There is no national or state registry of insurance policies issued by life insurance companies. If you believe someone was insured but you are unable to locate the policy and don’t know the full name of the company, the department suggests the following:
- Check with all family members and close friends to determine if a company was ever mentioned by the decedent.
- Review all checking account and credit card records to see if premium was paid to a named life insurance company. We suggest that you review at least one year of records in the event the premium was paid on an annual mode.
- Check with past employers, unions, and associations to determine if life insurance was purchased through them.
- Check with the insurer that provided the homeowner and auto coverage to see if life insurance was also purchased.
- If the decedent lived in a small community, check with the local insurance agent(s).
- Using an Internet search engine, conduct a search for lost life insurance – to locate private companies that for a fee will contact insurance companies for you to see if the decedent was insured by the companies they contact. Because you will be charged a fee, be sure to ask what service will be provided and the cost.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has a Life Insurance Policy Locator Service that may be able to help in your search. Visit https://eapps.naic.org/life-policy-locator/#/welcome for more information about the service.
