How to Claim Life Insurance: Steps and Documents

To claim life insurance, contact the insurance company, complete its claim form and send a copy of the death certificate. If more than one person is named, each beneficiary files a form. You do not need the paper policy to begin. If you are not sure a policy exists, you can search for one for free before you file.

How do you claim life insurance? The steps

1. Find out who the insurer is. Look for the policy, statements or premium payments. The next section covers how to search.
2. Contact the claims department or the agent, and say that the insured has died. Ask for the claim forms and what else the company needs. You can do this before you have the death certificate.
3. Get certified copies of the death certificate. See how to get a death certificate and how many copies you need.
4. Complete the claim form. Each beneficiary completes their own, according to Washington's insurance regulator.
5. Send the form and death certificate, and keep copies of everything you submit.
6. Choose how to be paid when the form asks (see payout options below).
7. Follow up in writing if you have not heard back within a few weeks, and keep notes of each call.

For employer coverage, the human resources department usually handles the claim. Our guide to notifying insurance companies after a death lists which policies to report.

How do you find a policy you don't have?

Check the places where a policy leaves a trace:

• Bank statements, tax records and old mail for payments or statements from an insurer.
• Email for insurer names and words like "policy" or "premium".
• Auto and home insurers, which sometimes sell life insurance too.
• The last employer, for group life insurance.
• Safe deposit boxes and filing cabinets.

Then use the free tools. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners offers the Life Insurance Policy Locator, which helps beneficiaries find lost policies and connect with unclaimed death benefits. Washington's regulator lists what you will usually need: the deceased's name, date of birth and Social Security number, a certified death certificate, and the policy number if you have it. New York residents can also use the state's free Lost Policy Finder.

If an insurer turned the money over to the state, search unclaimed property. Unclaimed.org, run by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, links to every state's program and to the free MissingMoney.com site, which searches participating state databases.

What documents do you need?

Gather the paperwork in one place before you call. The documents wizard below lists what you will need for other tasks as well.

How long does it take to get paid?

Timing depends on the insurer, the complexity of the claim and your state. State insurance law sets outer limits:

• Texas. Companies must pay the death benefit within two months after getting proof of death and verifying the beneficiary. For an individual policy, the company must also pay interest from when it received proof of death.
• Washington. Insurers must pay interest of no less than 8 percent starting on the date of death, and an extra 3 percent on claims not settled within 90 days of receiving proof of death.

Rules differ in every state. Your state's department of insurance can tell you what applies.

Funeral bills come due sooner than most claims are paid. Ask the funeral home whether it accepts an assignment of insurance benefits. Assignment of benefits for funerals explains how that works, and funeral insurance payout time covers policies bought for funeral costs.

What payout options are there?

When a claim is paid, Washington's regulator says insurers typically set up an interest-bearing account for the beneficiary, with three ways to take the money:

1. Lump sum. Write a check for the full amount.
2. Installments. Fixed monthly, quarterly or annual payments over a set time.
3. Interest only. The insurer pays you interest and the balance passes to your beneficiaries when you die.

A lump sum gives you full control right away. Installments give a steady income but less access to the money. The choice is yours, and there is no rush to decide everything at once. If it is a large sum, a fee-only financial planner can help you think it through. See financial planning after a spouse's death.

Is a life insurance payout taxable?

The death benefit is generally excluded from the beneficiary's gross income. The IRS says interest is different. When proceeds are paid in installments, the interest portion is taxable.

Estate tax is a separate matter and affects few families. The IRS says the 2026 filing threshold is $15,000,000, and that life insurance can be part of the gross estate. Some states have lower thresholds or an inheritance tax. See estate tax in the USA and ask a tax professional if the estate is large.

What can delay or block a claim?

• The two-year contestable period. If the insured dies in the first two years, the insurer may review the application. The Texas Department of Insurance says that after two years the company must pay regardless of cause of death, with limited exceptions.
• Suicide clause. During the first two years, companies usually will not pay for a suicide.
• A lapsed policy. Most policies have a 31-day grace period after a missed premium, according to Texas. If the policy lapsed beyond that, there may be nothing to pay. Ask the insurer to confirm the premium history in writing.
• Policy exclusions. Washington's regulator lists war, military service, and certain aviation accidents as reasons a claim can be denied, depending on the policy.
• No named beneficiary. With no living named beneficiary, or when the estate is named, the money generally goes through probate, which takes longer.

If a claim is denied, ask for the reason in writing and read the policy. You can file a complaint with your state's department of insurance. Our guide to funeral insurance claim denials goes deeper.

Do you need a lawyer?

Most claims are routine paperwork and do not need one. Consider legal advice if the insurer denies or delays a claim without a clear reason, if beneficiaries dispute who is entitled to the money, if the policy is tied to a trust, or if there are signs of fraud. Your state insurance department can also help, and many run consumer helplines.

What to do next

1. Order enough certified death certificates, and file the claim with each insurer.
2. Check whether the deceased had other sources of money: 401(k) or IRA accounts, a pension, or the Social Security death benefit.
3. Report the death to the other agencies on your list, using notifying government about a death.
4. Keep track of every task in one place with the free after-death checklist.