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If you’re running a startup or practicing a profession where you have to provide tangible services (e.g construction, writing, bookkeeping, etc.), clients might ask if you have liability insurance.
And how to prove you own a business that’s insured or you yourself are insured? The only way to do so is to show your personal certificate of liability insurance or simply certificate of liability insurance.
Keep reading if the term liability insurance certificate is new to you. In this guide, we will talk about what is a certificate of liability insurance, how much does a certificate of insurance cost, how to get a certificate of liability insurance, and more! But before we do so, let’s discuss what a COI is to avoid confusion.
So what is a COI? COI is a short term for certificate of insurance. A COI in insurance is, in essence, a document serving as the legal evidence that you’re insured. In auto insurance terms, COI is sometimes also called a certificate of cover.
Another way to answer your question about what is COI in insurance is to tell you that it’s a broad term that pertains to certificate of liability insurance, certificate of business insurance, certificate of contractors insurance , certificate of insurance for events, and certificate of vendors insurance.
With that said, there’s no need to wonder much about what is a COI in insurance or what does COI mean in insurance as it’s just industry jargon.
There are many definitions as to what certificates of liability insurance are. And so, we’ll show you all of the meanings in this section.
Liability certificate of insurance is a one-page document that proves you’re covered by a specific liability insurance policy and can pay if ever a client makes a claim.
Certification of liability insurance or insurance certificate of liability is a document showing the:
A certificate of liability insurance proves that you’re insured. It is a form issued by the insurance company upon your request. Take a look at this sample certificate of liability insurance to get an idea.
Note that some companies also like to issue a liability certificate of insurance with a very simple format, which will look very different from the above photo.
The term proof of liability insurance or evidence of liability insurance is just another term for cert of liability insurance. Proof of liability insurance coverage and certificate of liability insurance coverage are used interchangeably. With that said, no need to get confused.
When requesting to get a liability certificate of insurance from a company or insurance agent, always be wary not to coin these terms, which people often use, when referring to coi liability insurance.
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General liability is a type of liability insurance policy that protects you from the cost of client personal injury claims or property damage claims. Furthermore, it can be added with optional policies such as products and completed operations coverage, products liability coverage, and advertising injury coverage for enhanced protection.
Carriers allow you to get a certificate of insurance general liability the moment you decide to get covered. Your certificate of general liability insurance form contains vital information such as:
Professional liability insurance answers your financial liability upon causing economic loss or financial loss because of mistakes, negligence, misrepresentation, and violation of good faith. Carriers will also provide a certificate of professional liability insurance as soon as you purchase the policy. A certificate of liability insurance shows the following information:
The certificate of insurance for contractors or contractor COI for short proves that a contractor has the insurance policies providing coverage if ever the client makes a claim because of the following:
There are many formats for contractor insurance certificates. Here’s one we found online:
Organizers always request for a confirmation of coverage from vendors , which is called vendors certificate of insurance. Typically, the format of vendor COI is similar to the format of certificate of liability insurance.
A business coi or company coi, otherwise called certificate of insurance for business or business certificate of insurance, is a document that proves you’ve purchased a particular business insurance policy for yourself or your business.
Just as there are many types of business insurance, there are many types of companies certificate of insurance such as commercial property coi in business, commercial auto coi for business, workers comp business insurance certificate, and so on. Let’s take the time to discuss each of these in detail.
The first business certificate you need to know about is the coi for commercial property insurance. Commercial property insurance is the policy that will take care of losses caused by business interruption, business equipment breakdown, and damage to business buildings and other tangible assets.
Commercial property insurance always comes with a coi’. Here’s what the standard commercial property business owner certificate of insurance looks like:
So what can you do with a business certificate of insurance like this one? Essential information inside a commercial property certificate of insurance are:
Vehicles used for business purposes are best covered using commercial auto liability insurance as it’s cheaper and provides more coverage than personal auto liability insurance.
The proof of business commercial auto liability insurance looks very different from business proof of insurance for commercial property coverage. Usually, the certificate of auto liability insurance is issued as a card and looks like this:
As shown in the above photo of card proof of commercial insurance, a commercial auto liability insurance certificate contains the following information:
Workers compensation insurance sees to it that a business can help employees recover lost income due to missed employment and medical expenses after experiencing a work-related injury.
Sometimes, authorities might ask you to hand over a copy of proof of business insurance for purchasing a workers comp coverage. This is very important as workers comp coi means in business that you’re not infringing any laws.
So what does a workers comp certificate of insurance look like? Actually, there is no business proof of insurance for workers comp coverage. Remember certificate of liability insurance? There’s a section in this coi’ which tells whether or not workers comp is purchased.
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Thimble is a short-term insurance carrier that allows its policyholders to get a certificate of insurance online. According to the company, its certificate of insurance shows the following information:
Thimble certificate of insurance follows the format of acord 25 certificate of liability insurance.
Next’s insurance certificate is very innovative. It can only be viewed through the Next insurance app and looks like it’s part of it. Next’s insurance policy certificate looks very clean and straightforward. The certification of insurance from Next shows basic information such as the policy purchased and the name of the insured. Furthermore, you can do the following with it:
CoverWallet isn’t an insurance company. However, it can sell the policies of its partners and issue certificates of insurance to the customer through the MyCoverWallet app. According to CoverWallet, its certificate of insurance shows the following information:
If you want to know what CoverWallet’s certificate of insurance might look like, we suggest you watch this video .
Progressive doesn’t only offer a certificate of insurance. It also allows policyholders to get insurance cards containing the following information:
Are there photos of Progressive’s COI? We found a proof of business insurance template following Progressive’s formatting:
What is the COI from Hiscox? Hiscox’s proof of business insurance has different formats. Here’s an example showing what are COI’s from Hiscox:
Here’s how the certificate of insurance from USAA looks like:
Geico is one of the cheapest, if not the most affordable, car insurer in the United States. And aside from cars, this company also insures businesses. So what is the certificate of insurance from Geico? Available Geico certificate of insurance are:
Geico uses different formats for each of its coi’s. Here’s a sample geico insurance card for auto coverage and liability coverage for professionals and businesses.
The Hartford provides comprehensive protection for businesses and gives its policyholders the liberty to get public liability insurance certificate (PLI certificate) and other types of COI for small business and big business. Your certificate of insurance from this company follows ACORD’s formatting. This is its appearance:
This is what the State Farm certificate of insurance for small business and big business looks like:
Farmers Insurance Exchange uses different formats for its certificate of insurance. The photos below show what are COI from Farmers and their look:
The best thing to do is to call your insurance agent, broker, or carrier and tell them what specific details the event organizer wants to see in your certificate of insurance and when it should be submitted.
Providing proof of your insurance to someone abroad is easy. First, you can do it online if the carrier has an intuitive policy tool that allows you to send a COI as a text message, photo, or email. If not, then the other method is to get a PDF copy of your certificate or email it. The final method is to mail your certificate to the other person.
Getting or sending your insurance certification online to someone happens in an instant. On the other hand, if done with the help of agents or customer service representatives, you’ll receive your certificate within 1 – 2 days, provided that the COI will be faxed or emailed. If it will be mailed, then you’ll receive your COI within 3 – 5 days or longer.
To get your proof of insurance online, what you’ll usually do is either use your carrier’s certificate of insurance management software or website (if there’s any); or email and request for the COI to be emailed back. Now that you know how to get insurance certificate online, let’s discuss how to get the certificate of insurance of some carriers.
You can do any of the following to show your proof of insurance online:
CoverWallet’s policyholders can get their certificate of insurance in the MyCoverWallet app or the CoverWallet website. These are the steps in how to get online proof of insurance from the company:
Thimble’s insurance by the hour, days, or weeks comes with a certificate of insurance. To get it, you can call a Thimble agent or broker. However, if you’re in a hurry, you can get Thimble’s certificate insurance through its app or website. These are the steps in how to get proof of insurance online from Thimble:
Next offers proof of insurance online. If you’re a customer, all you have to do to get the Next Insurance certificate of insurance is log in to the Next app or website, go to the Live Certificate page or tab, then instruct the system to share your online proof of insurance via email, text, or social media post.
Getting insurance certificates from Hiscox is rather traditional. To get it, file a certificate of insurance request or COI request by sending an email to customer support or contacting your agent.
If you’re currently holding a policy from State Farm, create your certificate of insurance by visiting this page .
But in case you don’t want to do the legwork, another way in how to get insurance certificate is by calling a State Farm agent.
If no agent has the time to help, you can also call State Farm customer service representatives via 800-782-8332 to get proof of insurance.
So how to get COI from Progressive? What you have to do depends on what kind of policy you purchased from the company.
If you’re holding an auto insurance policy, get your certificate of insurance online by logging in to Progressive’s website using your credentials and printing the insurance card.
For other policies, you can call 1-866-749-7436 to request a certificate of insurance and have it faxed to you or someone else.
Finally, if not through fax or online, call the same number and request Progressive to mail your certificate of insurance.
How do you get a certificate of insurance from Geico? If you’re a customer, you can request for certificate of insurance by logging in to Geico’s website or app then go to the policy documents section.
If you find this process about Geico request for evidence of insurance confusing, call Geico customer representatives at (800) 861-8380. Note that this method only applies to getting personal certificate of liability insurance Geico and other COIs.
There is no certification of insurance online for special coverages. For getting a certificate of special insurance coverage, call (877) 206-0215 for assistance.
Aside from proof of insurance Geico, you can also get a Geico ins card or Geico ID card. To do this, you only have to install the Geico mobile app, log in, then tap on the ‘View ID Cards” section.
If you’re wondering how to get a business certificate of insurance from Farmers as well as certificates of other policies the company offers, know that you can do so by calling a customer service representative at 1-888-327-6335. You can also visit their website , which is the second method in how to get business certificate of insurance and other COIs from Farmers.
Since Wayfair is not an insurance company, you can get certificates by calling the carriers that Wayfair partnered with to give you coverage.
Certificate of insurance cost is zero. Never pay a dime for getting your certificate of liability insurance, certificate of business insurance, etc. COI is free and always will be. Report your carrier to the authorities or its agent if you’re asked to make a payment.
You are only eligible to get a COI if you bought a policy from an insurance company. Aside from this, there are no other requirements for getting a certificate of liability insurance, certificate of business insurance, etc.
Fake business insurance certificate, fake workers comp certificate, and fake general liability insurance certificate are examples of fake COI. In a nutshell, a fake COI or fake certificate of insurance – if you prefer the lengthy term – allows fraudsters to get contracts without the required insurance requirements.
Some of the most common fake COIs are fake certificate of insurance for events, fake instant insurance card, fake certificate of insurance for vendors, and fake contractors insurance certificate.
Why do people use fake business certificate of insurance, fake liability insurance certificate, and other types of fake COI? The reasons are as follows:
Fake insurance cards for commercial auto coverage are also common. Some use this to bypass auto insurance requirements mandated by law and business contracts. Why is this common anyway? Fake insurance cards are common due to websites that allow people to download free fake insurance card templates or teach people how to make a fake insurance card.
To create fake business certificate of insurance and other types of proof of insurance might be illegal. And so, we suggest you don’t learn to do it. Know that at the end of the day, doing so will bring more trouble for more than what it’s worth.
The table below shows the situations and what certificate of insurance you might need to provide:
| When | What COI You’ll Need to Show |
|---|---|
| You want to register your car registered as a commercial car | Commercial auto liability COI or commercial auto liability insurance card |
| You want to rent someone’s building | Commercial property certificate of insurance |
| You’re under a lawsuit accusing you of not providing compensation to employees for work-related injuries and need to prove that the opposite is true | Certificate of liability insurance template with a workers comp field/section |
| You’re bidding for a construction project | Contractors certificate of insurance |
| You plan to sell your goods at an event | Vendor certificate of insurance |
| Someone wants your services | Professional liability insurance certificate |
| You’re planning to get a business license as well as other related papers | Commercial property COI, general liability COI, auto liability COI. |
Click the link below to download California’s certificate of liability insurance sample.
Click the links below to download Florida certificate of liability insurance form.
Click the link below to download texas certificate of liability insurance form pdf fillable.
Here are some sample certificate of liability insurance as well as other kinds of certificate of liability insurance available to download (note all the COIs provided here are sourced from the Texas Department of Insurance):
10 / 10
For me this company has proven to be the best to do business with and worth my hard earned money. Contractors this is your company look no further.
7.7 / 10
Decent experience with Hiscox business insurance
10 / 10
Good company. Good and knowledgable customer service. If they don't know something they will pass you on to a more experienced rep that is more knowledgable. So far so good.
10 / 10
Best insurance ever
10 / 10
Coolest concept, I wish this was applied to other insurance products too.
9.4 / 10
Fastest ever online insurance quote and purchase! Also, great rates and professional customer reps that helps with whatever you need, if you need. Nice company!
2.8 / 10
Embroker sells a product that it doesn't honor. We purchased a combination D&O and EPLI policy. However, when it came to renewal, it told us that we only had D&O coverage even through our ACCORD certificate clearly mentions we have both. Basically they refused to honor the EPLI coverage and will leave you hanging with the bag. At time of renewal, they more than doubled our quote to get similar coverage. Basically BAIT & SWITCH. Unacceptable tactics. Easy to buy and pay but you may not be... Read More
2.8 / 10
Great platform. Terrible policy. There is no teeth behind it. No coverage. It's a fake policy that they sell. Sold us an EPLI policy that later we came to find out had no EPLI coverage. Amazing that they can get away with outright fraud. Check the positive reviews. They are all 'Anonymous' posted by Emroker staff. Stay away and find a real policy that will actually provide you coverage. We've been bitten by them and hope to find restitution via a lawsuit.
Paul Burns Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
0 / 10
It has been 70 days since I made a claim on the roof of my building. No one from the company will return calls. We are in hurricane season and located in Louisiana. My building is tarped to secure it.
Felicia Broadus Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
0 / 10
They are the worst, my truck was hit in January 23 and the claim adjuster has not been out to this very day! They have every excuse in the book as to why. They have not been to the collision shop. PLEASE AVOID THESE SCAM ARTIST!
Felicia Broadus Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
0 / 10
Avoid these SCAM ARTISTS! They don’t pay claims!!! Save yourself the trouble and money!
Kasey Arey Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
0 / 10
This company gives you a price that was in place for a year and when you have to use it there is fine print were they can go back and charge you more. Would not recommend them to any one. Crooks
John Murphy Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
0 / 10
Worst insurance comapny I have ever dealt with. A commercial vehicle represented by GUARD t boned my wife and daughters family vehicle in the middle of the day. Driver was cited and insurance claim insued. Fast forward 4 months and refusal of full amount of claim is still happening. Driver was found guilty, repairs started on my vehicle and when it comes to the final bill and diminished value we cannot get any help. I am out a family car, have an injured and traumatized wife and children,... Read More
Harshadray Patel Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
0 / 10
Extremely bad service, when you call , will make you wait on the phone for ever (over an Hour) and still no one to answer , so you end up hanging up. To cancel the policy, bounce you from one department to the other. They are supposed to refund from the date other insurance started and after sending the proof of other insurance policy, still they did not refund based on that actual date instead they use the date i managed to get hold of them. They charged me $7000.00 for a year's insurance on... Read More
Aaron Wensel Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
0 / 10
Guard Insurance is terrible. They were so bad I cancelled them because them couldn't figure out why I would never get a paper copy of the bill . Verified my address with them and still intermittent billing. I cancelled them in March through my local broker. Today 6/27 I get a letter in the mail from a collections company saying I owe 87.97. This was the first myself or my broker heard of owing this money. Here is some advice for this failure of a company send me a god damn bill and I will pay.... Read More
Michael Swink Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
0 / 10
My employer had to have workers compensation by law. He obtained a policy through this Berkshire Hathaway GUARD and they failed me. I fell from a ladder and fractured my spine in 7 different places, my clavicle in 4 places, and the base of my skull. Going to my Dr visits I was prescribed medication for pain and the insurance company placed a pre-authorization hold on me picking up the medication from Walgreens. The hold lasted 5 days! My weekly benefits have never been on time, right now... Read More
10 / 10
Liberty Mutual is one of the more simple companies to deal with. I had to file a claim for my business owner policy after I caught one of my employees stealing a large amount of products from my business. Liberty mutual paid the claim fast and with no efforts. I wish the legal process was as easy…
10 / 10
For me this company has proven to be the best to do business with and worth my hard earned money. Contractors this is your company look no further.
7.7 / 10
Decent experience with Hiscox business insurance
9.4 / 10
Very pleased with Hiscox - their small business insurance rates are very good and they specialize in small business which gives me a peace of mind as a small business owner. So far so good!
10 / 10
Their customer service is absolutely fantastic. Very patient, knowledgable and provided excellent explanation of the purchased policy. I would highly recommend this insurance company to anyone that's looking to protect their business from unexpected expense. Thank you Hiscox for doing a great job for my business!
0.6 / 10
STAY AWAY! I wouldn't recommend hiscox small business liability insurance to anyone. Better not waste both your money and your time. Hiscox customer service is extremely unpleasant, not organized and not professional. It is the worst company we have dealt with in almost 25 years in business!
10 / 10
Good company. Good and knowledgable customer service. If they don't know something they will pass you on to a more experienced rep that is more knowledgable. So far so good.
10 / 10
Extremely fast and simple. Wasted a lot of time and money until I found these guys! I feel like my business is in good hands now.
10 / 10
Hiscox's the best! My business is insured with them for over 12 years and am not planning to switch!
10 / 10
Excellent experience with Hiscox BOP for my coffee shop. They provided all it needed.
10 / 10
My HI barbershop is well covered with their great BOP product for 5 years already! not planning to switch!
10 / 10
Best insurance ever
10 / 10
Coolest concept, I wish this was applied to other insurance products too.
10 / 10
Great experience
6 / 10
Didn't relate to the concept much, but it makes sense if you need insurance to go
0 / 10
It doesn't really feel sustainable to me and doesn't offer business interruption, product liability and commercial property insurance. They have no local agents and despite their technology first approach you cannot file claims online. Additionally, product manufacturers are not covered by Thimble and they don't provide enterprise solutions.
10 / 10
As a contractor that works 3 times a week for a few hours, Thimble gets really handy for me and saves me money. I have no use for these massive business insurance coverages offered by traditional insurance companies.
10 / 10
Excellent concept which is useful to many small businesses!
10 / 10
Been waiting for this type of solution for a long time!
10 / 10
Love their business insurance solutions for freelancers! Great app!
Not all those who wander are lost.
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