A company you work for sent you a link asking for your certificate of insurance. It usually comes from your insurance agent in a day, and you upload it through the link.
Why you were asked
Companies that hire contractors keep a current certificate on file for each one, and ask again when it expires. Being asked doesn't mean anything is wrong. For what a certificate is and how agents issue one, see How to get a certificate of insurance.
What to send
- A current certificate, as a PDF. It comes from your insurance agent or insurer. The certificate box takes PDFs only: a photo of the page can't be read.
- Everything under What's needed. The top of the page lists each document the company requires, each with its own upload box. Some ask for more than the certificate, such as a W-9 or your license.
- Endorsement pages, if the page mentions them. When the company reads endorsements, the certificate box says so. Put the endorsement forms behind the certificate in the same PDF, or upload them on their own.
What to ask your agent for
Agents issue certificates every day, usually free and often the same day. You'll get the right one first time if you give them the details up front. You can copy this:
Tip
Hi, please issue a certificate of insurance for [your business name]. The certificate holder is [the company's exact name and address]. They've asked for [anything the request lists, for example the endorsement pages]. Please send it to me as a PDF.
The email and the page name the company asking. If you need their exact legal name or mailing address for the certificate, ask them; they'll have it to hand.
Can I make the certificate myself?
Only through your insurer. Many online insurers let you download a certificate from your account, and that's fine: the insurer issues it, you just press the button. Filling in a blank certificate form, or editing one you were given before, is not a valid certificate. Send the one your agent or insurer issues. Can you issue your own certificate of insurance? covers the difference.
Careful
After you submit
- You'll see a confirmation page. Nothing else is needed from you.
- The same link keeps working until the date shown on that page, if you need to send something else.
- The company sees the documents you uploaded and their expiry dates.
- Before your certificate expires, you may get an email with a new link asking for the renewed one.