex to the emergency plan) that specifies what to do after a flood notification? 

The plan or annex must list specific instructions for different flood levels, such as “Notify the Lincoln School if the expected flood level will 

exceed ____,” “Close the Main Street bridge at flood level ___ ...” or “Relocate the equipment out of Fire Station #1 at flood level ___...” 

Do you have a master list of critical facilities in the floodplain and arrangements for special warnings to them? 

e, f Are you a StormReady or TsunamiReady community? (see https://www.weather.gov/stormready/). 

This credit is provided if your community is listed on the StormReady or TsunamiReady websites and has some credit under each element 

in Section 610 a - d.

These 610 questions should be checked with your community's emergency manager. This first question is about whether your community 

monitors river gages or otherwise gets an advance notice if a stream is expected to flood. A generic notice that low-lying lands will flood is 

not creditable.

620 Do you have a levee, a levee maintenance program, and a levee failure warning and response plan (similar to 610 a-d)? Is there an 

annual outreach project sent to properties in the area that would flood if the levee were overtopped? 

This credit is provided to communities that have some areas protected by levees (accredited or non-accredited), provided that they have 

an acceptable inspection and maintenance program and a levee failure warning and response plan similar to the criteria for a flood 

warning and response program in Sections 610.a through d.

630 a Is your community threatened by a failure of an upstream high-hazard-potential dam? 

If so, credit is approved for your states dam safety program.

b Do you have a dam failure warning and response plan (similar to 610 a-d)? Is there an annual outreach project sent to properties in the 

area that would be flooded if the dam failed? 

This credit is available to communities that have an upstream high-hazard-potential dam and where there is at least one insurable building 

subject to inundation due to the failure of the high-hazard-potential dam. The credit is for a dam failure warning and response plan similar 

to the criteria for a flood warning and response program in Sections 610.a through d. Your community would need to have a dam failure 

inundation map and an emergency response plan or annex that includes specific steps, such as the ones noted for 610.b and c, above.

The total number of boxes marked will describe your community's current floodplain management program and help determine if a minimum of 500 credit points 

can be provided. Documentation will be required with the verification visit.
FEMA FORM 086-0-35 (10/23) Page 11 of 14

CRS Quick Check

Community Name State

NFIP Number Initial FIRM Date

Population Current FIRM Date

Date Completed County

Chief Executive Officer CRS Coordinator

 Name

Title

Address

Address

CRS Coordinator's phone number Fax

CRS Coordinator's e-mail address

Section Prerequisites Estimate Yes Not Yet

211 a(2) Have you had a Community Assistance Visit that concluded you 

are in full compliance with the NFIP?

a(4) How many repetitive loss properties are there in your community?

a(4) What is your repetitive loss category? (A = no rep losses, B = 1 - 

49, C = 50 or more)

a(5) Have you maintained flood insurance policies on all buildings owned by 

your community that have been required to have one?

213 a How many buildings are in your community's Special Flood 

Hazard Area?

a How large is your community's Special Flood Hazard Area (in 

acres)?

CRS Activity Response

& Sections CRS Activities and Elements

Yes, 

currently

Will begin 

providing

Will 

consider

Primary documentation that will be needed 

(other documentation or information will be 

required for each activity):

310 a Will you keep FEMA Elevation Certificates on all new 

buildings and substantial improvements in the SFHA?

b Do you have FEMA Elevation Certificates on buildings 

built before your CRS application? Copies of elevation certificates

320 a Are you willing to publicize that you will read FIRMs for 

inquirers and keep a record of what you told them? Copy of publicity

b Do you provide inquirers with other non-insurance related 

information that is shown on your FIRM?

c Do you provide information about flood problems other 

than those shown on the FIRM?

d Do you provide information about flood depths?

e Do you provide information about special flood-related 

hazards, such as erosion, subsidence, or tsunamis?

f Do you provide information about past flooding at or 

near the site in question?

g Do you provide information about areas that should be 

protected because of their natural floodplain functions?
FEMA FORM 086-0-35 (10/23) Page 12 of 14

330 a Does your community provide flood-related informational 

brochures, flyers, or other documents for the public to pick up? Copy of the material(s).

a

Does your community prepare a flood-related newsletter, 

presentation, or other outreach project that is implemented 

every year?

Copy of the material(s).

340 a Do real estate agents actively advise house hunters if a 

property is located in a Special Flood Hazard Area?

b Are there state or local requirements that sellers must disclose 

whether a property has been flooded? Copy of the relevant regulation.

c

Do real estate agents give house hunters a brochure or 

handout advising them to check out the flood hazard before 

they buy?

Copy of the material(s).

350 a Do you have any flood-related references in your public 

library?

c Do you have flood-related information or links on your 

community's website?

360 a,b Do you visit homes and help people determine how they could 

reduce their flooding or drainage problem?

Copy of a memo or other record 

of visit.

c Do you talk to people about sources of financial assistance for 

flood or drainage protection measures? Copy of the material(s).

370 Have you reviewed all your community's flood insurance 

policies and analyzed where coverage should be improved?

410 a Have you conducted your own flood studies and do you use 

the data when regulating new development?

a Do you provide (or require the developer to provide) base 

flood elevations in approximate A Zones?

Copy of the relevant ordinance 

section.

b

Did your community contribute to the cost of a Flood 

Insurance Study (e.g., provided cash or a base map with 

better topography)?

Copy of the FIS pages.

420 a Is a portion of your Special Flood Hazard Area kept as park or 

other publicly preserved open space? Areas mapped.

c Are some of those parks or other publicly preserved open 

spaces preserved in or restored to their original natural state? Areas mapped.

e

Does your community have density transfers or other 

regulations to encourage developers to keep the SFHA as 

open space?

Copy of the relevant ordinance 

section.

f Is a portion of your SFHA is zoned for minimum lot sizes of 5 

acres or larger?

430 a(1) Does your community prohibit filling or require compensatory 

storage in all or parts of the SFHA?

Copy of the relevant ordinance 

section.

a(2) Does your community prohibit certain types of buildings from 

all or parts of the SFHA?

Copy of the relevant ordinance 

section.

a(3) Does your community prohibit or limit the storage of 

hazardous materials from all or parts of the SFHA?

Copy of the relevant ordinance 

section.

b Does your community have a freeboard requirement? Copy of the relevant ordinance 

section.

c Do you have compaction and erosion protection requirements 

for fill that is used to support buildings?

Copy of the relevant ordinance 

section.

d Do you track building improvements and repairs cumulatively 

and add the values up to reach the 50% threshold?

Copy of the relevant ordinance 

section.

e Do you define substantial damage to include two floods in 10 

years with average damage at 25% of the building's value?

Copy of the relevant ordinance 

section.
FEMA FORM 086-0-35 (10/23) Page 13 of 14

f Do you require critical facilities to be protected to the 500-year 

flood level?

Copy of the relevant ordinance 

section.

g Do you require a non-conversion agreement signed by the 

permit applicant for an elevated building?

Copy of the relevant ordinance 

section.

h Does your community enforce the International Building and 

Residential Codes (IBC and IRC)?

h Does your community have a BCEGS rating?

i Do you have regulations that ensure that every new building 

will be built to be protected from local drainage flooding?

Copy of the relevant ordinance 

section.

Are community staff members CFMs or graduates of an EMI 

NFIP course?

Do you keep paper records at a secure offsite storage site or 

scan them and back up the files?

440 a Is your FIRM on a local geographic information system (GIS) 

layer and does the GIS also show streets and parcels?

b Have you kept copies of all your old FIRMs?

c Does your community have qualifying benchmarks in the 

NSRS that are maintained or at least three CORS? 

450 a Do you require new developments to build storm-water 

retention or detention basins?

Copy of the relevant ordinance 

section.

c Do you have permit records that show that you require new 

developments to control erosion from construction projects?

Copy of the relevant ordinance 

section.

d Do you have permit records that show that you require new 

storm-water facilities to include water quality provisions?

Copy of the relevant ordinance 

section.

510 a Have you adopted a floodplain management or hazard 

mitigation plan that has been approved by FEMA?

Copy of the plan's table of 

contents.

c Have you adopted a plan to protect aquatic or riparian species 

or other natural floodplain functions?

Copy of the plan's table of 

contents.

520 Have buildings in the floodplain been acquired and the 

properties are now open space? List of cleared buildings.

530 Have pre-FIRM buildings been elevated voluntarily or 

otherwise floodproofed? List of elevated buildings.

540 a Do you have a program to regularly inspect streams, ditches, 

and other channels and to remove debris when found?

Map of drainage system and 

inventory of system components.

c Do you have a capital improvements program for drainage 

improvements?

Copy of capital improvements 

plan.

d Do you have an ordinance the prohibits dumping debris, junk, 

grass, etc., in drainageways?

Copy of the relevant ordinance 

section.

e

If you have credit for 450.a, do you have a program to 

regularly inspect storage basins and to remove debris when 

found?

Map of Inventory

610 a - d Do you have a system for getting notification when flooding is 

expected (more than listening to the radio)?

Do you have a flood response plan (or flood annex to the 

emergency plan) that specifies what to do after a flood 

notification?

Copy of response plan.

Do you have a master list of critical facilities in the floodplain 

and arrangements for special warnings to them? List of critical facilities.

e,f Are you a Storm-Ready or Tsunami-Ready community? (see 

https://www.weather.gov/stormready/).

620 a - e

Do you have a levee, a levee maintenance program, and a 

levee failure warning and response plan (similar to 610 a-d)? 

Is there an annual outreach project sent to properties in the 

area that would flood if the levee were overtopped?
FEMA FORM 086-0-35 (10/23) Page 14 of 14

630 a Is your community threatened by a failure of an upstream 

dam?

b - e

Do you have a dam failure warning and response plan (similar 

to 610 a-d)? Is there an annual outreach project sent to 

properties in the area that would be flooded if the dam failed.

Yes, 

currently

Will begin 

providing

Will 

consider

Total