A certificate of insurance (COI) is a document that summarizes the key terms of an insurance policy — it proves that coverage exists. Certificates are requested constantly by contractors, vendors, tenants, and businesses in commercial relationships. Understanding what a certificate does and doesn't do is essential for any commercial lines agent.
A standard certificate of insurance (ACORD 25 for liability, ACORD 23 for property) contains:
• Name and address of the insured • Name and contact information of the producing agent • Names of all carriers providing coverage • Policy numbers, effective dates, and expiration dates • Coverage types and limits • Name and address of the certificate holder • Whether any additional insured or waiver of subrogation endorsements apply
A certificate of insurance is an informational document — it is not the policy, not a contract, and not a guarantee. The standard ACORD certificate language states clearly that the certificate does not amend, extend, or alter the coverage afforded by the policies it summarizes.
This is important because certificate holders sometimes believe that being listed on a certificate gives them rights they don't have. Only an endorsement to the actual policy creates coverage for an additional insured.
A certificate holder is simply the party to whom the certificate is issued — they are listed so they can see the coverage information. Being listed as a certificate holder does NOT make a party an additional insured.
A party must be added by endorsement to the actual policy to receive additional insured coverage. The certificate may reference this endorsement, but the endorsement is what creates the coverage.
Agents frequently make these mistakes on certificates:
• Listing an additional insured on the certificate without actually adding the endorsement to the policy • Using incorrect policy numbers or effective dates • Forgetting to include waiver of subrogation when required by contract • Issuing a certificate that shows higher limits than the policy actually provides • Not updating certificates when a policy renews or a carrier changes
AgencyAssist collects all the information covered here through a plain-English client intake link. No phone calls, no PDF forms, no missing fields — just a complete, submission-ready ACORD package.