How to name FEGLI beneficiaries
You do not have to name a beneficiary for your Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI). If you don't, the law sets who is paid. That works for many families, but not all, and one common situation (divorce) catches people out. Here is how it works, from OPM's FEGLI handbook.
Who is paid if you name no one
When you die, the Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (OFEGLI) pays in this order, unless you assigned your insurance or a valid court order is on file:
- The beneficiaries you validly designated.
- If none, your widow or widower.
- If none, your children, and the descendants of any deceased children.
- If none, your parents in equal shares, or all of it to a surviving parent.
- If none, the court-appointed executor or administrator of your estate.
- If none, your other next of kin under the laws of the state where you lived.
Option C is different: it pays you, the insured, when your spouse or an eligible child dies.
When you need to name a beneficiary
According to OPM, you must file a designation if you want to:
- Pay someone not on the list above, such as a friend, partner, charity or business.
- Pay people in a different order or in different shares.
- Pay a trust you set up for your minor children.
You should also file one if proof of a marriage or divorce would not be easy to find.
How to do it: form SF 2823
The preferred way is the Designation of Beneficiary form, SF 2823. Two people who are not named as beneficiaries must witness your signature. Your employing office (or OPM, if you are retired) must receive the form before you die. A form found in a drawer afterwards does not count.
Divorce does not cancel a designation
A divorce does not invalidate a designation that names your former spouse. To remove a former spouse, you need to file a new SF 2823. A valid court order on file, such as one from a divorce, takes priority over your designations.
Keep it current
- Review your designation after a marriage, divorce, birth or death in the family.
- Keep your beneficiaries' names and addresses up to date. OFEGLI may be unable to find a beneficiary at an old address.
- Don't cross out or alter a filed form; changes can invalidate it. File a new one instead.
Beyond FEGLI
Your FEGLI designation covers only FEGLI. Other accounts and policies, including your Thrift Savings Plan, your retirement benefits and any private life insurance, each have their own beneficiary forms. A yearly check of all of them takes a few minutes and can save your family months.
Sources
- OPM, Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Handbook, checked October 7, 2026
- OPM FAQ: Who will get my FEGLI life insurance benefits when I die?, checked October 7, 2026