Insurance companies have strict guidelines on whether they’ll issue life insurance policies on children.
In most cases, only birth or adoptive parents, or court-appointed legal guardians, can take out life insurance on children under age 17.
Children age 15 or older must sign any life insurance application someone takes out on them.
If another family member (such as a grandparent) wants to buy a policy for a child, they must first get written consent from the child’s parent or legal guardian.
How the application process works
Washington state has rules to prevent someone from buying juvenile life insurance for fraudulent purposes.
- The insurance company may refuse your request for life insurance if your child’s current policy or the life insurance you're applying for exceeds the company’s maximum death benefit limit for children.
- The insurance company will review your application to make sure the policy benefit is proportional to the value of the life insurance or accidental death benefits issued to the child’s other siblings or immediate family members.
- If the application is for $50,000 or less and the company doesn't require underwriting or a risk assessment, it must check a national database for active insurance information to find out if there are existing policies or other applications out on your child.
Do your homework before you apply
Talk with an insurance agent or broker about:
- Your options
- The rules
- Any benefit limits