Glossary
Endorsement
An endorsement is a written amendment to an insurance policy. It can add, remove, or change coverage, insureds, property, or terms, either at issuance or mid-term. Once issued, the endorsement is part of the policy contract and overrides the base form wherever the two conflict.
Everyday examples
Add a vehicle or a driver. Add an additional insured or a waiver of subrogation. Raise a limit, change a mailing address, add a newly acquired location. Some endorsements are premium-bearing, meaning they change what the client pays. Others, like an address correction, do not.
Terminology note: in property and casualty the word is endorsement. In life and health the same idea is usually called a rider.
How the work flows in an agency
A change request arrives by email or phone. The account manager processes it in the carrier portal or sends it to underwriting, updates the agency management system, and confirms the change to the client in writing with the effective date. Skipping the written confirmation is how disputes start.
Effective dates are the sharp edge. An endorsement requested today but processed next week should still be effective as of the request, and backdating beyond that generally needs carrier approval. A client who added a vehicle on Monday and had a loss on Tuesday will care a great deal about when the endorsement took effect.
In Relay
Policy change requests arrive as plain email. Relay reads the inbox, tags each request, and routes it to the right person so changes get processed instead of buried. See how →
Common questions
Is an endorsement the same as a rider?
Same concept, different lines. Property and casualty policies use endorsement. Life and health policies usually say rider.
Does every endorsement change the premium?
No. Premium-bearing endorsements like adding a vehicle or raising a limit change the bill. Administrative changes like a corrected address usually do not.
Related terms
Part of the Relay insurance operations glossary. Updated 2026-07-11. See how we source content.
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