Life Insurance for Smokers — and Quitters
Smokers will pay a higher premium for life insurance than nonsmokers, but quitting can help you get a better rate.
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Updated · 4 min read
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Nerdy takeaways
- Smokers pay more for life insurance than nonsmokers because of their higher risk of smoking-related death.
- If you quit smoking, you could qualify for nonsmoker rates after a year.
- Lying about smoking could cause a life insurance company to deny a claim.
If you smoke cigarettes or use tobacco, you may worry that you won’t qualify for life insurance. Cigarette smoking is responsible for 480,000 deaths each year in the U.S., making it the leading cause of preventable death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Even with the risk, life insurance companies will still cover you if you’re a smoker — but you’ll pay significantly more than nonsmokers.
Can smokers get life insurance?
You can get life insurance if you smoke, vape or chew tobacco. But smokers can expect to pay higher life insurance premiums. This is because life insurance prices are based on life expectancy.
Tobacco use is linked to lower life expectancy, so insurers charge smokers more to reflect the higher chances of paying out a death benefit.
If you quit smoking, you could qualify for nonsmoker rates after one or two years.
How do life insurance companies know if you smoke?
When you apply for life insurance, you’ll likely have to answer questions about your health and lifestyle and take a medical exam as part of the underwriting process. Here are the ways insurers can find out you’re a smoker.
📄 Application. Life insurance companies may have access to your smoking history if they review your medical or prescription records.
❓ Health questionnaire. You’ll also be asked a series of questions about your health, including whether you smoke or use tobacco products.
🧪 Urine sample and blood testing. As part of the exam, insurers typically test your blood and urine for nicotine and other substances like, including THC.
Applying for life insurance can be nerve wracking as a smoker, but it’s important to be honest. Lying when you apply for life insurance is a form of fraud. Life insurance policies typically have a contestability period. This is a time frame in which an insurance company can open an investigation into a claim, typically if you die during the first two years of taking out a policy. If the investigation shows you lied on your life insurance application, your insurer could refuse to pay the policy’s death benefit to your loved ones.
Who is considered a smoker?
Life insurance companies will typically consider you a smoker if you’ve smoked cigarettes in the past 12 months. Some (but not all) life insurance companies may classify you as a smoker if you use any of the following products:
- Vaping devices and electronic cigarettes.
- Nicotine gum and patches.
- Cigars.
- Pipes.
- Hookah.
- Chewing tobacco.
Many insurers will allow someone who smokes the occasional cigar (often 24 or fewer per year) to qualify for the same rates as healthy nonsmokers if lab screenings are negative for nicotine. Some insurers will also classify occasional tobacco chewers as nonsmokers. However, some classify even infrequent cigar smokers and tobacco chewers in the same category as people who regularly smoke cigarettes. This is why it’s important to compare life insurance from multiple insurance companies.
Keep in mind that if you’ve quit smoking but use e-cigarettes or smoking cessation products, like patches or gum, a urinalysis will likely reveal the presence of cotinine. Cotinine is something life insurance companies screen for that is found in nicotine products. Some insurers will classify you as a smoker in these circumstances, while others may allow you to qualify for nonsmoker rates.
What about marijuana? 🌿
As with nicotine and tobacco usage, life insurance guidelines on marijuana vary by carrier. Some companies allow occasional marijuana users to qualify for the best nonsmoker rates, but your premium can increase with frequency of use.
Insurers will also consider how you consume marijuana: smoking vs. ingesting, as well as whether you use it recreationally or for medical purposes. If you have a medical marijuana card, they may be more concerned about health issues than they are about your cannabis use.
Who qualifies as a nonsmoker?
Though the rules vary by insurer, many carriers will consider you a nonsmoker if you haven’t smoked cigarettes in the past year. Depending on the insurer, you may also need to avoid other tobacco or nicotine products for at least a year before qualifying for nonsmoker rates. Occasional use of chewing tobacco or cigars may qualify you for nonsmoker rates with some insurers.
Insurers have stricter criteria for their preferred and super preferred ratings that are reserved for nonsmokers in excellent health. Many companies won’t rate former smokers in these categories until they’ve been nicotine- and tobacco-free for three to five years.
How do insurers rate smokers
When you apply for life insurance, your insurer will assign you to a rate class based on your health and other factors. Your risk class usually determines how much you’ll pay for a life insurance policy.
Although the risk classes can differ for each insurer, here’s what that might look like for a smoker.
Possible risk classes for smokers
Preferred non-smoker In excellent health with a negative nicotine test but smokes an occasional cigar.
Standard non-smoker Generally in good health with a negative nicotine test but smokes an occasional cigar.
Preferred smoker Smokers in excellent health who currently smoke or recently quit.
Standard smoker Smokers who are in generally good health.
If you smoke and have one or more health conditions, you might get assigned a “table rating.” These rating classes are sometimes assigned numbers or letters, but the higher the table rating, the higher your rate.
For instance, a table rating of C means you’d be quoted a standard rate plus an additional 75%. A table rating of D means you’d be quoted double the standard rate.
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Life insurance options for smokers
Smokers can usually qualify for the same types of life insurance as nonsmokers, although you can expect to pay more for the coverage.
The following types of life insurance policies are typically available to both smokers and nonsmokers:
Term life insurance
Term life insurance insures your life for a specified time frame, usually between 10 and 30 years. If you outlive the term, your policy expires and your survivors don’t receive a death benefit. You may be able to renew a term life policy, or convert it to a permanent life insurance policy. However, this often means a policy with a higher premium or lower death benefit.
Term life insurance is usually cheaper than permanent life insurance and is a good choice if you expect to have fewer financial obligations later on. For instance, after your children are grown or your mortgage is paid off.
Whole life insurance
Whole life insurance is designed to provide lifelong coverage until an advanced age, sometimes 100 years or older. It also features a savings component called cash value, which you can withdraw from or borrow against in time. You might consider whole life insurance if you need longer-term financial protection for your loved ones.
No-medical exam life insurance
Several types of life insurance don’t require a medical exam, which could be a plus if you’re worried about how smoking will affect your results. Options include:
- Simplified issue life insurance, which uses a health questionnaire along with medical and prescription records to determine coverage.
- Guaranteed issue life insurance is a type of small whole life policy. You’ll qualify as long as you meet the age criteria, regardless of health status. However, it offers extremely limited coverage at a high price.
- Group life insurance through work is a perk many employers offer. The death benefit is often limited to one or two times your annual salary. You may have the option to increase coverage by buying supplemental insurance.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
Even if you smoke and have some health issues, you may still save money by undergoing a life insurance medical exam. Insurers consider you a greater risk when they have less information about you, so no-medical exam premiums are generally higher. How much does life insurance for smokers cost?
Smokers pay more for life insurance because of the risks of smoking-related death. A NerdWallet analysis found that a 40-year-old male smoker could expect to pay more than four times what a 40-year-old nonsmoker would for a $500,000, 20-year term life policy.
Here are average annual life insurance rates for nonsmokers and smokers in good health for a 20-year term life policy with $500,000 in coverage.
| Age, gender | Average annual rate for nonsmokers | Average annual rate for smokers |
|---|---|---|
| 20, female | $211 | $554 (+$333) |
| 20, male | $244 | $751 (+$507) |
| 30, female | $215 | $645 (+$439) |
| 30, male | $275 | $796 (+$521) |
| 40, female | $341 | $1,176 (+$835) |
| 40, male | $411 | $1,482 (+$1,071) |
| 50, female | $756 | $2,561 (+$1,805) |
| 50, male | $975 | $3,495 (+$2,520) |
| 60, female | $1,885 | $9,942 (+$3,940) |
| 60 male | $2,647 | $8,454 (+$5,807) |
| 70, female | $8,940 | $9,809* (+$869) |
| 70, male | $11,015 | $13,160* (+$2,145) |
| *Rates quoted for a 65 year old | ||
| Source: LifeStein.com. Lowest three rates for each age averaged. Data valid as of February 13, 2026 and rates are subject to change. | ||
» MORE: Average life insurance rates
Cheapest life insurance companies for smokers
As a smoker, getting a cheaper rate for life insurance will depend on a few other factors such as your age and general health. These life insurance companies generally have lower rates for smokers than other insurers. Rates are based on a $500,000, 20-year term policy for a 40-year old smoker in good health.
| Insurer | NerdWallet rating | Sample term life annual rates for preferred smokers |
|---|---|---|
| Banner Life | | Male: $1,481.46 Female: $1,184.52 |
| Symetra | | Male: $1,481.57 Female: $1,184.75 |
| Pacific Life | | Male: $1,481.51 Female: $1,184.61 |
| John Hancock | | Male: $1,562.50 Female: $1,338.50 |
| Prudential | | Male: $1,710 Female: $1,315 |
| Source: LifeStein.com. Rates reflect the preferred smoking class and are valid as of April 15, 2026. | ||
| NerdWallet rates insurers at the company level, not the policy level. This means our star rating reflects the company as a whole, and not any of its term life insurance policies specifically. | ||
What if you want to quit smoking to get better life insurance rates?
Quitting smoking can improve your health and lower your life insurance costs over time. But most companies will classify you as a smoker for at least a year after you quit. Within three to five years, you could pay the same rates as someone who never smoked if you’re in excellent health.
Once you’ve been smoke-free for at least a year, you can ask your insurer for a rate reconsideration. Typically, this requires another medical exam that includes nicotine testing. If your insurer refuses, you might want to consider applying for a new policy to get nonsmoker rates.
Should I wait to apply for life insurance if I plan to quit smoking?
It’s generally best not to delay applying for life insurance even if you'll pay higher premiums as a smoker, particularly if you have financial dependents. Premiums on new policies typically rise with age. If you develop medical conditions (related to smoking or otherwise) while you’re working on quitting, finding affordable coverage could be more difficult.
How to get life insurance as a smoker
If you’re on the market for life insurance as a smoker, here are some suggestions for buying a policy:
- Compare life insurance quotes from several companies. Some insurers are more lenient than others about smoking, so it’s good to shop for the best rates for your situation.
- Consider term life insurance. You can cancel a term life insurance policy for free at any time, unlike permanent life insurance policies. This could be helpful if you plan to quit smoking and want to shop for a cheaper policy at that time. To avoid having to cancel later, look for insurers that allow for “re-entering.” This means you may qualify for nonsmoker rates on your existing policy if you can show you’ve abstained from smoking for a specific time frame, usually a couple of years.
- Consult an independent insurance agent. Unlike captive agents, who represent a single company, independent insurance agents work with multiple carriers and often know which insurance companies are more lenient towards tobacco users.
- Avoid smoking shortly before a medical exam. Smoking tends to increase your blood pressure, which could further affect your results and the insurer’s conclusions about your health.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is term life insurance best for smokers?
Term life insurance is often the cheapest type of life insurance and a good fit for the life insurance needs of most people. However, smokers who are planning to quit should consider getting a term life policy that allows re-entering or reapplying after you’ve been nicotine-free for a year or more. That way, if you’re able to quit smoking, you can have your risk class and rate adjusted rather than being locked into a higher rate for the entire term.
What's the cheapest life insurance for smokers?
The cheapest life insurance for smokers will vary depending on your health, age, and how much coverage you need. In general, insurers offer cheaper rates to smokers who use tobacco products occasionally and test negative for nicotine. Smokers in excellent health may also qualify for preferred smoker rates.
How long after you quit smoking can you apply for life insurance?
You don’t have to wait until you quit smoking to get life insurance, but your premiums will be higher. To qualify for nonsmoker life insurance rates, you’ll typically need to wait at least a year after you quit. It’s generally not advisable to wait until you quit smoking to buy life insurance because premiums increase with age, particularly if you develop health issues.
Can a life insurance claim be denied for smoking?
If you’re honest about your habits during the application process, a life insurance claim shouldn’t be denied for smoking. However, if your insurer discovers you lied about smoking, it could refuse to pay a claim.
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- 1. U.S. Centers for Disease Control. "About Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking". Accessed Apr 24, 2026.
On this page
- Can smokers get life insurance?
- How insurers know that you smoke
- Who is considered a smoker?
- Who qualifies as a nonsmoker?
- How insurers rate smokers
- Life insurance options for smokers
- Cost of life insurance for smokers
- Cheapest life insurance for smokers
- What if you quit smoking
- How to get life insurance as a smoker
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