General liability insurance certificate
A certificate of insurance is a document that verifies you have liability coverage and condenses all the crucial information about your policies onto one page.
A certificate usually lists the following information about your general liability insurance policy:
- When your coverage expires.
- How much coverage you have / what your policy limits are.
- Your policy number.
- Who your insurance company is.
To see what one looks like, check out this sample certificate of liability insurance.
When do you need a certificate of liability insurance?
Say you're about to sign a new contract with a client, but you need to show "proof of insurance." That's your cue to fork over a certificate of liability insurance.
Insurance certificates grease the wheels of business transactions. It's how you're able to show potential business partners, clients, landlords, and others that an insurer protects your business, and your finances are partially protected by Commercial General Liability Insurance.
Here are some situations where you might need a certificate of liability insurance:
- A client requires it. Clients want to know that if you damage their property or cause them to suffer an injury, you'll have insurance to cover the damages. Typically, when you work with a larger company, they'll require insurance.
- Your landlord requires general liability insurance. Many leases state that you need to have fire liability insurance, which is often included with general liability insurance. If your business starts a fire and damages a landlord's building, your policy can help pay for the damages.
- You apply for professional licenses. If you apply for certain professional licenses (e.g., a contractor's license), local laws may require you to have general liability insurance.
If you need to prove you have errors and omissions insurance or other liability policies, an insurance certificate can verify that, too.
Need a certificate of liability insurance? Here's how to get one
Many of our clients face this exact situation: you run a young business, and you're just about to sign your first major contract. In order to finalize the deal, you need proof of commercial general liability insurance. You need to get coverage quickly and attach a copy of the certificate of liability insurance to the final contract.
In situations like this, Insureon can help you get covered and email you an insurance certificate right away. Often, we're able to get a business covered the same day it contacts us. Because our certificates are digital, we can email them or you can access them online and print out a copy.
Because we've worked with thousands of small businesses, we know you sometimes need coverage immediately to sign a new contract. That's why we hire expert insurance agents who can help get you covered quickly.
To get a quote today, start an online application by clicking the "Get a Quote" button anywhere on our site.