Guide

How to verify a certificate of insurance: a checklist for GCs and property managers

A sub emails you a COI the day before they start. It looks fine. Reading it tells you what it says; verifying it means checking that it's real, current and matches what your contract asks for. Here's a practical order of steps for GC offices and property managers. For what each box on the form means, see how to read an ACORD 25.

Why a certificate needs checking

IRMI describes a certificate of insurance as "a document providing evidence that certain general types of insurance coverages and limits have been purchased by the party required to furnish the certificate". That's all it is: evidence. The ACORD 25 says it's "issued as a matter of information only and confers no rights upon the certificate holder", and Connecticut's Insurance Department says certificates "cannot be used to amend, expand or alter the terms of the underlying insurance policy".

Certificates can also be faked. In a July 2023 order, Maryland's Insurance Administration described a renovation contractor that handed a homeowner a certificate it had altered. (It was an initial order, which the contractor had the right to challenge at a hearing; its owner had admitted to the Administration's investigator that he altered the certificate.) It was a certificate the contractor's own electrical sub had given it, with the insured's name changed. The policies on it had expired in 2021, but the altered form showed them running from March 2022 to March 2023. The homeowner called the agency named on the form, which confirmed the certificate "was altered and therefore it is not valid".

1. Get it from the agent, not the sub

Ask the sub to have their insurance agent (the "producer" on the form) send the certificate to you directly. Great American Insurance Group's loss-control guide notes that "many certificates come directly from insureds", which "increases the possibility that they could be falsified". Our COI request email generator writes the request for you.

2. Check it against your contract

Before you call anyone, compare the certificate with what your subcontract or vendor agreement requires:

• Named insured: the exact legal entity you contracted with, LLC or Inc. included.
• Policy types: every coverage the contract asks for is listed, for example general liability, auto, umbrella and workers' comp.
• Limits: each one meets the contract's minimum.
• Dates: the policies are in force now and cover the period of the work.
• Certificate holder: your exact name and address.
• Description of operations: any project, location or additional-insured wording your contract calls for.

If you don't have your requirements written down in one place yet, the insurance requirements letter generator can help you put them on one page.

3. Look for signs of tampering

Great American's guide lists things to watch for: "White-out marks, crossing out, spelling errors, etc.", and handwriting that looks like an edit. It says that when a certificate has been amended, the details should be confirmed by the agent or broker and a new form filed. If the certificate isn't on a standard ACORD form, it says to contact the broker listed to confirm the insurance is in force.

Also look at whether the details hang together. Each coverage row's insurer letter should point to an insurer listed at the top, and the policy dates should make sense next to the date the certificate was issued. In the Maryland case, the certificate was dated August 2021 but showed policies starting in March 2022. Anything that doesn't fit is a question for the agent.

4. Confirm it with the agent or insurer

In the Maryland case, this is the step that exposed the fake. Great American's advice is to "call the insurance company, or broker, listed on the form using publicly available information", and to confirm the policy number, insured name, limits and expiration dates. Use a phone number or email from the agency's own website, not just the one printed on the certificate, since whoever altered a form could also have changed the contact details. Ask:

• Did you issue this certificate, and is each policy on it in force today?
• Do the policy numbers, dates and limits match your records?
• Does the policy include the endorsements our contract requires, and can you send copies?

The agent can answer questions about the policy itself. Texas's Department of Insurance, for example, says a certificate holder "may ask the agent if the policy contains specific language or a specific exclusion", or may ask for a copy of the policy, and that Chapter 1811 of the Texas Insurance Code, the state's certificate law, "does not prohibit an agent or insurer from providing a copy of the policy or endorsements".

5. Check the insurer

The ACORD 25 lists each insurer with its NAIC number. You can look an insurer up on the NAIC's Consumer Insurance Search. The NAIC notes that an insurance company may have subsidiaries with different names, and recommends checking your state insurance department's website to confirm a company is licensed. Its insurance departments page will point you to the right one.

If an insurer doesn't show as licensed in your state, ask your own agent about it. One possible reason is that it's a surplus lines insurer. The NAIC describes the surplus lines market as "non-admitted specialized insurers covering risks not available within the admitted market", and says that, because of the higher-risk exposures it covers, "guaranty fund coverage is not available". That isn't automatically a problem, but it's worth knowing, and some contracts say which insurers are acceptable. Some also set a minimum financial strength rating, such as an AM Best rating; Great American's guide suggests requiring one. Check what yours says.

6. Get the endorsements, not just the boxes

If your contract makes you an additional insured or requires a waiver of subrogation, the certificate alone doesn't do it. The ACORD 25's "IMPORTANT" box says that for an additional insured "the policy(ies) must be endorsed", and that "a statement on this certificate does not confer rights to the certificate holder in lieu of such endorsement(s)". Ask for a copy of each endorsement and check that the policy numbers on it match the certificate. More in additional insured vs certificate holder and waiver of subrogation, explained.

7. Check workers' comp with the state, where you can

Some states let you look up whether an employer has workers' comp. Connecticut's Workers' Compensation Commission, for example, runs a Coverage Verification Service using data from the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), which shows whether a business has a policy "through a licensed insurance company". It doesn't include employers that are self-insured or insured through a mutual self-insurance organization. Search for your state's workers' comp agency to see what it offers. If a sub says it has no employees and doesn't need coverage, ask for whatever exemption paperwork the state issues and check your contract's requirement.

8. Record what you checked, and track the dates

Note who you spoke with at the agency, when, and what they confirmed, and keep the endorsements with the certificate. Then put every policy expiry date somewhere that reminds you before it passes, and ask for a new certificate at each renewal. A policy that was in force when you checked can still be cancelled later, and the ACORD 25 only says notice of cancellation "will be delivered in accordance with the policy provisions".

If you find an altered certificate, you can report it to your state insurance department. Maryland's order came out of its Insurance Fraud and Producer Enforcement Division, after one of the insurers whose policies appeared on the form reported it.

Checklist

• ☐ The certificate came from the agent, not from the sub.
• ☐ Named insured, coverages, limits, dates and certificate holder match your contract.
• ☐ No signs of editing, and the insurer letters and dates make sense together.
• ☐ You confirmed it with the agent or insurer, using contact details you looked up yourself.
• ☐ Each insurer is licensed in your state (or you know it's surplus lines and your contract allows it).
• ☐ You have a copy of each endorsement your contract requires.
• ☐ Workers' comp checked with the state's lookup, where one exists.
• ☐ You noted who confirmed it and when, and the expiry dates are tracked.

This guide is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Your contract, and your own insurance agent or lawyer, decide what you need and whether a sub's coverage meets it.

Sources

All fetched November 6, 2026.

• NYC Department of Youth & Community Development, sample ACORD 25 (2014/01): General Liability Insurance Sample (PDF).
• IRMI glossary: certificate of insurance.
• Connecticut Insurance Department: Bulletin S-14, Use of Certificates of Insurance.
• Maryland Insurance Administration: Order, Case Nos. MIA-2023-07-016 and -017 (PDF) (initial order, July 25, 2023).
• Great American Insurance Group: How to Spot a Fake Certificate of Insurance.
• Texas Department of Insurance: Certificates of insurance FAQ.
• NAIC: Consumer Insurance Search, Insurance Departments, Surplus Lines.
• Connecticut Workers' Compensation Commission: Coverage Verification Service (Proof of Coverage search).

ACORD is a registered mark of ACORD Corporation. GreenlightSubs is not affiliated with ACORD, the NAIC or any insurer named here. GreenlightSubs tracks documents and reminds vendors; it doesn't verify coverage with insurers.