Certificate of Insurance (COI)
💼 BusinessA one-page proof that you have active coverage and what your limits are. It documents your policy — it doesn’t change it.
A certificate of insurance is a one-page summary proving you have active coverage and showing your policy types, limits, and dates. Landlords, clients, and venues ask for one all the time as proof you’re insured.
The key thing to understand: a COI documents your policy — it doesn’t change it. Being handed a certificate makes someone a “certificate holder,” which is not the same as being an “additional insured” (which actually extends coverage to them). People mix these up constantly.
If a contract requires specific limits or additional-insured status, your agent has to arrange that on the policy itself; the certificate just reflects what’s already there.
This is a friendly general explanation, not legal or policy language. Exact coverage depends on your policy, carrier, and state. 🤝