Overview
A certificate of insurance (COI) is a one-page summary showing that a business carries the coverage listed: the carriers, policy numbers, limits, and effective dates, plus any noted additional insured or waiver wording. Landlords, general contractors, event venues, and customers commonly require one before work begins or keys change hands.
Certificates are simple to issue but widely misunderstood — most importantly, a certificate is evidence of coverage, not coverage itself.
What a certificate shows
- The insured business and the certificate holder (the party requesting proof)
- Each policy's carrier, policy number, and effective and expiration dates
- Limits for each line — general liability, auto, umbrella, workers' compensation, and others
- Description-of-operations remarks noting additional insured status, waivers, or project references
How to request one
Ask your agent or broker, and give them the exact requirements from the contract: the certificate holder's legal name and address, required limits, any additional insured or primary-and-noncontributory wording, and any waiver of subrogation. Routine certificates are commonly issued the same day; requests needing new endorsements take longer because the policy itself must change first.
Common certificate mistakes
- Treating the certificate as if it changes coverage — only endorsements do that
- Requesting additional insured wording on the certificate without the endorsement behind it
- Letting certificates expire mid-contract; holders commonly track expiration dates and chase renewals
- Getting the certificate holder's legal name wrong, which can void the point of the exercise
- Waiting until the day work starts — new endorsement requests need lead time
If you are the one requesting certificates
Businesses that hire subcontractors or vendors should collect certificates before work begins, confirm limits and wording match the contract, and diary the expiration dates. Hiring an uninsured subcontractor commonly means absorbing their losses — and paying for their exposure at your own premium audit.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a certificate of insurance legally binding?
The certificate itself confers no rights — standard forms say so explicitly. The policies and endorsements behind it are what bind the insurer. That is why matching the contract's requirements to actual endorsements matters.
How fast can I get a COI?
If your policies already meet the requirements, often the same business day. If the request requires new endorsements — additional insured wording, waivers, higher limits — expect days rather than hours, because the policy must be changed first.
What does 'certificate holder' mean?
The certificate holder is the party the certificate is issued to — typically the landlord, general contractor, or customer requesting proof. Being a certificate holder alone does not make them an additional insured.