In liability insurance, the standard form is the ACORD 25. Being the certificate holder means you receive the document; it does not make you an insured. If a contract says you should be an additional insured, that has to be done by an endorsement on the policy, and the certificate merely reports it. Request certificates from the broker, not the business owner, and check the named insured, dates, limits and endorsements against what your contract actually requires.
What a certificate of insurance shows
Most liability certificates in the U.S. are issued on the ACORD 25, a standardized form produced by ACORD, an insurance industry standards organization. Property interests usually use different ACORD evidence forms. An ACORD 25 typically shows:
- ProducerThe agent or broker who issued it, with contact details — the person you call to verify it.
- InsuredThe business the policies cover. It should match the legal name on your contract.
- InsurersEach carrier, identified by name and NAIC number.
- CoveragesCommercial general liability, auto, umbrella or excess, workers’ compensation and employer’s liability, and often a line for other coverage — each with policy number, dates and limits.
- Additional insured and waiver columnsBoxes marked when an additional insured endorsement or waiver of subrogation applies to a policy.
- Description of operationsFree text for the project, location, vehicles or endorsements being referenced.
- Certificate holderThe person or company the certificate is issued to.
It is evidence, not coverage
The ACORD 25 says, near the top, that it is issued as a matter of information only, confers no rights on the certificate holder, and does not amend, extend or alter the coverage afforded by the policies. That language means what it says. If the certificate and the policy disagree, the policy wins.
That is why typing “additional insured” into the description box, or adding wording the policy does not support, accomplishes nothing — and why a certificate is a snapshot. A policy can be cancelled the day after the certificate is issued. The form says notice of cancellation will be delivered in accordance with the policy provisions, so a certificate holder receives notice only if the policy has been endorsed to provide it.
Certificate holder vs additional insured
This is the distinction that causes the most trouble.
- Certificate holderReceives the certificate. Has no coverage under the policy, no right to make a claim on it, and generally no right to notice unless the policy provides it.
- Additional insuredAdded to the policy by endorsement, and covered for claims arising out of the named insured’s work or operations, within the limits and scope of that endorsement. The certificate can report this status; only the endorsement creates it.
If your contract requires additional insured status, ask for a copy of the endorsement along with the certificate. Many policies carry a blanket endorsement that adds anyone the insured has agreed in a written contract to add, which is fine — but the endorsement still has to exist and match what the contract requires, such as ongoing and completed operations or primary and noncontributory wording.
Who issues a certificate, and how to request one
The insured’s agent or broker issues it, or occasionally the insurer directly. A business should not fill out its own certificate, and a certificate holder should be wary of one that came from anyone other than the producer listed on it.
If you are the insured and a client asks you for one, send your broker:
- The certificate holder’s exact legal name and address.
- The insurance section of the contract, or the client’s written requirements.
- Any project name, address or job number they want referenced.
- Special requirements: additional insured status, waiver of subrogation, primary and noncontributory, notice of cancellation.
Certificates themselves are routine and usually quick. Endorsements the policy does not already have take longer, which is why it pays to send the contract before you sign it, not the morning work starts. How general liability is set up for contract work.
How to check a certificate you’ve been handed
- Match the named insured to the company you contracted with — not a related entity, a DBA you don’t recognize or the owner personally.
- Check the dates. Every policy you rely on should be in force for the whole period of the work.
- Compare the limits to your contract, line by line, including the umbrella.
- Look at the coverages that are missing. No workers’ comp line on a crew that has employees is a red flag.
- Check the additional insured and waiver boxes, and ask for the endorsements themselves.
- Verify with the producer listed on the certificate, using contact details you look up independently.
- For California contractors, the CSLB license lookup shows workers’ comp on file, and the WCIRB offers a coverage lookup for California employers.
The certificate checker walks through these against your own requirements, and the contract requirements reader helps turn a contract’s insurance section into a checklist.
Red flags on certificates
- Edited or retyped PDFs, with mismatched fonts or alignment.
- Policy numbers or insurers that the listed producer cannot confirm.
- A named insured that differs from the contract or the license.
- Dates that expire mid-project with no renewal certificate requested.
- “Additional insured” typed into the description with no box marked and no endorsement available.
- Limits that look right but sit on the wrong line, such as a high auto limit on a job that needed general liability.
Common questions
What is a certificate of insurance?
A one-page summary, issued by an agent or broker, showing the insurance a business carries on the day it was issued. It is evidence of coverage, not coverage itself, and gives the holder no rights under the policy.
What is an ACORD 25?
The standard certificate of liability insurance form used across the U.S. It lists the insured, producer, insurers, policy numbers, dates, limits and certificate holder.
Does being a certificate holder make me an additional insured?
No. A certificate holder only receives the certificate. Additional insured status requires an endorsement on the policy itself.
Who issues a certificate of insurance?
The insured’s agent or broker, or sometimes the insurer directly. Verify a certificate with the producer listed on it, using contact details you look up yourself.
Will I be notified if the policy is cancelled?
Only if the policy has been endorsed to provide notice to you. The current ACORD 25 says notice will be delivered in accordance with the policy provisions.
General information about certificates of insurance as of October 2026, not legal advice. Contract insurance requirements are legal terms; review them with counsel where the stakes are high. Coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued.