Home › Guides

Certificate of Insurance for Mechanics: COIs, Additional Insured and What Commercial Clients Ask For

Updated 2026-10-17. Sources are listed at the end.

Disclosure: Some links on this page go to companies whose affiliate or referral programs we participate in or have applied to. If you buy through a link marked "(paid link)" we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we write; every number here is cited to its source. How we make money.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules vary by state and change often. Confirm with the official source linked in each section, or with a licensed attorney, CPA or insurance agent, before you act.

The first time a fleet manager, dealership, property manager or apartment complex wants to hire you, the next email will say: “Send us your COI.” Here’s what they’re asking for, what the terms on the request mean, and what a certificate can and can’t do. This is general information; your agent and policy decide what’s actually covered.

What a COI is

A certificate of insurance is a one-page summary of your coverage: insurer, policy numbers, effective dates, limits and named insured. Insureon notes the certificate is free to request from your insurer or agent. Liability coverage is usually shown on the ACORD 25 form and property coverage on the ACORD 28 (Insureon, Certificate of liability insurance).

What a COI can’t do

A certificate is not your policy and can’t change it. Georgia’s insurance regulator states that a certificate “is issued as a matter of information only and confers no rights upon the certificate holder” and does not “amend, extend or alter the coverage” of the policies listed (Georgia OCI Bulletin 24-EX-4). That bulletin also treats requesting or issuing a certificate that alters coverage as a violation of Georgia law.

In practice:

Terms you’ll see on a client’s insurance requirements

TermWhat it meansWhat to do
Certificate holderWho receives the certificate (the client)Free; just give your agent their legal name and address
Additional insuredThe client is added to your policy for claims arising from your workNeeds an endorsement on your policy; ask your agent
Blanket additional insuredAnyone you’re contractually required to cover gets AI status automaticallySaves time if you take many commercial jobs
Primary and noncontributoryYour policy pays first and doesn’t seek contribution from the client’s insurerSeparate endorsement; often in fleet and property contracts
Completed operationsAI coverage for work that’s already finished but may cause injury or damage laterMatters for repair work that can fail after you leave

Insureon describes additional insured endorsements in ongoing-operations and completed-operations versions, blanket endorsements that cover anyone performing a defined role, and notes contracts “may also require a primary and noncontributory endorsement” (Insureon, Additional insured). Insureon also notes that many companies will only work with you if they’re added as an additional insured.

Typical limits commercial clients ask for

Requirements vary by client. A common general liability ask is $1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate, which is also the limit Insureon uses in its auto repair GL cost figures (Insureon cost data). Fleet clients may also ask for commercial auto limits, garagekeepers for their vehicles in your care, and workers’ comp if you have employees. See insurance types for mobile mechanics and workers’ comp for auto repair.

If a client’s ask exceeds your limits, ask your agent to quote both raising the underlying limits and adding an umbrella policy, before you sign.

A fast COI workflow

  1. Ask for the client’s written insurance requirements (or the contract section) before you request anything.
  2. Send it to your agent or insurer and ask: “Can my current policy meet this? If not, what endorsements are needed and what do they cost?”
  3. Request the certificate naming the client as certificate holder, with additional insured status only if the endorsement is actually on the policy.
  4. Calendar renewals. Clients will ask for a new COI every policy period. Insureon says a certificate needs updating when details such as policy limits or endorsements change (Insureon).
  5. Add endorsement costs to your rate for that client. The labor rate calculator has an insurance line.

Having the COI ready the same day is a real edge when you’re landing fleet accounts. Insureon, for example, says you can download your certificate once a policy is issued (Insureon). Compare quotes through Insureon or NEXT Insurance.

Sources