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Property & Casualty Data Standards

P&C Data Standards


P&C Standards Overview

Property & Casualty standards are available in two formats: AL3 and XML. AL3 is designed as a one-way, batch communication method for policy and commission data. AL3 standards are available in an Access database, with a data dictionary and supporting documentation.  

XML is constructed to support real-time requirements for business transactions via request and response messages. The XML standards are available in a fully indexed and searchable format. The main release components are:

  • Help File: reference document for primary source of information for the Standard
  • PDF File: represents the schemas in a business-friendly presentation
  • Support Files: contains the XML Metadata schema
  • Schema Files: used to validate an XML document 

Key highlights for the most recent P&C XML release include the following capabilities:

  • Message simplification for policy definition, vehicle, driver, claim, coverage, location and payment to reduce size and complexity from previous version
  • Used common resource model for person/business, location and insurable and artifact
  • Enhanced resource relationships for use in lightweight micro-messages
  • Improved reusability and industry best practices for modernization

Below are the most recent versions of the ACORD Property & Casualty Standards. 


XML Transaction Specifications

Transaction specifications represent a potential method to use a specified message model that satisfies the data requirements needed to perform a business process. They define the message(s) for providing the data to execute a process/step/task.


P&C Implementation Guides & Supplements

The following guides and supplements have been developed to provide best practices for supporting interoperability between trading partners. These typically document transaction sequences needed to support an entire business process, with implementation details specific to product types, communities, or other subsets of the full P&C Standard.

XML Implementation Guides & Supplements

AL3 Implementation Guides & Supplements


P&C Standards Online Help

ACORD members with access to the P&C Standards may access an online version of the Business Message Specification files (aka the Help File) on our site. You may utilize this instead of maintaining the Help File (.chm) on your local drive. Online access is available to the Help Files for the XML Standards from Version 1.30.0 on.

Access Online Help Files


Workers’ Compensation Data Standards

ACORD has been engaged by the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Organizations (WCIO) and International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC) at their request to help them and other interested parties to expand upon and modernize their current limited fixed length, flat file format data standards. Given that insurers, ratemaking and statistical organizations are transacting more and more business over the internet and rewriting and developing new systems using newer technology, it makes good business sense to transact data via more robustly defined and architected XML business messages.

Key highlights for the most recent WC XML release include simple changes to the First Report of Injury (FROI) and Subsequent Report of Injury (SROI) messages and Attachment type codes.

Below are the most recent versions of the ACORD Workers’ Compensation Standards.


Contact/Questions 

For access to older versions of P&C Standards, please contact Member Services.