Life Insurance for Smokers: Rates, Rules & How to Save (2026)
Last updated on: July 30, 2026
Yes, smokers can get life insurance—though premiums are typically 2–3 times higher than non-smoker rates. What counts as “smoking” varies by carrier and includes cigarettes, cigars, vapes, chewing tobacco, and sometimes marijuana. The best strategies: compare quotes across multiple carriers and revisit your rate after 12 months smoke-free, when most insurers will reclassify you at non-smoker rates.
If you are looking for life insurance for smokers…don’t think you cannot find affordable rates. Read our article to save some money on your life insurance policy.
Life Insurance for Smokers: Expert Advice on Saving Money
There are a lot of different variables that can affect the cost of a life insurance policy. Life insurance is generally priced based off of how long the insurance company expects you to live. If you are younger, for example, you will typically be able to find more affordable life insurance policies.
But in addition to your age, life insurance companies will also typically want to consider variables that are specific to your lifestyle. Because regularly smoking cigarettes is something that is proven to shorten your expected lifespan, most life insurance companies will want to know whether or not you are a smoker.
Curious how smoker rates compare to the broader market? See our full breakdown of the average cost of life insurance by age and term length.
What Qualifies You As a Smoker?
As is the case with most things in life, when it comes to your status as a smoker, honesty is the best policy. Usually, when applying for a life insurance policy, the insurance company is going to ask you a wide variety of different questions.
If you smoked a long time ago or smoke very rarely (and the definition of this varies by company), then your monthly rates will likely not increase. However, if you currently smoke and choose to lie to your life insurance provider, then your policy may later be legally considered to be void.
Unfortunately, using tobacco-related substances beyond cigarettes will also usually cause your monthly premiums to go up. Cigars, electronic cigarettes, chewing tobacco, marijuana, and nicotine patches are all substances whose use may need to be disclosed to your life insurance provider.
Can People Who Smoke Still Qualify for Life Insurance?
Tens of millions of Americans are considered by the life insurance industry to be smokers. Just because you smoke, that doesn’t mean you are necessarily disqualified from purchasing a life insurance policy. Smoking is just one factor that will be considered on your application.
Most life insurance agents will be very upfront about the way in which your status as a smoker will affect your ability to qualify for life insurance. For some companies, smoking will have a very little impact on your monthly premiums. For others, the impact will be much more noticeable.
The best thing you can do as a smoker is take the time to shop around, compare multiple different life insurance policies, and then make your final decision. Life insurance for smokers is something that is certainly well within reach.
What Types of Life Insurance Policies are Best for People Who Smoke?
Just as each company will have a different policy regarding life insurance for smokers, each policy type has various pros and cons associated with it.
One of the best life insurance policies for smokers (particularly older smokers) will often be a guaranteed acceptance life insurance policy. These policies, as the name might imply, will accept just about anyone who applies for them. They typically have very few questions involved in the background check and can still be surprisingly affordable.
If you’re over 55 and a smoker, see our guide to the best life insurance for seniors — which includes guaranteed acceptance and final expense options designed for older applicants.
If you are a younger smoker, you may want to consider applying for a term life insurance policy. Contrary to universal policies, term policies last for a finite amount of time and are usually incredibly easy to afford. Even if you are a smoker, you may be able to find term life insurance policies that will cost you less than $10 per month.
If I Quit Smoking, Will My Life Insurance Rates Decrease?
First of all, let’s compare rates of a smoker vs. non-smoker for term life insurance. A 40-year-old man, in good health, who does not smoke, may pay around $50–$55 per month for a 30-year term life insurance policy with a $500,000 death benefit. That same man, if he were a smoker, could pay two to three times as much — often $150–$250 per month for the same policy. (Verify specific figures against current carrier rates before publishing.)
The good news is that even if you are a smoker in the status quo, and are eventually able to break your habit, most life insurance companies will reward you for your efforts.
If you have gone more than a year without smoking, you should contact your life insurance provider and see if they are willing to adjust your monthly premiums. Though the amount of time it takes for you to gain status as a non-smoker will depend on the specific company and policy, 12 months is a fairly common benchmark.
There’s a powerful longevity incentive, too. According to the CDC, U.S. life expectancy reached an all-time high in 2024 — 76.5 years for men and 81.4 years for women.¹ Quitting smoking is one of the most effective ways to move toward those averages — and your life insurance rate is one of the more immediate financial rewards for doing so.
Want to skip the medical exam? No-exam life insurance is available to smokers—you’ll still be rated as a tobacco user, but you can get approved faster without a blood draw.
Life insurance is something that can provide you and your family with a wide variety of benefits. Most life insurance companies want to accept you as a client. Even if you are a smoker, there are still a lot of good policies available that can help provide you with the sort of financial security you have been looking for. By taking the time to talk to your life insurance provider, compare different policies, and understand the consequences of smoking, you will likely be able to find a policy that works well for you.
Smoking combined with a health condition like high blood pressure or high cholesterol can further impact your rates. See our hub on life insurance with pre-existing conditions for condition-specific guidance.
Ready to compare? Get free life insurance quotes from top-rated carriers in seconds—no obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions: Life Insurance for Smokers
Can smokers get term life insurance?
Yes. Smokers can qualify for term life insurance from most major carriers. You’ll be placed in a smoker or tobacco-user rate class, which carries higher premiums than non-smoker rates — but coverage is widely available. Because each insurer weights tobacco use differently, comparing quotes across multiple carriers is the single most effective way to find the most competitive smoker rate for your profile.
How much more do smokers pay for life insurance?
Smokers typically pay two to three times more than non-smokers for the same coverage. The exact multiple depends on your age, the type of tobacco product, frequency of use, and the carrier. The gap widens with age — an older smoker may pay close to three times a non-smoker’s rate, while a young occasional user may see a smaller difference.
What counts as a smoker for life insurance?
Definitions vary by carrier, but most consider you a smoker if you’ve used any nicotine or tobacco product within the past 12 months — including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, e-cigarettes/vapes, chewing tobacco, nicotine patches or gum, and in many cases marijuana. Some carriers treat occasional cigar use more leniently than daily cigarette smoking. Always disclose use honestly; misrepresentation can void your policy.
Will my rate go down if I quit smoking?
Yes, in most cases. After 12 months smoke- and nicotine-free, most insurers will reconsider you for non-smoker rates if you request a re-evaluation. Some carriers require longer periods (2–3 years) for their best preferred classes. You may also choose to shop for a new policy at non-smoker rates once you qualify — which can sometimes beat a reclassification on your existing policy.
Can I get no-exam life insurance as a smoker?
Yes. Many no medical exam life insurance policies are available to smokers. You’ll still be asked about tobacco use on the health questionnaire and rated as a smoker, but you can skip the physical exam and blood work. This is a good option for smokers who want faster approval or prefer to avoid a paramedical visit.
Do I have to take a medical exam to prove I’m a non-smoker?
Not necessarily. Some policies require a medical exam (which includes testing for cotinine, a marker of nicotine use), while no-exam policies rely on your questionnaire answers, prescription history, and MIB records. Either way, honesty matters — insurers can and do check, and a claim can be denied if tobacco use was misrepresented during the application.
Learn more: What Is a Term Life Insurance Policy? — our comprehensive guide to term coverage.
