States

Life insurance rules in all 50 states and D.C.: guaranty association protection, free-look periods, the regulator, estate taxes and how to find lost policies.

Alabama $300,000 Alabama life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection on death benefits, a 30-day grace period, no state estate tax and where to find lost policies. Alaska $300,000 Alaska life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection on death benefits, a 10-day free look, opt-in community property and no state estate tax. Arizona $300,000 Arizona life insurance rules: a state-run guaranty fund covering $300,000 in death benefits, community property, a 30-day grace period and lost-policy help. Arkansas $300,000 Arkansas life insurance rules: guaranty protection of $300,000 for death benefits, cash values and annuities, a 10-day free look and no state estate tax. California 80% of the death benefit, up to $300,000 California life insurance rules: guaranty coverage of 80% up to $300,000, a 60-day grace period, 30-day free look for buyers 60+, and community property. Colorado $300,000 Colorado life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection on death benefits, a 15-day free look, a one-year suicide clause and interest on late claims. Connecticut $500,000 Connecticut life insurance rules: $500,000 guaranty protection, a 10-day free look, an estate tax that starts at $15 million in 2026, and the CT Big List. Delaware $300,000 Delaware life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection on death benefits, a 30-day grace period, interest on late death claims, no estate tax since 2018. District of Columbia $300,000 D.C. life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection on death benefits and annuities, a 30-day grace period, a D.C. estate tax and Death Master File checks. Florida $300,000 Florida life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection on death benefits, a 14-day free look, a 30-day grace period and interest on late death claims. Georgia $300,000 Georgia life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection on death benefits, a 10-day free look, no state estate tax, and home to Primerica and Aflac. Hawaii $300,000 Hawaii life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection for death benefits, a 10-day free look, a 30-day grace period and an estate tax above $5.49 million. Idaho $300,000 Idaho life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection on death benefits, a 20-day free look, a 30-day grace period and community property. Illinois $300,000 Illinois life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 10-day free look, 10% interest on late death claims and a $4 million state estate tax exclusion. Indiana $300,000 Indiana life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection on death benefits, a 10-day free look, no inheritance tax since 2013, and insurers based in Indiana. Iowa $300,000 Iowa life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection on death benefits, a $350,000 per-life cap, a 10-day free look and no inheritance tax since 2025. Kansas $300,000 Kansas life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection on death benefits, a 10-day free look, a 30-day grace period and a strict misrepresentation rule. Kentucky $300,000 Kentucky life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 10-day free look, a 30-day grace period, inheritance tax on distant heirs, and lost-policy help. Louisiana $300,000 Louisiana life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection with a $500,000 overall cap, a 10-day free look, community property, and lost-policy help. Maine $300,000 Maine life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 10-day free look, a 30-day grace period, a $7.16 million estate tax exclusion (2026) and claim help. Maryland $300,000 Maryland life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 10-day free look, interest from the date of death, estate and inheritance taxes, and claim help. Massachusetts $300,000 Massachusetts life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, lapse-notice rules, interest on death claims, a $2 million estate tax threshold, and help. Michigan $300,000 Michigan life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 10-day free look, a one-month grace period, 12% interest on late claims, and no estate tax. Minnesota $500,000 Minnesota life insurance rules: $500,000 guaranty protection, a 10-day free look, a one-year suicide clause limit, a $3 million estate tax exclusion and help. Mississippi $300,000 Mississippi life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, who regulates insurers, no estate or inheritance tax, and how to find lost policies. Missouri $300,000 Missouri life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a one-year suicide clause limit, vexatious-refusal penalties, no estate tax, and lost-policy help. Montana $300,000 Montana life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 10-day free look, a 30-day grace period, interest on slow death claims, and no estate tax. Nebraska $300,000 Nebraska life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 10-day free look, a one-month grace period, the inheritance tax, and Omaha and Lincoln insurers. Nevada $300,000 Nevada life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 10-day free look (30 for replacements), community property, no estate tax, and lost-policy help. New Hampshire $300,000 New Hampshire life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, interest on death claims from the date of death, no estate tax, and lost-policy help. New Jersey $500,000 New Jersey life insurance rules: $500,000 guaranty protection, prompt-payment deadlines, an inheritance tax that exempts named beneficiaries, and claim help. New Mexico $300,000 New Mexico life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 30-day grace period, community property, no estate tax, and how to find lost policies. New York $500,000 New York life insurance rules: $500,000 guaranty protection, a 60-day replacement free look, interest from date of death, and a $7.35M estate tax exclusion. North Carolina $300,000 North Carolina life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 31-day grace period, interest on slow death claims, no estate tax, and claim help. North Dakota $300,000 North Dakota life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 20-day free look, a one-year suicide clause, no estate tax, and where to find lost policies. Ohio $300,000 Ohio life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, interest from the date of death, a 30-day look on replacements and a 10-year unclaimed funds limit. Oklahoma $300,000 Oklahoma life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection with a higher $300,000 annuity limit, a 10-day free look, 30-day claim payment and no estate tax. Oregon $300,000 Oregon life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 30-day grace period, interest on late death claims and an estate tax that starts at $1 million. Pennsylvania $300,000 Pennsylvania life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 10-day free look (45 days on some replacements), and no inheritance tax on life insurance. Rhode Island $300,000 Rhode Island life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 20-day free look, 9% interest on death claims from the date of death, and a state estate tax. South Carolina $300,000 South Carolina life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection including cash value and annuities, a 10-day free look (20 on replacements) and no estate tax. South Dakota $300,000 South Dakota life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 10-day free look, interest from the date of death, no death taxes, opt-in community property. Tennessee $300,000 Tennessee life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 30-day grace period, 60-day claim payment, no death taxes and opt-in community property trusts. Texas $300,000 Texas life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 10- to 20-day free look, prompt-pay deadlines on death claims, community property, no estate tax. Utah $500,000 if death occurred before the association took over; otherwise a covered portion Utah life insurance rules: up to $500,000 guaranty protection under a covered-portion formula, a 10-day free look (30 on replacements), interest on claims. Vermont $300,000 Vermont life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 30-day grace period, lapse notices for policyholders 64 and up, and a $5 million estate tax line. Virginia $300,000 Virginia life insurance rules: guaranty protection up to $350,000 per life, a 10-day free look, interest from the date of death and no estate tax. Washington $500,000 Washington life insurance rules: $500,000 guaranty protection, a 10-day free look, 8%+ interest on death claims, community property and an estate tax. West Virginia $300,000 West Virginia life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 10-day free look (30 on replacements), a 31-day grace period, interest from date of death. Wisconsin $300,000 Wisconsin life insurance rules: $300,000 Insurance Security Fund protection, a 30-day look on replacements, marital (community) property, no estate tax. Wyoming $300,000 Wyoming life insurance rules: $300,000 death benefit protection with a $500,000 cap per life, 45-day claim payment with interest from death, and no estate tax.