Business Insurance
Certificate of Insurance (COI)
A certificate of insurance (COI) provides third parties — landlords, clients, general contractors — with evidence of a business's insurance without sharing the full policy.
Last reviewed: May 2026 · Editorial methodology
Definition
A Certificate of Insurance (COI) is a standardized summary document, most commonly the ACORD 25 form for liability coverage, that lists a business's active insurance policies, coverage types, limits, policy numbers, and expiration dates. It does not grant any rights to the certificate holder and is not a policy amendment — a common misconception that leads to disputes when a certificate holder believes they are covered but are not. General contractors routinely require subcontractors to provide COIs before starting work, and commercial landlords require them from tenants as a lease prerequisite. Certificate holders listed on a COI typically receive advance notice — usually 30 days — of policy cancellation or non-renewal. An additional insured status listed on a COI must be backed by an actual additional insured endorsement on the policy; the COI alone does not create coverage. Businesses operating in multiple states or with many vendor relationships often pay their agent a small annual fee ($50–$200) for unlimited COI issuance on demand, which streamlines the process of fulfilling contract requirements.
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Cover Forge USA Editorial Team
Editorial Lead
This article was researched and written by the Cover Forge USA editorial team against federal sources (NAIC, CMS, FEMA, DOL, SSA, state DOIs) and standard policy forms. Bylines organize content by topic — they do not assert individual licensure. See our editorial-policy for details.
Reviewed 2026-06-14
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