Certificate of insurance (COI)
A certificate of insurance (COI) is a one-page summary of a policy's coverage, issued as proof of insurance to a third party called the certificate holder. The most common version is the ACORD 25 for liability. A certificate is informational only: it does not amend the policy and grants the holder no coverage.
Why certificates eat agency time
Certificate requests can create a steady service queue in a commercial agency. A contractor needs evidence for a new job, a landlord requests an updated copy, or a client receives a contract with specific insurance requirements. Each request needs the correct insured, holder, policy period, and applicable coverage details.
The requests arrive as plain email, often with the contract's insurance requirements buried in an attachment. Someone has to read those requirements, check them against the actual policy, and issue the cert.
What a certificate does and does not do
A certificate summarizes selected insurance information, including policy numbers, dates, limits, and other stated details. It does not create coverage or change the policy. Read the actual policy and endorsements when checking requirements that the certificate alone cannot establish.
If a contract requires additional insured status or a waiver of subrogation, that has to happen by endorsement on the policy itself. The certificate can only reflect what the policy already provides. Issuing a cert that shows status the policy does not actually grant is a classic E&O exposure.
A certificate review checklist
Confirm the insured and holder names, current policy period, required lines, and applicable limits. Check requested additional insured or waiver wording against the actual policy. Keep the approved certificate and the request together so the next renewal has a clear starting point.
In Relay
Prepare a certificate draft in Relay from the client file, then check the holder, dates, limits, and requested wording before issuance. See how →
Common questions
Does being a certificate holder give me coverage?
No. A certificate holder receives proof that the named insured has coverage, nothing more. Coverage for a third party requires an additional insured endorsement on the policy itself.
Who issues certificates of insurance?
Usually the agent of record, working from the policy in the agency management system. Some carriers also issue them directly or through self-service portals.
Sources
Part of the Relay insurance operations glossary. Updated 2026-07-11. See how we source content.
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