Glossary

Tobacco rate class

The higher-priced underwriting class for applicants who use tobacco or nicotine products, which can include vaping, chew and nicotine gum.

Also called: smoker rates, tobacco rates, smoker class

Life insurers price tobacco and nicotine users in separate rate classes, often called smoker or tobacco classes, because their mortality is much higher. Many insurers have a preferred tobacco and a standard tobacco class, with table ratings below. What counts as use varies by insurer: cigarettes always do, and vaping, chewing tobacco, nicotine pouches and nicotine gum or patches usually do. Some insurers treat occasional cigars or marijuana more leniently.

Applicants answer tobacco questions on the application, and most fully underwritten policies include a urine or blood test for cotinine, a nicotine byproduct. To get non-tobacco rates, many insurers require at least 12 months without nicotine, and the best classes may require longer. Hypothetically, if a non-tobacco policy costs $40 a month, the same coverage at tobacco rates might cost $120 or more.

Misstating tobacco use is a common reason claims are investigated during the two-year contestable period, and it can lead to a rescinded policy or a denied claim. If you quit after buying, many insurers will consider moving you to non-tobacco rates once you've been nicotine-free for their required period. See life insurance for smokers, vaping, nicotine pouches and life insurance rates and how quitting smoking lowers life insurance rates.

Last reviewed October 4, 2026

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Related terms

Rate class The underwriting category, such as preferred plus, standard or substandard, that sets the price an insurer charges for a given age and coverage. Preferred plus Typically the lowest-priced underwriting class, reserved for applicants in excellent health with a clean family history and no high-risk habits. Standard rate class The underwriting class for applicants of average health and risk, priced at an insurer's baseline rather than a discounted preferred rate. Paramedical exam A short health screening, done at home or an office by a trained examiner, that collects measurements, blood and urine for life insurance underwriting. Incontestability clause A provision that bars the insurer from voiding coverage over application misstatements once it has been in force for two years during the insured's life.

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