Guides
Documents you need for a life insurance claim
The claim form and certified death certificate cover most claims. Here is what else insurers ask for, from medical records to court papers, and why.
Most life insurance claims need just two documents: the insurer's completed claim form (often called a claimant's statement) and a certified copy of the death certificate. Insurers ask for more only when the situation calls for it, for example medical records when the death came within two years of the policy's start, police and autopsy reports for an accidental death benefit, or court papers when an estate, trust or minor is the beneficiary.
Knowing which extra documents apply to you before you file is the simplest way to avoid weeks of back-and-forth. The step-by-step filing process is in how to file a life insurance claim; this guide covers the paperwork.
The documents almost every claim needs
| Document | Where it comes from | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Claimant's statement (claim form) | The insurer's website or claims line, the agent, or the employer's benefits office for group coverage | Usually one per beneficiary. It is where you choose how to be paid. |
| Certified death certificate | The funeral home, or the vital records office in the state where the death occurred | Insurers usually want a certified copy, not a photocopy, showing the cause of death. |
| Your taxpayer information | You | Your Social Security number or taxpayer ID; some insurers include an IRS Form W-9, because interest paid on the claim is reportable. |
| Policy number or the policy itself | The insured's papers, bank records or the agent | The original policy is often not required. If it is lost, the insurer will usually accept a short lost-policy statement. |
| Your identification | You | Some insurers verify identity online; others ask for a copy of a driver's license or passport. |
A certified death certificate is the insurer's proof of death. Order more copies than you think you need: each insurer, bank and retirement plan may want its own. If your state issues versions with and without the cause of death, ask for the one that shows it. Many states limit who may order certified copies, often to close relatives and people with a legal interest, which is one reason the funeral home typically handles the first order. The CDC's Where to Write for Vital Records page links to every state's ordering instructions for later copies.
Documents that depend on the situation
When the death was within two years of the policy date
Most policies can be contested during their first two years, so the insurer reviews the application against medical history. Expect to sign a HIPAA authorization letting the insurer request records, and to list the insured's doctors, hospitals and pharmacies. The insurer may request an attending physician statement directly from the treating doctor. You cannot speed this up much, but supplying complete provider names and addresses helps.
When an accidental death benefit applies
Accidental death riders and accidental death and dismemberment policies pay only if the death meets the policy's definition of an accident, so the insurer wants evidence of what happened. Common requests are the police or accident report, the medical examiner's or coroner's report, the autopsy, and toxicology results. These often take weeks to be released; ask the insurer whether it can pay the base life benefit while it waits.
When the cause of death is pending
A death certificate may list the cause as "pending" while the medical examiner investigates. Insurers often wait for the amended certificate before deciding a claim, especially if the cause could trigger an exclusion. Ask the medical examiner's office how long amendments usually take and tell the insurer.
When the beneficiary is not an adult individual
| Beneficiary | Typical extra documents |
|---|---|
| The estate | Letters testamentary or letters of administration from the probate court naming the executor, plus the estate's taxpayer ID number |
| A trust | A certification or copy of the trust showing the current trustee, the trustee's ID and the trust's taxpayer ID number |
| A minor child | Court papers appointing a guardian of the child's property, or documents naming a UTMA custodian if the policy or state law allows one; see how life insurance is paid to a minor |
| A funeral home (by assignment) | The assignment form the beneficiary signed, plus the funeral home's itemized bill |
Other situations
- Name changes. If your name differs from the one on the beneficiary designation, include a marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order showing the change.
- Divorce. If an ex-spouse is named, the insurer may ask for the divorce decree, because many states automatically revoke an ex-spouse's designation; see divorce and your ex as beneficiary: revocation-on-divorce laws.
- Death outside the United States. Expect to provide a Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad from the U.S. embassy or consulate, or a foreign death certificate with a certified translation; see filing a life insurance claim when the death happens abroad.
- A missing person. Without a body, insurers generally require a court order declaring the person legally dead.
- Employer group coverage. The employer completes a section confirming enrollment, coverage amount, salary and the last day worked. Ask HR to send it promptly.
- A policy pledged to a lender. If the policy was collaterally assigned, the lender files for its share and you claim the rest.
How to keep the paperwork from slowing the claim
- Use the insurer's current form. Download it fresh or ask the claims examiner to send it; old forms are sometimes rejected.
- Sign and date every page that asks. Missing signatures are a common reason a packet is returned. Some forms, such as lost-policy affidavits, may need a notary.
- Send copies, not originals, except for the certified death certificate. Keep a full copy of everything you send.
- Write the claim number on every page once you have one.
- Explain discrepancies up front. If a name is spelled differently on the death certificate and the policy, or the insured moved and the address changed, add a short note.
- Ask what is outstanding each time you call, and get the examiner's name.
Our life insurance claim checklist lists these documents in a printable format. If you have the death certificate but no policy, start with our lost life insurance policy finder.
Hypothetical example: one death, two claims
Say a 52-year-old dies in a car accident. She had a 20-year term policy bought eight years earlier, naming her husband, and group life plus accidental death coverage through work, naming her two adult children equally.
- Term policy: her husband sends the claim form and a certified death certificate. The policy is well past its contestability period, so nothing more is needed.
- Group life: each child files a claim form; the employer completes its section.
- Accidental death benefit: the group insurer also asks for the police report and toxicology results before paying the accident portion, which arrives later than the base group life benefit.
Same death, three claim forms, and three different document lists.
Key takeaways
- A completed claim form and a certified death certificate showing the cause of death satisfy most claims.
- Order several certified death certificates; each insurer and financial institution may want one.
- Deaths within two years of the policy date bring medical-record requests; accidental death benefits bring police, autopsy and toxicology requests.
- Estates, trusts and minors need court or trust documents showing who can legally collect.
- Keep copies, sign everything and ask the examiner what is still missing.