What is a certificate of insurance (COI)?
A certificate of insurance (COI) is a one-page document that proves your business insurance coverage exists. It's a summary — issued by your insurance agent, broker, or insurance company — showing what policies you carry, which insurers back them, your coverage limits, and when each policy expires.
If you're a contractor or tradesperson, you'll hear "send me your COI" a lot: from general contractors before you start a job, from property managers before you get building access, from clients who just want to know you're covered. The good news is that a COI is one of the simpler pieces of paper in your business — once you know what it is and what it isn't.
A snapshot, not the policy itself
A COI is proof that coverage exists — nothing more. It is not the insurance policy, and it doesn't create, extend, or change coverage in any way. The actual policy is a much longer contract between you and your insurer, and if there's ever a claim, the policy is what controls, not the certificate.
Most certificates say this right on the page: the standard wording notes the certificate is issued "as a matter of information only." Think of it like a receipt for your insurance. The receipt proves you bought something; it isn't the thing you bought.
Who issues a COI, and how you get one
COIs come from your insurance agent, broker, or sometimes the insurance company directly. You don't fill one out yourself — a certificate only means something because it comes from the people who actually hold your policy records.
Getting one is usually painless: you contact your agent, tell them who's asking for it (the GC, client, or property manager, along with their name and address), and they send it over — often the same day, and typically at no charge. Many carriers also let you download certificates from an online portal. In the US, most COIs for liability coverage are issued on a standard form called the ACORD 25, which is why nearly every certificate you see looks the same.
What's on a COI
A certificate packs a lot into one page, but the core pieces are straightforward:
For a field-by-field walkthrough of the actual form, see our guide on how to read a certificate of insurance.
- Your business name and address (the "insured")
- The insurance companies backing each policy, the coverage types, and their limits
- Policy numbers with effective and expiration dates
- The "certificate holder" — the person or company the certificate was prepared for
Why GCs and clients ask for one
It comes down to risk. Say — purely hypothetically — a sub damages a water line and it turns out they had no insurance. The GC or property owner can end up absorbing costs that should have been the sub's problem. Collecting COIs before work starts is how they avoid that scenario.
There's also pressure from above: many GCs have clients and insurers of their own who ask them to keep certificates on file for everyone on site. So when a GC asks for your COI, it's rarely personal — it's them keeping their own paperwork clean. What's asked for varies by client, state, and contract, so if a request looks unusual, your insurance agent is the right person to sanity-check it.
Why every COI expires
Insurance policies run for a set term — commonly a year — and a COI lists the expiration date of every policy on it. Once a policy renews, the old certificate is out of date, even though your coverage never lapsed. That's why GCs and clients ask for a fresh COI every year, or at the start of every new job.
It's also worth knowing that a COI is only a snapshot of the moment it was issued. It shows coverage existed on that date; it doesn't guarantee the policy is still active months later. That's exactly why the people who collect certificates care so much about the dates on them.
Keeping your COIs from becoming a fire drill
The annoying part of COIs isn't getting them — it's noticing in time that one is about to expire, usually right when a GC emails asking for a current copy. That's the problem CompliCloud is built for: store your certificates in one place, get reminders at 90, 60, 30, and 7 days before anything expires, and send a no-login share link so whoever's asking can see you're current. It's free to try for 7 days.
Common questions
Is a COI the same as an insurance policy?
No. The policy is the full contract between you and your insurer — the COI is a one-page summary proving that policy exists. If there's ever a dispute or claim, the policy's wording is what matters, not the certificate.
How much does it cost to get a COI?
Usually nothing. Most agents and brokers issue certificates at no charge as part of servicing your policy, and many insurers let you download them from an online portal for free.
How long is a COI good for?
A COI is only as current as the policy dates printed on it. Since most policies run about a year, most certificates go stale within a year — which is why clients ask for a fresh one at renewal time or at the start of a new job.
Can I fill out or edit a COI myself?
No — a certificate only carries weight because it comes from your agent, broker, or insurer, who can vouch for the coverage behind it. Editing dates or limits yourself defeats the whole point of the document. If something on your COI needs updating, ask your agent — a corrected certificate is usually fast and free.
This guide is general information for US trades businesses, not legal or insurance advice. Requirements vary by state, locality and contract — confirm the specifics with your licensing body, your client’s contract, or your insurance agent.