Guide
What to Check on a Certificate of Insurance
By Keelstar Team · Updated June 1, 2026
The short answer
Verify expiration dates, coverage types and limits against your requirements, additional insured status, certificate holder details, and that the named insured matches the vendor you are paying. A current certificate that fails your limits is still non-compliant.
Start with the named insured
The named insured on the certificate should match the legal entity on your vendor agreement and W-9. DBAs are common — confirm the relationship if names differ.
Expiration date
Note the expiration date for every policy listed. Commercial general liability, automobile, umbrella, and workers compensation may expire on different dates — track each separately.
Coverage types and limits
Confirm each required coverage is present and meets your minimum limits. 'Has insurance' is not the standard — 'meets our contractual requirement' is.
- General liability per occurrence and aggregate
- Automobile liability if vehicles are on site
- Workers compensation where required by state law
- Umbrella or excess limits for high-risk work
Additional insured and certificate holder
Many U.S. contracts require you to be named as additional insured on the vendor's general liability policy. Verify the endorsement language matches your contract — the certificate alone may not be sufficient for complex requirements.
Description of operations
The box describing the project or location should align with the work the vendor performs for you. Vague descriptions make it harder to defend coverage scope later.
When a certificate fails review
Do not approve the vendor for work or payment until a corrected certificate or endorsement is received. Record the deficiency, notify the vendor, and set a follow-up date — do not let exceptions become the default.
Related guides
Put this into a monitored workflow
COI Tracker handles this continuously — with reminders and an audit trail.