What is a certificate holder on a COI?
The certificate holder is the person or business that receives a certificate of insurance. Being the certificate holder means you are sent proof of the policy and, often, notice if it changes — but it does NOT mean you are covered by it. For coverage, you have to be named as an additional insured.
The common misconception
Many business owners assume that requiring a vendor to list them as certificate holder protects them. It does not. The certificate holder box is essentially an address — it documents who requested the certificate and where notices go.
Certificate holder vs. additional insured
If you need the vendor's policy to actually respond on your behalf, you need additional insured status, which is a separate endorsement. Knowing the difference is the single most valuable thing a small business can learn about tracking vendor insurance.
Related terms
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