Updated April 29, 2026
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Open the GL calculatorYour insurer issues it, your carrier controls it, and you cannot touch it. That is the short version of what a COI is. The document itself is one page, built on the ACORD 25 standard form, and it shows your insurer name, policy numbers, coverage types, limits, and expiration dates. Getting one costs nothing and typically takes less than a business day. It does not add or change your coverage in any way; it reports what is already on your policy.
What You Are Handing Over When a Client Asks for Proof
The document your client wants is a standardized form, not a custom letter and not a copy of your full policy. In the United States, the dominant format is the ACORD 25, published by the Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development. It fits general liability, commercial auto, workers compensation, umbrella or excess liability, and certain specialty lines onto a single page. That standardization is the whole point: every party reading it already knows where to look for what.
The ACORD 25 shows your name and address, your insurer's name and NAIC number, each active policy number, coverage type, per-occurrence and aggregate limits, and the effective and expiration dates for each policy. Clients, general contractors, landlords, and government agencies all accept it because the fields never move. For general liability, a $1,000,000 per-occurrence limit and a $2,000,000 aggregate is the most common baseline; many commercial contracts specify exactly those numbers.
One thing the COI does not do: confer rights on the party holding it. It confirms coverage exists. If a claim arises, the certificate holder has no automatic right to the policy proceeds. That is handled through additional insured endorsements.
How to Request One and What to Tell Your Agent
Call or email your insurance agent and ask for one. That is the short version. Most agents and brokers can produce a COI within the same business day, sometimes within the hour. Larger carriers, including The Hartford, Travelers, and Hiscox, provide online portals where policyholders can generate and download certificates without calling anyone.
The U.S. Small Business Administration recommends working with a licensed agent, particularly when a client specifies coverage requirements that need to be verified against your policy. Certificates are free; if someone is charging you to issue one, that is worth questioning.
The ACORD 25 Form: What Each Section Means
The ACORD 25 is the dominant standard for property and casualty insurance certificates in North America. Knowing how to read it is useful when a client sends you one they already filled out as a template for what they want you to provide.
The upper left section identifies the producer (your agent or broker) and their contact information. Below that is the insured section, which should match your legal business name exactly. The coverage section lists each active policy in rows: commercial general liability, commercial auto, employers liability, umbrella/excess, and a workers compensation row. Each row shows the policy number, effective date, expiration date, and the key limits for that coverage type.
General contractors and commercial landlords typically require aggregate limits of at least $2,000,000 before signing any contract. The Insurance Information Institute maintains a primer on reading commercial certificates for businesses doing this for the first time.
What Additional Insured Means and When You Need It
A certificate holder is simply someone who receives a copy of the COI. An additional insured is materially different: it is an endorsement added to your actual policy that extends your liability coverage to another party for claims arising from your work.
A general contractor hiring a plumbing subcontractor will typically require the sub to add the GC as an additional insured on the sub's GL policy. If the sub's work causes a water leak that damages a tenant's property, the tenant's lawsuit may name both the sub and the GC. With the additional insured endorsement in place, the sub's insurer defends and potentially pays on the GC's behalf too. Without it, the GC is on their own.
When a client asks you to "add them as an additional insured," contact your agent immediately. The agent adds an endorsement to your policy, usually for no additional premium for standard blanket additional insured endorsements. They then issue an updated COI reflecting the endorsement. This is a routine, same-day task for most agents. Do not ignore these requests; missing an additional insured requirement can void a contract.
Certificate of Insurance for an LLC
An LLC gets a COI the same way a sole proprietor or corporation does. The legal entity name on the certificate must match the name on the policy exactly; mismatches cause problems at contract time, so confirm the insured name when you buy coverage. The LLC structure and the GL policy work together but do not replace each other. A client suing your LLC is going after the business's assets. Our general liability cost calculator can help you estimate coverage costs before you call an agent.
Can You Make Your Own Certificate of Insurance?
No. Creating or altering a certificate of insurance is insurance fraud regardless of whether the underlying policy is real. Multiple states have statutes that specifically criminalize falsifying insurance certificates, and large GCs and commercial landlords increasingly verify certificates directly with carriers before work starts. If you need a COI and do not have coverage yet, buy the coverage first. Most GL policies bind within one business day, and certificates follow immediately.
What Happens When a COI Expires
A COI is only valid for the policy period it covers. When your policy renews, issue a new certificate showing the updated policy number and dates. Most commercial contracts require updated certificates at renewal, and some clients request a 30-day cancellation notice so they are alerted if your coverage lapses mid-term. Your agent can arrange both when they issue the original certificate.
Certificates, Contracts, and What to Do If You Are Stuck
A client contract that requires a COI with specific limits is, in effect, a minimum coverage requirement written into the deal. If your current coverage does not meet those limits, you have two choices: negotiate the contract language or increase your coverage limits. Increasing limits on a GL policy from $1M/$2M to $2M/$4M typically adds $150 to $400 per year to the annual premium, depending on your industry and insurer.
State insurance departments regulate certificate issuance practices. If you believe a carrier or agent is refusing to issue a legitimate certificate, your state's department of insurance is the place to file a complaint. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners maintains a directory of state insurance department contacts.
For a broader look at what coverage your business should carry before a client ever asks for a COI, see our guide to what types of business insurance you actually need. And if you are still figuring out the basics, the business insurance guide covers the full landscape in one place.