COI Requirements Decoder
Paste the insurance section of a lease, a venue agreement, a vendor packet or a client contract, or a certificate somebody sent you. Pick your type of business, and the decoder says what each requirement means, which form satisfies it and what is hard to get.
- Runs in your browser with fixed rules. No AI model reads your document and nothing is uploaded.
- Reads the requirements, not your policy. A licensed agent confirms what you have.
- One button asks us to quote what it found. You type a name, an email and a phone number.
The business type changes what to look for, such as liquor for a caterer or abuse coverage for childcare.
A sample is loaded so you can see how it works. Replace it with yours.
20 requirements recognized, 11 often missing or hard to get.
Read as a commercial lease, for restaurant or cafe. These results are for the sample.
Limits read from the text
| General liability, each occurrence | $1,000,000 |
|---|---|
| General aggregate | $2,000,000 |
| Products and completed operations aggregate | $2,000,000 |
| Damage to premises rented | $300,000 |
| Hired and non-owned auto | $1,000,000 |
| Employer’s liability | $1,000,000 |
| Umbrella or excess | $2,000,000 |
| Liquor liability | $1,000,000 |
Read automatically. Check each figure against the document.
/ Policies and limits
- General liability limitsRoutine
In the text: “…14.1 Liability. Tenant shall maintain Commercial General Liability insurance on an occurrence basis with limits of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate…”
The minimum your general liability must pay for injury or property damage you cause, per occurrence and in total for the policy year. $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate is the most common request.
- CG 00 01 (04 13) Commercial General Liability Coverage Form
Blanket or scheduled: Not an endorsement. The limits print on your declarations page.
Ask your agent: Confirm each limit the document names against your declarations page.
More on general liability limits - Products and completed operationsRoutine
In the text: “…$2,000,000 in the aggregate, including products and completed operations, and Damage to Premises Rented of not less than $300,000. 14.2 Liquor Liability. Because Tenant will sell and serve al…”
Coverage for injury or damage caused by something you sold or made, or by work you finished, with its own aggregate limit. Retailers and distributors ask suppliers for it by name.
- CG 00 01 (04 13) Commercial General Liability Coverage Form
Blanket or scheduled: Part of a standard general liability policy unless it has been excluded or limited by endorsement.
Ask your agent: Confirm the products and completed operations aggregate is shown and not excluded.
More on products and completed operations - Hired and non-owned autoOften missing
In the text: “…ant offers delivery, Tenant shall carry hired and non-owned automobile liability of $1,000,000. 14.6 Waiver of Subrogation. Landlord and Tenant each waive all rights of recovery…”
Liability when you or your staff drive rented cars or personal cars on business. General liability excludes autos, so this is the coverage that answers it.
Blanket or scheduled: Part of a business auto policy, or an endorsement to general liability or a business owner’s policy.
Why it is flagged: The usual gap for businesses with no company vehicles, because nobody thinks of an employee’s errand as a vehicle exposure.
Ask your agent: Ask whether you carry hired and non-owned auto, and at what limit.
More on hired and non-owned auto - Workers comp and employer’s liabilityRoutine
In the text: “…general liability, liquor liability and employer's liability policies as underlying. 14.4 Property. Tenant shall insure its furniture, fixtures, equipment and inventory and all le…”
Statutory workers comp for your employees in each state you work in, plus employer’s liability limits, often $1,000,000 each accident, each employee and policy limit for disease.
- WC 00 00 00 Workers Compensation And Employers Liability Insurance Policy
Blanket or scheduled: Not an endorsement. The states and limits print on the information page.
Ask your agent: Confirm the states and the employer’s liability limits on the information page.
More on workers comp and employer’s liability - Umbrella or excess liabilityOften missing
In the text: “…ty and liquor liability policies. 14.3 Umbrella. Tenant shall carry umbrella liability of not less than $2,000,000, scheduling the general liability, liquor liability…”
A separate policy above your general liability, auto and employer’s liability, at the stated limit. "Follow form" means it takes the terms of the policies beneath it.
Blanket or scheduled: Not an endorsement, and largely carrier forms.
Why it is flagged: Higher umbrella limits are the most common reason a small business cannot meet a large client’s packet.
Ask your agent: Ask whether the umbrella sits over every underlying policy the document names, and whether it follows form.
More on umbrella or excess liability - Liquor liabilityOften missing
In the text: “…Rented of not less than $300,000. 14.2 Liquor Liability. Because Tenant will sell and serve alcoholic beverages, Tenant shall maintain Liquor Liability insurance of not less t…”
Coverage for injury caused by someone you served alcohol. Standard general liability excludes it only for businesses that make, sell, serve or furnish alcohol, so an occasional host is usually covered and a bar, caterer or bartending service is not.
- CG 00 01 (04 13) Commercial General Liability Coverage Form, exclusion c. Liquor Liability
Blanket or scheduled: A separate policy or an endorsement written for a business that serves alcohol.
Why it is flagged: Host liquor and liquor liability look alike on a certificate and are not the same coverage. Venues often ask for liquor liability by name.
Ask your agent: Ask whether you need host liquor or a liquor liability policy for what you are doing, and confirm the limit.
More on liquor liability - No assault and battery exclusionHard to get
In the text: “…than $1,000,000 per occurrence, with no assault and battery exclusion. Landlord and Landlord's property manager shall be named as additional insureds on the general liability and…”
The document forbids an exclusion, or a low sublimit, for fights and injuries caused by staff, security or patrons. Bars, nightclubs and venues are where it is asked for.
Blanket or scheduled: Carrier exclusions or sublimits on general liability and liquor liability; the fix is a policy written without them, or a separate assault and battery limit.
Why it is flagged: Many bar and nightclub policies exclude assault and battery or cap it well below the main limit, and a certificate does not show it.
Ask your agent: Ask whether either policy excludes or sublimits assault and battery, and at what limit.
More on no assault and battery exclusion
/ Additional insured
- Landlord or property manager as additional insuredRoutine
In the text: “…, with no assault and battery exclusion. Landlord and Landlord's property manager shall be named as additional insureds on the general liability and liquor liability policies. 14.3 Umbrella. Tenant shall carry umbrella liability of not less than $2,000,000, scheduling the general liability, li…”
Your landlord, the owner or the managing agent must be an additional insured for liability arising from the space you lease. The standard form for it ends when you stop being a tenant.
- CG 20 11 (12 19) Additional Insured, Managers Or Lessors Of Premises
Blanket or scheduled: CG 20 11 schedules the premises and the party. Some business owner’s policies add landlords automatically when a lease requires it.
Ask your agent: Ask for CG 20 11 or the carrier’s equivalent naming every party the lease lists, with the premises address.
More on landlord or property manager as additional insured - Additional insured on the liquor liability policyOften missing
In the text: “…, with no assault and battery exclusion. Landlord and Landlord's property manager shall be named as additional insureds on the general liability and liquor liability policies. 14.3 Umbrella. Tenant shall carry umbrella liability of not less than $2,000,000, scheduling the general liability, li…”
The landlord or venue wants to be an insured on your liquor liability policy as well as your general liability, because a claim from an over-served customer names the property owner too.
Blanket or scheduled: Carrier endorsements on the liquor policy; the general liability endorsement does not carry over.
Why it is flagged: Easy to miss because the general liability endorsement is already in place, and liquor policies handle additional insureds on their own forms.
Ask your agent: Ask whether your liquor liability policy can add the landlord or venue, and get the endorsement page for it.
More on additional insured on the liquor liability policy
/ Endorsements
- Primary and non-contributoryRoutine
In the text: “…ance policies. 14.7 Tenant's insurance shall be primary and non-contributory. Insurers shall be rated A- VII or better by A.M. Best. 14.8 Tenant shall deliver certificates of…”
Your policy must pay first for the additional insured and must not ask their own insurer to share. Without it, your policy can sit excess over theirs.
- CG 20 01 (12 19, 04 13) Primary And Noncontributory, Other Insurance Condition
Blanket or scheduled: Usually blanket, applying where a written contract requires it.
Ask your agent: Ask whether CG 20 01 or a carrier equivalent is on the policy, not only typed on the certificate.
More on primary and non-contributory
/ Lease and property
- Mutual waiver on property insuranceRoutine
In the text: “…$1,000,000. 14.6 Waiver of Subrogation. Landlord and Tenant each waive all rights of recovery against the other for loss or damage covered by their respective property insurance policies. 14.7 Tenant's insurance shall be primary and non-contributory. Insurers shall be rated A- VII or better by A.M. Best.…”
You and the landlord each waive recovery from the other for property losses your own property insurance covers. Standard in commercial leases.
Blanket or scheduled: Not usually an endorsement; property policies generally allow a waiver made in writing before the loss. Confirm yours does.
Ask your agent: Ask your agent to confirm your property policy permits a pre-loss waiver, and that you carry the property coverage the lease assumes.
More on mutual waiver on property insurance - Damage to premises rented to you (fire legal liability)Often missing
In the text: “…products and completed operations, and Damage to Premises Rented of not less than $300,000. 14.2 Liquor Liability. Because Tenant will sell and serve alcoholic beverages, Tenan…”
Coverage for damage you cause to the space you rent. Inside general liability it has its own, usually small, limit; a lease that names a figure is asking whether that limit is high enough.
- CG 00 01 (04 13) Commercial General Liability Coverage Form, Damage To Premises Rented To You limit
Blanket or scheduled: Not an endorsement. The limit prints on the declarations and on the ACORD 25 as "Damage to rented premises".
Why it is flagged: Leases often ask for more than the default limit on a policy, which has to be raised before the certificate can show it.
Ask your agent: Ask what your damage to premises rented limit is and whether it can be raised to the figure in the lease.
More on damage to premises rented to you (fire legal liability) - Property insurance on your improvements and contentsRoutine
In the text: “…xtures, equipment and inventory and all leasehold improvements and betterments for full replacement cost on a special form basis, and shall carry business income and extra expense in…”
You must insure your own furniture, stock, equipment and the improvements you paid for, often on a special form at replacement cost. The landlord insures the building, not what you put in it.
Blanket or scheduled: A commercial property policy or a business owner’s policy.
Ask your agent: Ask for business personal property and tenant improvements at replacement cost, at the values the lease and your build-out need.
More on property insurance on your improvements and contents - Business incomeRoutine
In the text: “…n a special form basis, and shall carry business income and extra expense insurance for a period of not less than twelve (12) months. 14.5 Workers Compensation as required by…”
Coverage for lost income and extra expense while you cannot operate after a covered property loss. Leases require it so rent can still be paid.
Blanket or scheduled: Part of a business owner’s policy, or added to a commercial property policy.
Ask your agent: Ask for business income for the period the lease names.
More on business income
/ Contract terms
- Notice of cancellationHard to get
In the text: “…ficates annually. Policies shall not be cancelled without thirty (30) days prior written notice to Landlord. Tenant shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless Landlord from claims arising from Te…”
The other party wants written notice, often 30 days, before your policy is cancelled. The ACORD 25 only says notice will be delivered in accordance with the policy provisions, which normally means notice to you.
Blanket or scheduled: Carrier endorsements, where offered, are usually blanket to parties you are required by written contract to notify.
Why it is flagged: We know of no standard ISO endorsement that guarantees notice to a certificate holder; carrier versions vary.
Ask your agent: Ask whether the carrier offers a notice-to-others endorsement, and what it promises for nonpayment.
More on notice of cancellation - Carrier rating or admitted carrierOften missing
In the text: “…n-contributory. Insurers shall be rated A- VII or better by A.M. Best. 14.8 Tenant shall deliver certificates of insurance and copies of the additional insured endor…”
The insurer must hold a minimum AM Best rating, often A- VII or better, and sometimes must be admitted in the state rather than surplus lines.
Blanket or scheduled: Not an endorsement. A fact about the carrier.
Why it is flagged: An "admitted only" clause can rule out the surplus lines markets that write harder classes.
Ask your agent: Ask for each carrier’s AM Best rating and whether it is admitted or surplus lines in your state.
More on carrier rating or admitted carrier - Occurrence or claims-made termsOften missing
In the text: “…rcial General Liability insurance on an occurrence basis with limits of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate, including products and complete…”
The document says which kind of policy it accepts, or sets terms for claims-made coverage: a retroactive date, and coverage kept for a period after the contract ends (a tail).
- CG 00 01 (04 13) Commercial General Liability Coverage Form (occurrence)
Blanket or scheduled: Not an endorsement. The declarations show the form, the retroactive date and any extended reporting period.
Why it is flagged: A required tail of several years after the contract ends binds every renewal in that period.
Ask your agent: Confirm which policies are claims-made, their retroactive dates, and how you will keep coverage for the period after the contract ends.
More on occurrence or claims-made terms - Copies of the endorsementsOften missing
In the text: “…l deliver certificates of insurance and copies of the additional insured endorsements ten (10) days prior to possession, and renewal certificates annually. Policies shall not be cancelled without thirty (3…”
The certificate must be accompanied by the endorsement pages themselves. The ACORD 25 says a statement on the certificate does not confer rights in place of an endorsement, so careful requesters ask for the forms.
Blanket or scheduled: Not an endorsement; a delivery requirement.
Why it is flagged: Many carriers issue blanket endorsements that never name the requester, which some reviewers reject until it is explained.
Ask your agent: Ask your agent for the actual endorsement pages, and a note on any blanket form showing the requester qualifies.
More on copies of the endorsements - Certificate of insurance before you startRoutineten days before possession
In the text: “…y A.M. Best. 14.8 Tenant shall deliver certificates of insurance and copies of the additional insured endorsements ten (10) days prior to possession, and renewal certificates annually.…”
You must deliver a certificate of insurance, and usually renewal certificates every year, before work, move-in or the event can start.
Blanket or scheduled: Not an endorsement. The ACORD 25 is the standard certificate of liability insurance.
Ask your agent: Send your agent the whole requirements section with the requester’s exact name and address, not just the email asking for a certificate.
More on certificate of insurance before you start - Indemnity or hold harmlessOften missing
In the text: “…ritten notice to Landlord. Tenant shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless Landlord from claims arising from Tenant's use of the Premises.”
You agree to defend and pay for claims against the other party arising from your work or your use of their property. General liability covers that promise as an "insured contract", to the extent the law and the policy allow.
- CG 00 01 (04 13) Commercial General Liability Coverage Form, "insured contract" definition
Blanket or scheduled: Built into the standard form; endorsements can narrow it.
Why it is flagged: A broad indemnity can promise more than any policy covers. The clause itself is a question for an attorney.
Ask your agent: Ask whether any endorsement narrows the insured contract definition, and have an attorney read the indemnity.
More on indemnity or hold harmless
For restaurant or cafe: what changes
- Liquor liability
The standard general liability exclusion applies to businesses that make, sell, serve or furnish alcohol. A bar, caterer or bartending service needs liquor liability; an occasional host is usually covered by the host liquor wording.
Read more - Hired and non-owned auto
Required here. If your business owns no vehicles it can be added without a full commercial auto policy.
Read more - Workers comp when you have no employees
A contract can require workers comp even from an owner with no employees. Depending on the state, you may be able to buy a policy that covers only you, or file an exemption, and the client decides which it accepts.
Read more - Venue certificates
Venues reject certificates on the exact legal name and address, and usually want the owner and the management company named too.
Read more
Your checklist for your agent
- Send the whole insurance section and your current policies with every endorsement, not certificates.
- Ask whether you carry hired and non-owned auto, and at what limit.
- Ask whether the umbrella sits over every underlying policy the document names, and whether it follows form.
- Ask whether you need host liquor or a liquor liability policy for what you are doing, and confirm the limit.
- Ask whether either policy excludes or sublimits assault and battery, and at what limit.
- Ask whether your liquor liability policy can add the landlord or venue, and get the endorsement page for it.
- Ask what your damage to premises rented limit is and whether it can be raised to the figure in the lease.
- Ask whether the carrier offers a notice-to-others endorsement, and what it promises for nonpayment.
- Ask for each carrier’s AM Best rating and whether it is admitted or surplus lines in your state.
- Confirm which policies are claims-made, their retroactive dates, and how you will keep coverage for the period after the contract ends.
- Ask your agent for the actual endorsement pages, and a note on any blanket form showing the requester qualifies.
- Ask whether any endorsement narrows the insured contract definition, and have an attorney read the indemnity.
- Confirm the routine items are on the policy: general liability limits; products and completed operations; workers comp and employer’s liability; landlord or property manager as additional insured; primary and non-contributory; mutual waiver on property insurance; property insurance on your improvements and contents; business income; certificate of insurance before you start.
- Get any change the other party agrees to, such as substitute forms, in writing before you sign.
Not recognized in this text
Commercial auto liability; Workers comp with no employees; Professional liability (E&O); Cyber liability; Abuse and molestation; Crime coverage or janitorial bond; Property of others in your care; Equipment or inland marine; Employment practices liability; Media liability; Event or tenant user liability; Additional insured; Vendor’s endorsement (retailer or distributor as additional insured); Equipment lessor as additional insured; Franchisor as additional insured; Additional insured on the auto policy; Additional insured on professional or cyber liability; Additional insured on workers comp; Certificate holder; Loss payee, mortgagee or additional interest; Waiver of subrogation, general liability; Waiver of subrogation, workers comp; Waiver of subrogation, auto; Deductible or self-insured retention cap. Absence here means the decoder did not find the words, not that the document does not require it.
Get quotes for what this requires
44 requirements, and what each one asks for
Form editions are given only where we read them on the form. Where carriers write their own wording, the answer is that it varies by carrier, and the thing to ask for is the wording itself. Construction terms are read by the Contract Insurance Decoder's rules and listed there.
| Requirement | Forms | Blanket or scheduled | Difficulty | Ask your agent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General liability limitsThe minimum your general liability must pay for injury or property damage you cause, per occurrence and in total for the policy year. $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate is the most common request. | CG 00 01 (04 13) | Not an endorsement. The limits print on your declarations page. | Routine | Confirm each limit the document names against your declarations page. |
| Products and completed operationsCoverage for injury or damage caused by something you sold or made, or by work you finished, with its own aggregate limit. Retailers and distributors ask suppliers for it by name. | CG 00 01 (04 13) | Part of a standard general liability policy unless it has been excluded or limited by endorsement. | Routine | Confirm the products and completed operations aggregate is shown and not excluded. |
| Commercial auto liabilityLiability for vehicles used in the business, often $1,000,000 combined single limit. "Any auto" means the policy covers every vehicle rather than a list. | CA 00 01 | Not an endorsement. The covered autos are shown on the declarations. | Routine | Ask which autos the policy covers and whether the limit matches the document. |
| Hired and non-owned autoLiability when you or your staff drive rented cars or personal cars on business. General liability excludes autos, so this is the coverage that answers it. | Carrier wording | Part of a business auto policy, or an endorsement to general liability or a business owner’s policy. | Often missingThe usual gap for businesses with no company vehicles, because nobody thinks of an employee’s errand as a vehicle exposure. | Ask whether you carry hired and non-owned auto, and at what limit. |
| Workers comp and employer’s liabilityStatutory workers comp for your employees in each state you work in, plus employer’s liability limits, often $1,000,000 each accident, each employee and policy limit for disease. | WC 00 00 00 | Not an endorsement. The states and limits print on the information page. | Routine | Confirm the states and the employer’s liability limits on the information page. |
| Workers comp with no employeesThe document addresses owners with no employees: it may accept a state exemption, demand a policy anyway, or refuse exemptions outright. | Carrier wording | Not an endorsement. The answer is a policy, an exemption form, or a written waiver from the client. | Often missingRules on covering an owner differ by state, and some clients refuse exemption certificates whatever the state allows. | Ask whether you can buy a policy covering only yourself in your state, and ask the client in writing whether they accept an exemption. |
| Umbrella or excess liabilityA separate policy above your general liability, auto and employer’s liability, at the stated limit. "Follow form" means it takes the terms of the policies beneath it. | Carrier wording | Not an endorsement, and largely carrier forms. | Often missingHigher umbrella limits are the most common reason a small business cannot meet a large client’s packet. | Ask whether the umbrella sits over every underlying policy the document names, and whether it follows form. |
| Professional liability (E&O)Coverage for financial loss caused by your advice, design, service or work product. General liability is built for injury and property damage, so this is a separate policy. | Carrier wording | A separate policy, almost always claims-made, on carrier forms. | Often missingClaims-made, so the retroactive date and any required tail after the contract ends matter as much as the limit. | Ask for professional liability at the stated limit per claim, and confirm the retroactive date reaches back to your first work for this client. |
| Cyber liabilityCoverage for a data breach, network security failure or privacy claim, often with notification costs. Standard general liability excludes damages from loss of or inability to access electronic data. | CG 00 01 (04 13) | A separate policy on carrier forms; terms vary more than any other line. | Often missingClients name specific parts (privacy liability, network security, notification costs, sometimes social engineering) that not every cyber policy includes. | Send the cyber clause word for word and ask which named parts the policy covers, and at what sublimit. |
| Liquor liabilityCoverage for injury caused by someone you served alcohol. Standard general liability excludes it only for businesses that make, sell, serve or furnish alcohol, so an occasional host is usually covered and a bar, caterer or bartending service is not. | CG 00 01 (04 13) | A separate policy or an endorsement written for a business that serves alcohol. | Often missingHost liquor and liquor liability look alike on a certificate and are not the same coverage. Venues often ask for liquor liability by name. | Ask whether you need host liquor or a liquor liability policy for what you are doing, and confirm the limit. |
| No assault and battery exclusionThe document forbids an exclusion, or a low sublimit, for fights and injuries caused by staff, security or patrons. Bars, nightclubs and venues are where it is asked for. | Carrier wording | Carrier exclusions or sublimits on general liability and liquor liability; the fix is a policy written without them, or a separate assault and battery limit. | Hard to getMany bar and nightclub policies exclude assault and battery or cap it well below the main limit, and a certificate does not show it. | Ask whether either policy excludes or sublimits assault and battery, and at what limit. |
| Abuse and molestationCoverage for claims of abuse or molestation by staff or volunteers, with its own limit. Required by schools, districts, funders and youth programs from anyone with access to children or vulnerable adults. | Carrier wording | Carrier endorsements or a stand-alone policy; many general liability policies exclude it or cap it low. | Hard to getFrequently excluded, sublimited or written claims-made, and invisible on a certificate unless it is listed. | Ask whether abuse and molestation is covered, excluded or sublimited, and at what limit. |
| Crime coverage or janitorial bondCoverage for theft by your employees, including theft from a client’s premises when the document says so. Liability policies are not written for employee theft, which is why clients ask for a bond or crime policy by name. | Carrier wording | A crime policy with client coverage, or a janitorial or business services bond; carrier forms. | Often missingFirst-party crime protects you; the client usually wants coverage for theft from them, which is a different insuring agreement. | Ask whether the crime policy or bond covers theft from clients’ premises, and whether a conviction is required before it pays. |
| Property of others in your careCoverage for a customer’s property while you have it: goods you move or store, equipment you repair, cars in your shop. General liability excludes property in your care, custody or control. | Carrier wording | Inland marine (bailee, cargo, garagekeepers) or a carrier endorsement. | Often missingThe gap businesses discover on their first claim, because liability insurance reads as if it should pay. | Ask which policy pays for damage to a customer’s property while it is in your possession. |
| Equipment or inland marineCoverage for your own or rented tools and equipment away from your premises, often required when you rent equipment or bring it onto a client’s site. | Carrier wording | An inland marine policy, usually scheduled or blanket with a per-item limit. | Routine | Ask for an equipment floater that covers rented and owned equipment at the values the document names. |
| Employment practices liabilityCoverage for claims of discrimination, harassment or wrongful termination. Franchise agreements and staffing contracts are the documents most likely to require it. | Carrier wording | A separate policy or an endorsement to a business owner’s policy; carrier forms. | Often missingThird-party coverage (claims by a client’s staff against your staff) is a separate option some contracts require. | Ask for employment practices liability at the stated limit, and whether third-party claims are included. |
| Media liabilityCoverage for defamation, copyright or trademark claims arising from content you create or publish for the client. | Carrier wording | Often part of a professional liability policy for agencies and creators; carrier forms. | Often missingMany professional liability policies exclude intellectual property claims unless media coverage is added. | Ask whether your professional liability includes media and intellectual property claims or needs a media policy. |
| Event or tenant user liabilityA short-term general liability policy for one event or a few days in a venue, bought by a host or vendor who does not carry an annual policy. | Carrier wording | A special event policy on carrier forms, written for the event dates. | Routine | Ask for event liability for the exact dates, naming the venue as additional insured, with liquor coverage if alcohol is served. |
| Additional insuredThe other party must be added to your general liability as an insured for claims arising from your work or operations. Being listed as certificate holder is not the same thing. | CG 20 26 (12 19) | CG 20 26 schedules each party by name. Many policies carry a carrier blanket endorsement that adds anyone you agree in writing to add. | Routine | Ask whether your policy has a blanket additional insured endorsement for written contracts, or whether this party must be scheduled by name. |
| Landlord or property manager as additional insuredYour landlord, the owner or the managing agent must be an additional insured for liability arising from the space you lease. The standard form for it ends when you stop being a tenant. | CG 20 11 (12 19) | CG 20 11 schedules the premises and the party. Some business owner’s policies add landlords automatically when a lease requires it. | Routine | Ask for CG 20 11 or the carrier’s equivalent naming every party the lease lists, with the premises address. |
| Vendor’s endorsement (retailer or distributor as additional insured)A store or distributor that sells your product wants to be covered under your products liability for claims arising from that product. | CG 20 15 (12 19); CG 20 44 (12 19) | CG 20 15 schedules each vendor and product. CG 20 44 adds any vendor you agreed in writing to add. | Often missingThe vendor forms carry their own exclusions, for example relabeling or repackaging by the vendor, and large retailers often ask for broader terms. | Ask whether your policy carries CG 20 15 or CG 20 44, and send the retailer’s exact wording. |
| Equipment lessor as additional insuredThe company you lease or rent equipment from wants to be an insured for claims arising from your use of its equipment. | CG 20 28 (12 19); CG 20 34 (12 19) | CG 20 28 schedules the lessor. CG 20 34 adds any lessor whose written lease requires it. | Routine | Ask for CG 20 28 or CG 20 34, and check the rental contract for a separate damage waiver or property requirement. |
| Additional insured on the liquor liability policyThe landlord or venue wants to be an insured on your liquor liability policy as well as your general liability, because a claim from an over-served customer names the property owner too. | Carrier wording | Carrier endorsements on the liquor policy; the general liability endorsement does not carry over. | Often missingEasy to miss because the general liability endorsement is already in place, and liquor policies handle additional insureds on their own forms. | Ask whether your liquor liability policy can add the landlord or venue, and get the endorsement page for it. |
| Franchisor as additional insuredThe franchise agreement requires the franchisor, and often its affiliates, to be an additional insured on your policies. | Carrier wording | Scheduled by name, or a carrier blanket endorsement; the franchisor’s manual usually names the wording. | Routine | Send the insurance section of the franchise agreement or manual and ask for the franchisor’s exact entity names on the endorsement. |
| Additional insured on the auto policyThe other party wants to be an insured on your business auto policy too, for liability arising from your vehicles and drivers. | CA 20 48 | Scheduled by name on the ISO form; some carriers offer a blanket version for parties required by written contract. | Routine | Ask for CA 20 48 or the carrier’s blanket equivalent. |
| Additional insured on professional or cyber liabilityThe client asks to be an additional insured on your E&O or cyber policy. Those policies rarely add another organization as an insured, partly because the client is the party most likely to make the claim. | Carrier wording | Usually not available. The normal answer is additional insured on general liability and certificate holder on everything else. | Hard to getThe most common clause owners agree to that no policy can meet. Fix it at redline, before signing. | Ask your agent whether the carrier will add the client at all; if not, ask the client to accept certificate holder status on E&O and cyber in writing. |
| Additional insured on workers compThe client asks to be an additional insured on your workers comp. Workers comp has no additional insured in the general liability sense; what the client usually needs is a waiver of subrogation, or an alternate employer endorsement when your workers are under its direction. | WC 00 03 13; WC 00 03 01 (A) | The waiver can be blanket or specific. The alternate employer endorsement names the client. | Hard to getA request that cannot be met as written, so the certificate gets rejected until somebody translates it. | Ask the client whether a waiver of subrogation, or an alternate employer endorsement, meets the requirement, and get the answer in writing. |
| Certificate holderThe party wants to be shown as certificate holder: it receives the certificate and has no rights under the policy. If the document also says additional insured, the endorsement is what counts. | Carrier wording | Not an endorsement. The certificate holder box on the ACORD 25. | Routine | Send the exact name and address the document gives for the certificate holder. |
| Loss payee, mortgagee or additional interestA lender, lessor or landlord wants to be paid, or told, if property it has an interest in is damaged or the policy lapses. These are property and auto terms, not additional insured. | Carrier wording | Scheduled on the property or auto policy; evidenced on a property certificate rather than the ACORD 25. | Routine | Ask your agent to add the party as loss payee, mortgagee or additional interest exactly as written, and send the property evidence it asks for. |
| Primary and non-contributoryYour policy must pay first for the additional insured and must not ask their own insurer to share. Without it, your policy can sit excess over theirs. | CG 20 01 (12 19, 04 13) | Usually blanket, applying where a written contract requires it. | Routine | Ask whether CG 20 01 or a carrier equivalent is on the policy, not only typed on the certificate. |
| Waiver of subrogation, general liabilityYour insurer gives up its right to recover from the other party after it pays a claim. The written agreement has to exist before the loss. | CG 24 04 (12 19, 05 09) | Blanket ("where required by written contract") or scheduled by name. | Routine | Ask for CG 24 04 or the carrier equivalent, blanket where required by written contract. |
| Waiver of subrogation, workers compYour workers comp insurer gives up its right to recover from the other party after paying one of your employees’ injuries. A separate endorsement from the general liability waiver. | WC 00 03 13 | Blanket for anyone you agree in writing to waive against, or specific to one party. Blanket usually costs more. | Often missingOften charged as a percentage of the workers comp price, and handled differently in states with a state fund. | Ask for the workers comp waiver, blanket or specific, and what it costs. |
| Waiver of subrogation, autoThe same waiver on your business auto policy. | CA 04 44 | Blanket where required by written contract, or scheduled. | Routine | Ask for CA 04 44 or the carrier equivalent on the auto policy. |
| Mutual waiver on property insuranceYou and the landlord each waive recovery from the other for property losses your own property insurance covers. Standard in commercial leases. | Carrier wording | Not usually an endorsement; property policies generally allow a waiver made in writing before the loss. Confirm yours does. | Routine | Ask your agent to confirm your property policy permits a pre-loss waiver, and that you carry the property coverage the lease assumes. |
| Damage to premises rented to you (fire legal liability)Coverage for damage you cause to the space you rent. Inside general liability it has its own, usually small, limit; a lease that names a figure is asking whether that limit is high enough. | CG 00 01 (04 13) | Not an endorsement. The limit prints on the declarations and on the ACORD 25 as "Damage to rented premises". | Often missingLeases often ask for more than the default limit on a policy, which has to be raised before the certificate can show it. | Ask what your damage to premises rented limit is and whether it can be raised to the figure in the lease. |
| Property insurance on your improvements and contentsYou must insure your own furniture, stock, equipment and the improvements you paid for, often on a special form at replacement cost. The landlord insures the building, not what you put in it. | Carrier wording | A commercial property policy or a business owner’s policy. | Routine | Ask for business personal property and tenant improvements at replacement cost, at the values the lease and your build-out need. |
| Business incomeCoverage for lost income and extra expense while you cannot operate after a covered property loss. Leases require it so rent can still be paid. | Carrier wording | Part of a business owner’s policy, or added to a commercial property policy. | Routine | Ask for business income for the period the lease names. |
| Notice of cancellationThe other party wants written notice, often 30 days, before your policy is cancelled. The ACORD 25 only says notice will be delivered in accordance with the policy provisions, which normally means notice to you. | Carrier wording | Carrier endorsements, where offered, are usually blanket to parties you are required by written contract to notify. | Hard to getWe know of no standard ISO endorsement that guarantees notice to a certificate holder; carrier versions vary. | Ask whether the carrier offers a notice-to-others endorsement, and what it promises for nonpayment. |
| Carrier rating or admitted carrierThe insurer must hold a minimum AM Best rating, often A- VII or better, and sometimes must be admitted in the state rather than surplus lines. | Carrier wording | Not an endorsement. A fact about the carrier. | Often missingAn "admitted only" clause can rule out the surplus lines markets that write harder classes. | Ask for each carrier’s AM Best rating and whether it is admitted or surplus lines in your state. |
| Occurrence or claims-made termsThe document says which kind of policy it accepts, or sets terms for claims-made coverage: a retroactive date, and coverage kept for a period after the contract ends (a tail). | CG 00 01 (04 13) | Not an endorsement. The declarations show the form, the retroactive date and any extended reporting period. | Often missingA required tail of several years after the contract ends binds every renewal in that period. | Confirm which policies are claims-made, their retroactive dates, and how you will keep coverage for the period after the contract ends. |
| Deductible or self-insured retention capThe document caps the deductible or self-insured retention you may carry, or makes you responsible for it. A retention has to be paid before the insurer responds at all. | Carrier wording | Not an endorsement. The deductible or retention is on the declarations or an endorsement. | Often missingSurplus lines policies often carry retentions that exceed contract caps. | Ask whether your policy has a deductible or self-insured retention, the amount, and whether it applies to defense costs. |
| Copies of the endorsementsThe certificate must be accompanied by the endorsement pages themselves. The ACORD 25 says a statement on the certificate does not confer rights in place of an endorsement, so careful requesters ask for the forms. | Carrier wording | Not an endorsement; a delivery requirement. | Often missingMany carriers issue blanket endorsements that never name the requester, which some reviewers reject until it is explained. | Ask your agent for the actual endorsement pages, and a note on any blanket form showing the requester qualifies. |
| Certificate of insurance before you startYou must deliver a certificate of insurance, and usually renewal certificates every year, before work, move-in or the event can start. | Carrier wording | Not an endorsement. The ACORD 25 is the standard certificate of liability insurance. | Routine | Send your agent the whole requirements section with the requester’s exact name and address, not just the email asking for a certificate. |
| Indemnity or hold harmlessYou agree to defend and pay for claims against the other party arising from your work or your use of their property. General liability covers that promise as an "insured contract", to the extent the law and the policy allow. | CG 00 01 (04 13) | Built into the standard form; endorsements can narrow it. | Often missingA broad indemnity can promise more than any policy covers. The clause itself is a question for an attorney. | Ask whether any endorsement narrows the insured contract definition, and have an attorney read the indemnity. |
Additional insured editions and the ACORD 25 (2016/03) wording read on ISO endorsements reproduced in Risk & Insurance Education Alliance, "Certificates of Insurance and Additional Insureds" course materials (2019); CG 00 01 04 13 read on the ISO specimen. Checked 2026-10-05. WC 00 03 01 A read on the Wisconsin Compensation Rating Bureau endorsement list.
The same clause, read for your kind of business
- Professional liability
For: it consultant or msp, software or saas company, technology company, consultant, marketing or creative agency, real estate agent or brokerage
Not named here, but client contracts for your kind of work usually require it. Ask before you sign whether the client expects it.
- Cyber
For: property management company, commercial landlord or building owner, retail store, online store or ecommerce seller, it consultant or msp, software or saas company
Not named here. If you store or can reach client or customer data, the next contract will probably ask, and general liability excludes damages from loss of electronic data.
- Liquor liability
For: restaurant or cafe, caterer, food truck, food vendor or market stall, bar or tavern, nightclub or lounge
Not named here. If alcohol is served or sold at what you do, ask whether host liquor is enough or you need a liquor liability policy.
- Abuse and molestation
For: daycare or childcare, home care agency (non-medical), home health agency, tutor or education services, nonprofit, gym or fitness studio
Not named here, but schools, districts, funders and parents’ programs ask anyone with access to children or vulnerable adults for it, with its own limit.
- Products liability and the vendor’s endorsement
For: retail store, online store or ecommerce seller, manufacturer, food or beverage maker, product brand or distributor
Not named here. If a store or distributor sells your product, expect a vendor’s endorsement request (CG 20 15 or CG 20 44) and a products aggregate.
- Crime coverage or a bond
For: commercial cleaning or janitorial, house cleaning, landscaping or lawn care, security guard company, daycare or childcare, home care agency (non-medical)
Not named here, but clients who give your staff keys or access often ask for a janitorial or business services bond.
- Alternate employer endorsement
For: staffing agency
Not named here. Staffing clients usually ask for an alternate employer endorsement on your workers comp; ask whether this one does.
- Motor carrier requirements
For: trucking company or owner-operator
Shipper and broker packets add cargo limits, the MCS-90 and carrier setup checks to everything listed here.
- Construction contracts go deeper
For: contractor or construction trade, general contractor, electrician, plumber, hvac contractor, roofer
For a subcontract or bid package, the Contract Insurance Decoder names every construction endorsement by form number, including the blanket and completed operations forms.
- Customers’ cars in your care
For: auto repair shop
Not named here, but any shop agreement or fleet contract will assume you carry garagekeepers for customers’ cars.
- When you are the one requiring insurance
For: property management company, commercial landlord or building owner
Property managers and owners usually sit on the other side of these clauses. The same table shows what to require of tenants and vendors, and why your own carrier may require it.
- Venue certificates
For: restaurant or cafe, caterer, food truck, food vendor or market stall, event planner, event vendor (dj, rentals, photo booth)
Venues reject certificates on the exact legal name and address, and usually want the owner and the management company named too.
What a certificate of insurance cannot prove
Paste an ACORD 25 and the decoder reads the policies and limits it shows. Requirements usually ask for more than a certificate can show, and these are the gaps.
- Additional insured status. The form says that if the certificate holder is an additional insured, the policy must have additional insured provisions or be endorsed, and a statement on the certificate does not confer rights in place of the endorsement. Ask for the endorsement page. Read more
- A waiver of subrogation. The form says certain policies may require an endorsement for it. A "Y" in the SUBR WVD column is the agent’s statement, not the endorsement. Read more
- Primary and non-contributory wording. There is no box for it; it appears only as words in the description, and only the endorsement makes it true. Read more
- Notice of cancellation to you. The form says notice will be delivered in accordance with the policy provisions, which normally means to the insured, not the holder. Read more
- The limits still available. The form says limits shown may have been reduced by paid claims. Read more
- Exclusions. A certificate lists policy types and limits, not exclusion endorsements, which is where most coverage gaps sit. Read more
Common questions
- What kinds of documents does it read?
- Commercial leases, venue and event agreements, property manager vendor packets, client services contracts and MSAs, franchise agreements, construction subcontracts, emails asking for a certificate of insurance, and ACORD 25 certificates you were sent. It recognizes the requirement wording, not the document type, so anything with an insurance section works.
- Does my document leave my browser?
- No. The decoder runs in your browser with fixed rules, not an AI model. If you ask for quotes, we receive your business type, the requirements found, the limits read and the lines you ticked, never the text you pasted.
- Why does it ask for my type of business?
- Because the same clause means different things to different businesses. A caterer reading "general liability" needs to know liquor is excluded for businesses that serve it; a daycare needs abuse and molestation coverage the document may not mention; an IT consultant needs the professional liability that answers most client claims.
- Does it tell me whether my policy meets the requirements?
- No. It reads the requirements, not your policy. It says what each one asks for and what to ask your agent. Whether a policy meets them takes a person reading both, which a licensed agent here does when you ask for quotes.
- What can a certificate of insurance not prove?
- Additional insured status, a waiver of subrogation or primary wording, unless the endorsement is on the policy. The ACORD 25 itself says a statement on the certificate does not confer rights in place of an endorsement, and that the limits shown may have been reduced by paid claims.
- How to read a certificate of insurance
- I am a contractor. Should I use this or the Contract Insurance Decoder?
- Either reads a subcontract. This one lists the construction terms in their own section; the Contract Insurance Decoder is built only for construction exhibits and goes deeper on every construction endorsement, blanket form and exclusion.
- Open the Contract Insurance Decoder
Information, not legal advice and not a coverage determination. Your policy’s own forms and endorsements decide what it covers. Indemnity clauses are legal questions for your attorney.
Built by Kevin Kelsey, founder and principal agent, CA License #6011822. Last updated 2026-10-05. What the insurance requirements in a contract or lease mean.