Life Insurance for Smokers

Can You Get Life Insurance If You’re a Smoker?

Yes, you can absolutely get a life insurance policy if you’re a smoker. Most insurers still offer life insurance for smokers, including term life, permanent coverage, and some no-exam options. 

However, life insurance premiums for smokers are usually higher because tobacco and nicotine use increases long-term health risk. Your rate depends on your age, overall health, and whether you use cigarettes, cigars, vaping products, or other nicotine.

How Does Life Insurance Work For Smokers?

Life insurance for smokers works much like coverage for non-smokers, but insurers adjust pricing and risk classifications to account for tobacco or nicotine use. Smoking primarily affects how you’re underwritten and how much you pay, not whether you can get coverage.

• Insurers evaluate tobacco or nicotine use early in underwriting and classify applicants as smokers or non-smokers.
• Smoker status directly increases premiums because it reflects higher long-term health risk.
• Most smokers can still qualify for term, permanent, and no-exam life insurance policies.
• Final rates depend on age, overall health, coverage amount, policy type, and underwriting class.

How Do Life Insurance Companies Classify You As A Smoker?

Life insurance companies classify you as a smoker to price your policy based on nicotine exposure and tobacco-related risk. You can trigger smoker rates even if you only smoke socially, vape on weekends, or use nicotine pouches occasionally, because many carriers focus on recent nicotine use, not just daily cigarette smoking.

What Counts as “Smoking” for Life Insurance Underwriting?

Insurers usually treat the following products as tobacco or nicotine use when they set your underwriting class and life insurance premium:

• You smoke cigarettes, even occasionally.
• You use cigars or smoke a pipe, because carriers still count combusted tobacco.
• You vape or use e-cigarettes, since nicotine exposure often drives classification.
• You use smokeless tobacco such as chewing tobacco or snuff.
• You use nicotine replacement or oral nicotine products like nicotine pouches, gum, lozenges, or patches, because many companies still rate these as nicotine use.
• You smoke marijuana, which many insurers underwrite similarly to smoking due to inhalation risk, even in states where cannabis is legal.

Marijuana rules can differ by insurer, and the method of use (smoked vs. edibles) may change how the carrier classifies you.

How Insurers Determine Smoker Status

Insurers use a mix of disclosure and verification to decide whether you qualify for non-smoker rates or pay tobacco user premiums.

• Frequency: Even occasional or “social” use may place you in the smoker category
• Medical exams & labs: Blood or urine tests often check for cotinine, a nicotine byproduct
• Self-reporting: Always answer honestly as misrepresentation can void coverage or deny a claim

Your tobacco use is evaluated separately from other health factors, and together they determine your underwriting class and life insurance premium.

Life Insurance Underwriting Classes for Smokers

Smoking is such a major factor in life insurance pricing that insurers create separate underwriting classes for these products. 

These classes group people with similar health risks, and your assigned class directly determines your premiums. Common risk classifications are:

• Preferred Plus: Best rates, excellent health, no tobacco use.
• Preferred: Very good health, no tobacco use.
• Standard Plus: Average health, no tobacco use.
• Standard: Acceptable health, no tobacco use.
• Preferred Tobacco: Good health overall but a current tobacco user.
• Standard Tobacco: Average health with tobacco use.

Read: Pros and Cons of Whole Life Insurance

How Much Does Life Insurance for Smokers Cost?

Here’s a quick comparison table so you can see the financial impact on premiums for life insurance as a smoker. Below are the average annual life insurance premiums for smokers and non-smokers based on a 20-year term life policy seeking $500,000 in coverage¹.

Why Life Insurance Costs More for Smokers

• Increased health risks: Smoking raises the likelihood of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and respiratory illnesses, which shortens life expectancy.
• Higher mortality probability: Insurers expect to pay claims sooner for smokers, increasing the overall cost of coverage.
• Life expectancy–based pricing: Life insurance premiums are calculated using actuarial data, and smoking lowers projected longevity.
• Tobacco underwriting classes: Smokers are assigned to tobacco rate classes, which carry higher premiums than non-smoker classes for the same coverage.

Read: Life Insurance for Young Adults

Best Life Insurance Options for Smokers

Smokers can qualify for nearly all major life insurance policy types, but the best option depends on age, health, budget, and long-term goals. Here are a few best life insurance options for smokers:

Best for Young Smokers: Term Life

Term life insurance is often the most affordable choice for younger smokers who want high coverage at the lowest possible cost. It provides protection for a set period, such as 10, 20, or 30 years.

This makes it ideal for income replacement, family protection, or covering major debts. Term policies offer the best balance between coverage and affordability in smoker life insurance.

Best for Older Smokers: Final Expense or Guaranteed Issue

Final expense and guaranteed issue life insurance work well for older smokers or those with health conditions that make traditional policies harder to qualify for.

These policies offer smaller coverage amounts but require little to no medical underwriting. While premiums are higher, they provide dependable coverage when other options may not be available.

Best for Smokers Who Want Lifetime Coverage: Whole/Universal Life

Whole life and universal life insurance provides permanent coverage that lasts your entire life, as long as premiums are paid.

These policies may appeal to smokers who want lifelong protection, estate planning benefits, or the ability to build cash value over time. Although costs are higher than term life, they offer long-term stability and guaranteed benefits.

Best No-Exam Option: Simplified Issue

Simplified issue life insurance is a strong option for smokers who want to avoid a medical exam but can still answer basic health questions. The approval for this policy is often faster, and coverage amounts are larger than guaranteed issue policies.

If You Quit Smoking, When Can You Qualify for Non-Smoker Rates?

Yes, quitting smoking not only improves your health but can also make you eligible for non-smoker rates. Insurers often review your usage after a period of time, which may allow you to qualify for non-smoker rates.

This is what you can expect if you quit smoking:

• 12 months smoke-free: Many insurers will consider you for non-smoker classification if you’ve avoided smoking for at least a year.
• 24+ months: Some carriers require two years or more before reclassifying.
• Re-application or re-rating: You may need a new medical exam or lab test to confirm your status.
• Premium savings: Your monthly premiums can drop significantly once you’re no longer rated as a smoker.

What Happens If You Lie About Smoking?

If you lie about smoking on a life insurance application, the insurer may cancel your policy or deny a future death claim. During the contestability period, companies can review medical records and nicotine test results to verify disclosures. 

Misrepresentation can leave your beneficiaries without coverage, even if premiums were paid. Always answer tobacco and nicotine questions honestly to protect your policy and your loved ones.

Read: Benefits of Having Life Insurance

How to Get the Cheapest Life Insurance Rates as a Smoker

Different insurers price tobacco risk differently, and small choices can noticeably lower your premium. Use the steps below to lock in the cheapest life insurance rate available for your profile.

• Shop multiple insurers: Compare quotes across carriers because smoker classifications and tobacco rules vary widely by company.
• Choose term life when possible: Term life insurance for smokers usually delivers the most coverage for the lowest cost compared to permanent policies.
• Adjust coverage strategically: Consider a smaller face amount or “ladder” multiple term policies to match changing needs and reduce total premiums.
• Improve measurable health factors: Lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight can move you into a better underwriting class, even as a smoker.
• Pay annually if you can: Many insurers charge less when you pay yearly instead of monthly, reducing the overall cost of life insurance for smokers.
• Quit nicotine and retest: If you stop smoking, ask about re-rating after 12–24 months, since qualifying as a non-smoker can significantly cut your premium.