Does life insurance cover suicide death?
Most life insurance policies pay a suicide claim once the policy has been in force past its suicide-clause period — commonly the first two years — but not during it.
What flips the answer
- Covered when
The policy has been in force beyond its suicide-clause period (often two years) — the death benefit is generally paid.
- Not covered when
The death occurs during the suicide-clause period — the insurer typically refuses the benefit and refunds premiums instead.
- Not covered when
The application contained a material misrepresentation the insurer discovers within the two-year contestability period.
Standard life insurance policies contain a 'suicide clause' that applies for a set period after the policy starts, most often two years (some states set one year). If the insured dies by suicide during that window, the insurer generally does not pay the death benefit and instead refunds the premiums paid.
Once the policy has been in force beyond the suicide-clause period, a death by suicide is typically treated like any other covered death and the full benefit is paid to the beneficiaries. The clause is designed to discourage buying coverage in anticipation of a claim, not to exclude suicide forever.
Two related fine points: replacing a policy or adding coverage can restart the clause on the new coverage, and life insurance has a separate two-year contestability period during which the insurer can deny a claim for material misrepresentations on the application. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
That's the general answer. Yours is written in your actual policy.
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