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Certificate of insurance (COI)

A certificate of insurance is a one-page document from your insurance agent proving your coverage types and limits. Counties ask for it before work starts and often require the county to be named as an additional insured.

County bids list minimum insurance: usually general liability, auto liability, workers' compensation and sometimes professional or umbrella coverage, each with minimum limits.

What counties typically ask for

  • A certificate showing each policy, its limits and dates.
  • The county named as additional insured on liability policies.
  • Sometimes a waiver of subrogation, or notice of cancellation.

Tips

  • Check the bid's insurance section before bidding; higher limits cost money, so price them in.
  • Ask your agent for a certificate that matches the bid's wording exactly.
  • Track expiration dates. FactWise's Vault reminds you before documents expire.

Last reviewed Oct 30, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Laws and thresholds change; check the current statute and the bid documents.