California requires a plain-language summary of coverage choices called the California Residential Property Insurance Disclosure (Sections 10101 and 10102). Think of it as a map: useful for finding your way, but it is not the territory itself.
Timing rules in Section 10102:
New policy: the agent or insurer obtains the applicant's signature acknowledging receipt within 60 days of the application.
Telephone application: mailing a copy within three business days complies.
Renewal: no signature is required. After issuance, the insurer provides the disclosure every other year at renewal.
The disclosure itself says it gives general information and is not part of the policy. Only the specific provisions of the policy decide whether a loss is covered and how much is paid. A signature only acknowledges receipt; it does not turn the form into policy terms. If the disclosure describes a coverage more broadly than the policy wording, the policy controls.