Written by Cory Levine, Life Insurance Expert ✅
Founder of The Life Insurance Professionals · Licensed since 2018 · Boca Raton, FL, serving families nationwide
Editorial disclosure
This article was written by Cory Levine, a licensed independent life insurance agent, for general education. It is not financial, tax or legal advice. Cory may earn a commission if you buy a policy through him, and that never changes what he recommends. Rates, benefits and availability vary by company, state and underwriting.
Helping families since 2018. Content follows our editorial standards to protect consumers.
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Cory Levine is an independent life insurance agent in Boca Raton, Florida, serving families nationwide. After losing his wife in 2017 and raising his children on his own, he helps families compare term life with living benefits, indexed universal life, permanent coverage and annuities, with honesty and no pressure. Read Cory’s full bio
A life insurance policy finder is a free search that helps you learn whether someone who died had a life insurance policy you may be owed. The best place to start is the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator: it is free, you submit the search once, and participating insurance companies check their records and contact you directly if you are the beneficiary. While you wait, check the person’s mail, bank statements, employer benefits and your state’s unclaimed property list.
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I’m Cory Levine. I lost my wife in 2017, so I know what it’s like to sit at the kitchen table going through papers, trying to figure out what exists and what doesn’t. If you’re doing that right now, I’m sorry. This guide walks you through the search one step at a time, with free tools only. You never need to pay anyone to find a policy.
How do I find a lost life insurance policy?
Here is the order I’d follow. Steps 1 and 2 can run at the same time.
- Get certified copies of the death certificate. You’ll need the person’s Social Security number, legal name, date of birth and date of death for the search, and insurers will ask for a certified copy for any claim.
- Submit a free search with the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator (details below).
- Search their paper trail: mail, bank and credit card statements, tax returns, and their files or safe deposit box.
- Call their past and current employers about group life insurance.
- Check unclaimed property in every state they lived in.
- Ask the people who helped them with money: their insurance agent, financial advisor, accountant or attorney.
What is the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator, and is it free?
Yes, it’s free. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the organization of state insurance regulators, runs the Life Insurance Policy Locator. Anyone can use it, including beneficiaries and legal representatives of the person who died.
It works. As of July 31, 2026, the NAIC reports more than 1.5 million searches, more than 780,000 matches, and about $16.99 billion in benefits matched to consumers (NAIC, Sept. 2026).
How do I use the policy locator, step by step?
- Go to the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator and create an account with your name and email.
- Agree to the terms, then enter your own name, address and relationship to the person who died.
- Enter their information from the death certificate: Social Security number, legal first and last name, date of birth and date of death.
- Submit. You’ll get an automated confirmation email.
The South Carolina Department of Insurance notes that after you create your account, you may need to wait about 30 minutes before you can log in and submit (SC DOI).
What happens after I submit a search?
Participating insurers compare your request to their records. If they find a policy and you are the beneficiary (or have legal authority over the estate), the insurance company contacts you directly. Searches can take 90 business days or more.
One thing that surprises people: you won’t hear anything if there’s no match, or if a policy exists but you aren’t the beneficiary. Silence doesn’t always mean “no policy,” so keep working the other steps below.
How do I find out if someone had life insurance after they die?
Most policies leave a trail. Look for:
- Mail: premium notices, annual statements, or letters from an insurance company. Have their mail forwarded to you for several months so you see anything that arrives once a year.
- Bank and credit card statements: regular payments to an insurance company are a strong clue. Look back at least a year, because some policies bill annually.
- Tax returns: interest or dividends from an insurer can point to a policy with cash value.
- Files, desk, safe deposit box and email: policy contracts, beneficiary forms, or welcome emails.
- Their insurance agent or financial advisor: a business card or old letter can be enough to call and ask.
- Clubs, unions and associations: fraternal groups, unions and professional organizations sometimes provide life insurance to members (Louisiana Dept. of Insurance).
How do I find a life insurance policy through an employer?
Many people have group life insurance at work and never think about it. Call the HR or benefits office at their current employer and any recent former employers, and ask whether there was group life insurance, accidental death coverage, or a retiree benefit. Banks and credit unions sometimes offer coverage to customers too, so ask there as well. Coverage through work often ends when someone leaves a job, which is one reason I wrote about whether life insurance through work is enough.
Can unclaimed life insurance end up with the state?
Yes. If an insurer can’t locate the rightful owner after a number of years, it turns the money over to the state (Kansas Insurance Dept.). Searching is free:
- Search the person’s name, and your own, at MissingMoney.com, the national database linked by state treasurers.
- Check each state where they lived through Unclaimed.org, run by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. In Florida, that’s the state’s own unclaimed property search.
Policy finder tools at a glance
| Where to look | Cost | What you need | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator | Free | Info from the death certificate, your name and address | Insurer contacts you only if there’s a match and you’re the beneficiary; can take 90+ business days |
| Mail, bank statements, tax returns | Free | Access to their records | Often the fastest clue; check a full year back |
| Employers, unions, banks | Free | A phone call, death certificate | Group coverage you might not know about |
| State unclaimed property | Free | Name and past addresses | Older policies insurers already turned over to the state |
| Paid “policy search” services | Varies | Same information | Not needed; the free tools above cover the same ground |
Can I find a life insurance policy on a living person?
Not through the NAIC locator; it’s built for people who have died. Policy details are private, so for a living person the simplest path is to ask them, or to have them call their insurer. If you’re helping an aging parent get organized, sit down together and make a one-page list of every policy, the company, the policy number and the beneficiaries. That list can save your family months later. If your parent doesn’t have coverage yet, here’s how to think about buying life insurance on your parents.
I found the policy. What’s next?
- Call the insurer’s claims department and ask for a claim form.
- Send a certified copy of the death certificate and the completed form.
- Ask how the benefit can be paid (lump sum or other options) before you choose.
- Keep copies of everything and write down who you spoke with and when.
Life insurance death benefits are generally not taxable income to the beneficiary, but interest paid on the benefit can be taxable (IRS). Before making big money moves, take a breath. My week-by-week checklist for when your spouse dies and financial steps after losing a spouse walk through what to do now and what can wait.
Don’t leave your family searching
When my wife died, I learned how much of our plan lived only in our heads. The kindest thing you can do for the people you love is make sure they never need a policy finder. Keep a simple list of your coverage, tell your beneficiaries it exists, and review your beneficiaries after big life changes. Naming the right beneficiary matters too; here’s when a trust should be the beneficiary of your life insurance. And if you’re not sure your family is covered, start with how to protect your family with life insurance.
Have questions, or want a second set of eyes on what you found? Book a free 15-minute call, or call or text 561-542-8610. No pressure, just answers.
Life insurance policy finder FAQ
Is there a free life insurance policy finder?
Yes. The NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator is free and open to anyone, including beneficiaries and legal representatives. State unclaimed property searches are free too.
Can I search for a life insurance policy by name or Social Security number?
The NAIC locator asks for the deceased person’s Social Security number, legal name, date of birth and date of death. Unclaimed property sites let you search by name.
How long does the NAIC policy locator take?
The NAIC says searches can take 90 business days or more. You’re only contacted if a match is found and you’re the beneficiary or have legal authority.
Do I need to pay a company to find a lost life insurance policy?
No. The free tools in this guide cover the same searches. Be careful with anyone who asks for an upfront fee to “find” money for you.
What if the policy lapsed?
If premiums stopped, the policy may have ended, but some policies with cash value keep some value. Ask the insurer what happened to the policy and whether any value remains.
Educational only, not tax or legal advice.
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I’m Cory Levine, an independent agent and a widower raising my children. I know what the right policy means to a family. I compare top-rated companies, not just one, to find you honest options: coverage that protects your family, living benefits you can use while you’re alive, and income you can’t outlive.
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About Cory Levine
Cory Levine is an independent life insurance agent and founder of The Life Insurance Professionals, based in Boca Raton, Florida and serving families nationwide. Licensed since 2018, he has helped hundreds of families protect what matters most. After losing his wife in 2017 and raising his children on his own, he knows firsthand what the right coverage means to a family. Guided by his faith, Cory treats every family he helps as a responsibility, not a sale, with honesty, transparency and no pressure. He compares top-rated companies to find honest options: term life with living benefits, indexed universal life, permanent coverage, and annuities, including 401(k) rollovers and retirement income you can’t outlive. Florida License W526357.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” — Philippians 2:3 (NIV)
