ACORD 25 Certificate of Insurance Guide
Use this guide to understand the fields on an ACORD 25 Certificate of Liability Insurance and how those fields fit into a practical COI review.
An ACORD 25 can help document insurance information, but it is not the insurance policy. The right workflow is to read the form, compare it against your requirements, and mark unclear or high-risk items for review.
What an ACORD 25 usually shows
An ACORD 25-style certificate commonly includes:
- certificate date,
- producer or broker information,
- insured name and address,
- insurers affording coverage,
- policy types,
- policy numbers,
- effective and expiration dates,
- limits of insurance,
- Description of Operations,
- Certificate Holder,
- cancellation notice language,
- authorized representative signature.
For a step-by-step walkthrough, see How to Read an ACORD 25.
Fields that matter most in vendor review
| Field | What to check | Related guide |
|---|---|---|
| Insured | Does it match the vendor legal entity? | Insured name mismatch |
| Policy dates | Is the certificate active and not close to expiration? | Expired COI |
| General Liability limits | Are limits at or above your requirement? | General Liability limits |
| Certificate Holder | Is your entity listed correctly? | Certificate Holder |
| Additional Insured | Is required wording or indication present? | Additional Insured |
| Waiver of Subrogation | Is the required waiver indicated? | Waiver of Subrogation |
| Description of Operations | Does it match the vendor's work? | Description of Operations |
Example ACORD 25 review
Scenario: A landscaping vendor sends an ACORD 25 before starting exterior maintenance work.
What to check first:
- The insured name matches the landscaping company in the contract.
- General Liability shows at least the required per-occurrence and aggregate limits.
- Workers' Compensation is listed if the vendor has employees or your requirement says it is required.
- Commercial Auto is listed if crews drive to or on the property.
- Certificate Holder matches your legal entity and address.
- Additional Insured language is present if the contract requires it.
- Policy expiration is far enough out for your approval window.
If any of those items are missing or unclear, use the COI deficiencies hub to decide whether to fail the certificate or mark it for review.
What the ACORD 25 does not prove
Do not treat the certificate as a full coverage confirmation. The form does not by itself:
- prove a policy is currently active,
- attach policy endorsements,
- confirm every exclusion or limitation,
- replace the actual policy,
- replace legal, broker, carrier, or risk review.
Use the ACORD 25 as a document-level review surface, not as the final authority on coverage.
Helpful next steps
- Use the COI Compliance Checker to compare a certificate against requirements.
- Use Vendor Insurance Requirements to choose trade-specific checks.
- Use COI Request Templates to ask for corrections.
- Use Common COI Deficiencies when a certificate fails.
FAQ
Is ACORD 25 the same as proof of active coverage?
No. It is a certificate that summarizes insurance information. For high-risk or suspicious situations, confirm coverage with the broker, carrier, legal team, or risk advisor.
Does Additional Insured wording on ACORD 25 guarantee protection?
No. It may indicate the requested status, but the actual endorsement and policy terms often control. Mark it as needs review when endorsement-level confirmation matters.
Which ACORD 25 fields should I check first?
Start with insured name, policy dates, limits, Certificate Holder, Additional Insured, Waiver of Subrogation, and Description of Operations. Those fields catch many practical vendor COI problems.
Disclaimer
These resources provide practical document-review information for COI workflows. They do not provide legal advice, insurance advice, or confirmation that coverage is active.