Certificate of insurance
Track certificates of insurance before coverage lapses
Collect ACORD certificates, record expiration dates and coverage limits, and get warned before a vendor goes uninsured. One record per vendor—not a folder of PDFs with no dates.
Related: COI Tracker · Vendor compliance
The common problem
Certificates expire quietly until someone notices—often too late. Contractors send ACORD forms once at onboarding, and teams have no system to track renewals or inadequate limits.
- Expiration dates buried in PDFs nobody re-opens until after a lapse
- Coverage limits not compared against contract minimums
- Brokers and vendors cc'd on email with no central record of what is current
- Auditors ask for proof of insurance on a date—and teams cannot produce it quickly
How tracking works
Collect
Request certificates of insurance through a secure link. Vendors upload ACORD 25 or equivalent documents directly to the vendor record.
Record
Capture expiration date, carrier, policy number, and coverage limits. Flag missing additional insured endorsements when your contracts require them.
Monitor
Remind vendors and brokers before certificates expire. Your team sees who is uninsured before work continues on site.
Benefits
- Prove insurance was current on a specific date
- Flag inadequate limits before incidents
- Automated renewal reminders
- Export evidence for contracts and audits
Definition
What is a certificate of insurance?
A certificate of insurance is a summary document—most commonly ACORD 25—that evidences a party's liability coverage. It shows policy numbers, carriers, coverage types, limits, and expiration dates. It is not the insurance policy itself; it is proof that coverage existed on the date the certificate was issued.
General contractors, property managers, and procurement teams require certificates of insurance from vendors and subcontractors before work begins. The certificate must be current—not a PDF from project start that expired months ago.
Operational reality
Tracking certificates of insurance
Collecting a certificate once is easy. Knowing when it expires, whether limits meet contract requirements, and whether additional insured endorsements are in place—that is where teams fail. Certificate of insurance tracking means recording key metadata, monitoring expiration dates, and re-collecting before coverage lapses.
- Record expiration date, carrier, and policy number for every certificate
- Flag vendors with coverage below contract minimums
- Remind vendors and brokers before expiration—not after an incident
- Maintain dated records showing insurance was current when work occurred
- Link certificates to vendor records shared across operations and risk teams
Common format
ACORD certificates and contractor compliance
ACORD 25 is the standard certificate form used by U.S. brokers. It summarizes general liability, automobile, workers compensation, and umbrella coverage. When reviewing a contractor insurance certificate, confirm the named insured matches the vendor legal entity, dates are valid, and limits satisfy your contract or site requirements.
Keelstar stores the uploaded certificate and captures expiration and limit fields for monitoring. Your team spends less time opening PDFs in email and more time acting on vendors who are actually uninsured.
Who tracks certificates of insurance
- General contractors managing subcontractor insurance by project
- Property and facilities teams requiring vendor liability coverage on site
- Risk managers maintaining insurance evidence for audits and claims
- Procurement teams verifying coverage before contract execution
Certificate of insurance review checklist
- Named insured matches vendor legal entity on contract and W-9
- Expiration date is in the future and recorded in your system
- General liability limits meet contract or site minimums
- Workers compensation listed where required by jurisdiction
- Additional insured endorsement present if contract requires it
- Certificate collected through a dated, auditable submission record
Need a tracked version? Set up a vendor portal or vendor onboarding workflow.
FAQ
A certificate of insurance is a summary document—often ACORD 25—that shows a vendor's liability coverage, policy numbers, and expiration dates. It is not the policy itself.
ACORD 25 is the standard form brokers use to evidence general liability, auto, workers compensation, and umbrella coverage. Keelstar stores the document and key dates from each submission.
At minimum before expiration. Many teams also require updated certificates when coverage limits change or when a vendor starts work at a new location.
Yes. The same workflow applies to contractors, subcontractors, and any vendor where you need proof of insurance on file.
Keelstar flags expired and expiring certificates and can send reminders to vendors or brokers until a current certificate is on file.
Most operational programs rely on the certificate for evidence of coverage. Contracts may require additional insured endorsements—confirm those requirements separately.
Spreadsheets do not collect documents, send renewal reminders, or log submission history. Keelstar connects the certificate file to monitored expiration dates and vendor records.