What Is a Certificate of Insurance?

By Catherine Brock – Updated Jun 2, 2025 at 11:14 AM EST

Key Points

COIs verify business insurance coverage, outlining policy type, effective dates, and limits.
Unlike insurance binders, COIs are issued for active policies after underwriting is complete.
Businesses request COIs from partners to mitigate risks and confirm compliance with insurance requirements.

A certificate of insurance summarizes the key details of an insurance policy. The document is commonly used to provide proof of business insurance.

Here's what you should know about certificates of insurance, including the information that the document contains, how to request one, and how it differs from an insurance binder.

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Finger pointing to hexagonal box labeled Insurance. — Image source: Getty Images.

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About the Author

Catherine grew up in Southern California wearing a lot of black and trying to perfect the art of sarcasm. Prior to joining The Fool as a contract writer, Catherine was climbing the corporate ladder in marketing roles and dabbling in too many side hustles. When she's not writing, she can be found riding a horse in the country or shopping online for clothes.

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