How to Request a Certificate of Insurance (With Templates)
The CertifiKit team
Certificate-of-insurance desk
To request a certificate of insurance, send the vendor a short written request that names your organization as certificate holder, states the exact coverages, limits, and endorsements you require, and gives a due date. The clearer the request, the fewer rounds of back-and-forth — and most COI delays come from a vague first ask.
Who actually issues the COI?
Not the vendor — their insurance agent or broker does, usually within a day or two of being asked. So the fastest path is to give your vendor everything their agent needs in one message, so they can forward it straight through. A request that makes the agent guess is a request that comes back wrong.
What to specify in the request
Spell out each of these. If you leave one off, you'll get a generic certificate that doesn't match your contract:
| Item | Example |
|---|---|
| Certificate holder | Your legal entity name and address |
| Coverages required | General liability, workers' comp, auto, umbrella |
| Minimum limits | $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate |
| Additional insured | "Name [holder] as additional insured, ongoing & completed ops" |
| Other endorsements | Waiver of subrogation; primary & non-contributory |
| Deadline | A specific date before work starts |
For the reasoning behind each line, see subcontractor insurance requirements and the additional insured endorsement guide.
Email template: first request
Subject: Certificate of insurance needed before [project / start date]
Hi [Vendor],
Before we get started, we need a certificate of insurance on file. Please forward this to your insurance agent — they can usually issue it within a day.
Please have the certificate show:
- Certificate holder: [Your Company, address]
- General liability: $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate
- Workers' comp: statutory limits
- [Your Company] named as additional insured (ongoing and completed operations)
- Waiver of subrogation and primary & non-contributory wording
Could you send it over by [date]? Happy to answer any questions. Thanks!
Email template: renewal reminder
Subject: Your COI on file expires [date]
Hi [Vendor],
Quick heads-up — the certificate of insurance we have on file for you expires on [date]. To keep everything current, please ask your agent to send an updated certificate with the same requirements as last time.
Thanks for keeping this up to date!
When the COI comes back, verify it
A certificate arriving is not the same as a certificate being correct. The two most common problems: limits that came back lower than you asked, and the additional insured or endorsement requirements quietly missing. Always check the returned COI against what you requested — that's the step that closes the loop.
The fastest way to do it: upload the certificate to the free CertifiKit checker. It compares the document against your requirements line by line, and if something's missing it writes a plain-English fix list you can paste straight into your reply to the vendor. For tracking many vendors and renewal dates at once, a COI tracking spreadsheet is a good place to start.