A certificate can show stated facts; it does not replace the policy. Compare the requested terms with the relevant supplied documents, and keep “not evidenced” separate from “not insured.”
Keep the facts connected
- Match the entity and policy.
Compare the insured name, policy identifier and insurance type. Do not use a cyber endorsement to satisfy a general liability requirement just because it contains familiar words.
- Compare like with like.
Keep amount, currency and basis together: per occurrence, per claim and aggregate are different labels. Do not add amounts across policies without an established relationship.
- Read the period and conditions.
Displayed dates describe the supplied material. They do not prove that cover is still in force, unexhausted or available for the particular claim.
- Request the missing support.
When a requirement calls for additional insured status or a particular endorsement, ask for applicable policy wording and confirmation for the named entity and work.
Same customer, different evidence
Example Customer requires $5 million commercial general liability (CGL) per occurrence and additional insured status for the contracted work. Example Supplier provides a certificate showing $2 million per occurrence. Example Customer appears in the certificate holder box. A separate endorsement refers to another insured and a cyber policy.
- Amount
- The displayed $2 million is below the requested $5 million on the same stated basis. Other relevant evidence may still exist.
- Additional insured
- The holder name and unrelated endorsement do not establish the requested status for this CGL policy.
- Next action
- Ask for the relevant CGL endorsement and any applicable additional limit evidence. An authorized person then decides how an unresolved gap affects the agreement.
A focused request for missing evidence
“Please identify the CGL policy for Example Supplier and provide the wording that addresses Example Customer's requested additional insured status for this work. Please also clarify the applicable per occurrence limit and any related excess or umbrella terms.”
Ask for the minimum relevant material through an approved channel. Do not request a full confidential policy through an unrestricted public form.
Source and scope
The Texas Department of Insurance explains that certificate wording cannot create rights beyond the policy or executed endorsement. Its guidance concerns Texas requirements; it is not a statement that every jurisdiction uses identical rules.
- Texas Department of Insurance: Certificates of Insurance FAQs; particularly questions 19 and 23; consulted 24 September 2026.
Prepared by InsureClause. The comparison and request above are original fictional examples, not a coverage opinion, document authenticity check or independently approved professional advice.