Day-one level coverage
NewBridge (Preferred) and Transamerica FE Express (Premier) after two years; Transamerica Immediate Solution (Standard) after five; United Home Life (Premier) after seven.
Health & coverage · Criminal record
Life insurance with a felony or criminal record: yes — here’s how it works
A record doesn’t make you uninsurable. Applications ask a few specific questions — a felony conviction, pending charges, probation or parole, current incarceration — and almost all of them have a time window. Here’s how each carrier we could source draws the lines, and the one that says no regardless.
The honest landscape
How carriers actually see a criminal record, felony, or probation
Criminal history shows up on final expense applications as a non-medical question, and the questions we found are specifically about felonies: convictions, pending charges, probation, parole, and incarceration. The windows vary more than for any health condition. NewBridge treats a felony conviction, pending felony charges, parole, or probation within the last 24 months as not eligible — and anything older at its Preferred class. Transamerica’s FE Express Solution declines felony charges, pending ones included, within two years and gives its top Premier class after that. United Home Life draws a seven-year line: pending charges, or a conviction, parole, or probation within seven years, routes to its graded plan; older felonies reach Premier.
Transamerica’s older Immediate Solution guide runs longest: a felony conviction or no-contest plea within three years is a decline, three to five years Graded, five to ten Standard, more than ten Preferred — and multiple offenses within ten years decline. Current status matters everywhere: Transamerica declines anyone currently incarcerated or on probation or parole, and NewBridge’s question includes being on parole or probation today.
One honest exception: Royal Neighbors does not accept an insured or an owner with a felony on any of its final expense plans — guaranteed issue included — regardless of face amount. Guaranteed-issue whole life elsewhere asks no health questions (Mutual of Omaha to age 85, Corebridge and Americo to 80), but non-medical eligibility rules still apply, so we confirm each product’s rules before quoting rather than promise them.
Your realistic paths
The three doors, honestly labeled
Graded coverage
United Home Life’s graded plan covers pending charges and a conviction, probation, or parole within seven years; Transamerica’s Easy Solution covers a felony three to five years old. Permanent coverage with a limited early benefit.
Guaranteed acceptance
No health questions — Mutual of Omaha to 85, Corebridge and Americo to 80. Non-medical rules still apply (Royal Neighbors excludes felonies even from its guaranteed plan), so we verify before we quote.
What moves the needle
Climbing the ladder
Finishing probation or parole
Current probation or parole is a decline at Transamerica and part of NewBridge’s 24-month question. Completing supervision opens doors that stay closed while it’s active.
The 2-year mark
NewBridge moves from not eligible to Preferred, and Transamerica FE Express from decline to Premier, once a felony is more than two years behind you.
Seven and ten years — and resolved charges
United Home Life reaches Premier past seven years; Transamerica’s Immediate Solution reaches Preferred past ten. Pending charges count at Transamerica Express, NewBridge, and United Home Life, so a resolved case can change the answer.
Inside the application
What carriers actually ask
- NewBridge: “Convicted of a felony or currently have felony charges pending, on parole, or on probation” — last 24 months not eligible; more than two years, Preferred.
- Transamerica’s Immediate Solution chart: felony “convicted/pleaded no contest” within 3 years decline, 3–5 years Graded, 5–10 Standard, over 10 Preferred; multiple offenses in the last 10 years decline; current incarceration decline.
- Royal Neighbors’ final expense guide lists “Insured and/or Owners with a felony” as not accepted “regardless of face amount” — for every plan, guaranteed issue included.
- Some carriers verify independently: KSKJ’s simplified-issue e-App decision runs against prescription history, a motor vehicle report, and a criminal background check.
Where the doors are
Panel niches worth knowing
Every carrier draws its lines differently — these documented niches are why we shop your exact situation instead of accepting the first answer. Sources labeled; guidelines change without notice.
NewBridge (Continental General)
carrier underwriting guideFelony conviction, pending charges, parole, or probation within 24 months → not eligible; more than two years → Preferred, its best class. Not sold in California, Florida, New York, or South Carolina.
Transamerica
carrier underwriting guideFE Express: felony charges (including pending) within 2 years → decline; 2+ years → Premier; current incarceration, probation, or parole → decline. Immediate Solution: Graded at 3–5 years, Standard at 5–10, Preferred past 10.
Our full Transamerica reviewUnited Home Life
carrier underwriting guidePending felony charges, or a conviction, parole, or probation within 7 years → graded whole life (no term); a felony more than 7 years ago → Premier.
Royal Neighbors of America
carrier underwriting guideNot accepted if the insured or the owner has a felony — on any final expense plan, guaranteed issue included, regardless of face amount. We route these cases elsewhere.
Our full Royal Neighbors of America reviewAmerican Amicable
carrier underwriting guideFamily Choice (ages 0–49): a felony conviction within 24 months, or probation or parole within 12 months, is a knockout question on the application map.
Our full American Amicable reviewStraight answers
A criminal record, felony, or probation & life insurance — FAQ
Can a felon get life insurance?
Yes, in most cases. The published rules are mostly time windows: NewBridge and Transamerica FE Express reach their best classes once a felony is more than two years old, and United Home Life offers a graded plan inside seven years and Premier after. One carrier, Royal Neighbors, excludes felonies entirely — which is exactly why shopping several carriers matters.
Can I get life insurance while on probation or parole?
It’s harder, but not closed everywhere. Transamerica declines current probation or parole, and NewBridge’s 24-month question includes it. United Home Life’s published table routes probation or parole within seven years to its graded whole life plan rather than declining it.
What about someone who is currently incarcerated?
Transamerica lists current incarceration as a decline on both of its final expense products, and we don’t have published guidance from other carriers on it — so we’d verify directly before quoting anything. The person being insured also has to complete and sign their own application.
Does a misdemeanor or an old arrest count?
The final expense questions in the guides we reviewed are about felonies — convictions (including no-contest pleas at Transamerica), pending felony charges, probation, and parole. Answer exactly what each question asks; if you’re unsure how an old case was classified, checking the court record before applying is worth the time.
I have a record — can I buy a policy on my mom?
Possibly, but check the owner rules. Royal Neighbors excludes an owner with a felony, not just an insured, and some products require the insured to own the policy (NewBridge does). Your mom will also need to sign her own application. We’ll match the ownership setup to a carrier that allows it.
One search, every door
See your real options in about 60 seconds
A few basic questions — age, state, and your honest health picture — are exactly what lets us quote you accurately across the whole panel. A decline somewhere else is the start of our search, not the end. No exam to look, no spam, no pressure.
- We know which carriers treat a criminal record, felony, or probation best — that's the whole job
- Day-one coverage first, whenever you qualify
- Your information is never sold