Certificate of Liability Insurance

Also known as proof of insurance

What is a certificate of liability insurance?

A certificate of liability insurance is a document that shows that you have active liability insurance for your business.

What’s included on a certificate of liability insurance

A certificate of liability insurance, also known as a certificate of insurance, an ACORD certificate of liability insurance or simply proof of insurance, shows what business insurance you are carrying.

This may include general liability, workers’ compensation, commercial auto insurance or other types of coverage.

A certificate of liability insurance also shows the limits of each policy. This allows you to easily prove that you have the coverage to meet the requirements of clients, partners or regulatory agencies.

In addition to types of coverage, a certificate of insurance usually includes:

  • Policy holder’s name and company name
  • Policy number
  • Coverage start date, also referred to as the effective date
  • Additional insureds
  • Coverage end date, also referred to as the expiration date

There might be more or less information on your certificate of liability insurance depending on the type of insurance you purchased.

Why you need a certificate of liability insurance

As a small business owner, there are many times when you’ll be asked to prove you have insurance.

Having proof of insurance lets people know that you have taken steps to have financial help if something goes wrong.

There are three main kinds of people who will require you have proof of insurance:

Regulators

Insurance is often needed to get licensed or registered before you can open or legally run your business.

Potential clients

A client may ask to see your certificate of liability insurance to be sure you have adequate coverage before they begin working with you.

Property managers

Landlords or mortgage lenders may want to ensure you have adequate coverage before they finalize a contract with you.

How to get a certificate of liability insurance

The traditional way to get a certificate of liability insurance is to contact your agent or insurance company and let them know you need one. Then you’ll have to wait for them to send you a copy, which could take days.

Some insurance providers might also charge you a fee for every certificate you request.

After paying the fee and waiting, you’ll receive a version of an ACORD certificate of liability insurance. Here’s one example of what you might receive. (FYI –  ACORD is a global nonprofit standardization organization for insurance and financial industries.)

Businesses often need to add new clients as an additional insured before they can begin working with them. That could mean more requests for new certificates.

NEXT offers 24/7 access to certificates of liability insurance

At NEXT, we think this traditional system is slow, costly, and a lot of unnecessary work. That’s why we make getting and updating your certificate of liability insurance much easier.

We offer a live certificate of insurance that is accessible 24/7.

This means that any time you need to make adjustments to your policies, all you have to do is log in and make the changes your business needs.

Once you make those changes, your certificate is automatically updated, and you can share your new certificate of liability insurance immediately.

And with our mobile app, you have all that right at your fingertips.

We don’t charge for new certificates, so update as often as you need, add as many third parties as you want and share as many certificates as you wish without worrying about additional fees.

How NEXT protects small businesses

Get the coverage you need and the documentation to prove it, anywhere at any time.

Our DIY system makes it easy for you to review your coverage, make changes to your existing policies and get as many copies of your certificate of liability insurance as you need.

Start a quote, customize your options and access your certificate of liability insurance online immediately — in about 10 minutes.

Start your instant quote today.

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Let’s find the coverage you need for your business
Business insurance is divided into different policies. We offer seven types so it's easy to design the coverage that fits your business.
General Liability insurance
General Liability
Protect yourself from accidents that cause physical injury or damaged property.
Professional Liability or Error and Omissions Insurance
Professional Liability/E&O
Shield yourself from lawsuits that claim your work errors caused financial losses.
Workers' Compensation Insurance
Workers’ Compensation
Cover medical bills and lost wages if your employees have an accident at work.
Commercial Auto Insurance
Commercial Auto
Stay on the road with coverage for dents, tows and damage to someone else’s vehicle.
Tools & Equipment Insurance
Tools & Equipment
Upgrade your general liability coverage to protect any gear that’s stolen, damaged or lost.
Commercial Property Insurance
Commercial Property
Keep your building, inventory and equipment protected from fire or water damage.
Business Owner’s Policy Insurance
Business Owner’s Policy
Combine general liability and commercial property into one policy to protect your business.
* To the extent permitted by law, applicants are individually underwritten, not all applicants may qualify. Individual rates and savings vary and are subject to change. Discounts and savings are available where state laws and regulations allow, and may vary by state. Certain discounts apply to specific coverages only.
What we cover
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© 2024 Next Insurance, Inc. 975 California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States
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Issuance of coverage is subject to underwriting. Not available in all states. Please see the policy for full terms, conditions and exclusions. Coverage examples are for illustrative purposes only. Your policy documents govern, terms and exclusions apply. Coverage is dependent on actual facts and circumstances giving rise to a claim. Next Insurance, Inc. and/or its affiliates is an insurance agency licensed to sell certain insurance products and may receive compensation from insurance companies for such sales. Policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the issuing insurance company. Refer to Legal Notices section for additional information.

Any starting prices or premiums represented before an actual customer quote are not guaranteed and are representations of existing premiums of active policies as of December 6, 2023. To the extent permitted by law, applicants are individually underwritten, not all applicants may qualify. Individual rates and savings vary and are subject to change. Discounts and savings are available where state laws and regulations allow, and may vary by state. Certain discounts apply to specific coverages only.