How to Verify Additional Insured Endorsements
To review additional insured evidence, compare the applicable policy provisions or endorsement wording with the parties, operations and timing required by your agreement. A certificate holder block or additional insured indicator does not resolve those questions by itself.
Start with the actual requirement
Identify the legal entities, relationship, work scope, premises and required operations. Distinguish ongoing work from completed operations when the agreement requires both. Record the signed contract version and when it was executed, especially when the policy wording depends on a prior written agreement.
Request the relevant documents through the additional insured request email. A form number can help identify a document, but edition dates, modifications and attached schedules can affect its scope.
Read the grant and conditions
Identify who qualifies as an insured and for what liability or operations. A scheduled document may name entities; a blanket provision may describe qualifying relationships and conditions. Confirm that the actual situation fits the wording rather than assuming “blanket” means unlimited.
Check policy numbers and periods, and whether the document supplied belongs to the certificate under review. Refer unfamiliar or disputed wording to the broker, carrier or qualified reviewer.
Review separate requirements separately
Additional insured status, primary/noncontributory wording, waiver of subrogation and cancellation notice are different questions. Do not mark them all resolved because one endorsement is present. New York OGS terminology guidance is a useful explanation of the distinctions; the actual policy controls the review.
A hypothetical incomplete submission
An owner requires additional insured protection for completed operations. The vendor provides an ongoing operations endorsement and a certificate listing the owner as holder. The reviewer requests the missing completed operations evidence or an explanation of the policy provision that is being relied upon. The holder listing alone does not answer the scope question.
Record the evidence and renewal trigger
Keep the reviewed wording, schedule, edition, relevant contract and decision together. At renewal, confirm what changed rather than assuming the earlier document continues. Certy extracts certificate indicators for human review; it does not automatically interpret every endorsement or establish that a blanket trigger is satisfied. Use the review checklist to preserve those open questions and decisions.
Frequently asked questions
Is an additional insured checkbox enough?
It is an indicator on the certificate, not a complete description of the applicable policy grant and conditions. Review the required supporting evidence.
Does a blanket endorsement name everyone automatically?
No. It applies according to its wording and conditions. Check the required relationship, contract, operations and timing.