ACORD 25: How to Fill It Out (With Example)

Use ACORD 25 to show a certificate holder liability coverage as of the issue date. This field map also gives you 8 mistakes to catch before a certificate leaves the agency.

If you run a small commercial book, ACORD 25 is not rare paperwork. It is Tuesday at 2:17 p.m., when a contractor calls from a jobsite because the general contractor will not let them unload until the certificate of insurance (COI) is fixed. The PDF is the easy part. The hard part is getting the right holder wording, job description, endorsement request, and delivery email without interrupting the customer service representative (CSR) three times.

TL;DR: ACORD 25 is a certificate of liability insurance, not a policy, binder, endorsement, or coverage promise. It shows listed policies and limits as of the issue date, but it does not change coverage, give rights, or replace the policy and endorsements. In my experience, better request details remove more rework than faster typing.

What Is ACORD 25 Used For?

ACORD 25 is used to give a certificate holder an informational summary of a business's liability insurance on the date the certificate is issued. It can show liability coverage, but it is not the coverage itself. The policy and endorsements still control what coverage exists.

The full common name is Certificate of Liability Insurance. You will also see people search for certificate of liability insurance ACORD 25, ACORD form 25, ACORD 25 form, ACORD 25 forms, or ACORD 25 certificate of liability insurance. In agency work, they usually mean the same document.

Common requesters include:

• General contractors asking subcontractors for liability evidence before jobsite access
• Landlords asking tenants for evidence of liability insurance
• Municipalities asking vendors for certificates before an event or permit
• Clients asking a service provider to show coverage before work starts
• Lenders asking for liability evidence, often with separate property evidence

The main point: ACORD 25 is evidence of insurance information, not the insurance. It summarizes policy information. It does not bind coverage, broaden coverage, or override the policy.

ACORD 25 is for liability. ACORD 27 and ACORD 28 are property evidence forms, which matters because requesters use loose language. A landlord may say “send a COI” when they need liability only. A lender may say “send an ACORD” when they need property evidence. Your staff should not guess.

Form	Plain-English use	Common requester	When to question the request
ACORD 25	Certificate of Liability Insurance	General contractor, landlord, municipality, client	Requester asks for property values or mortgagee wording
ACORD 27	Evidence of Property Insurance	Lender or property interest holder	Requester also asks for general liability or auto liability
ACORD 28	Evidence of Commercial Property Insurance	Commercial lender, mortgagee, building owner	Requester asks only for liability limits

My firm recommendation: train your staff to say, “We can issue a certificate showing current listed coverage information. If the requester needs special wording or additional insured status, we need to confirm the policy and endorsements support it.” That sentence prevents messy calls later.

If your team also handles application details, the same discipline applies to ACORD 125 commercial applications: do not let an incomplete request become a CSR scavenger hunt.

Who Should Fill Out an ACORD 25?

An authorized agency representative or carrier should prepare ACORD 25 from verified policy records, carrier authority, and agency procedure. In a typical independent property and casualty (P&C) agency, a CSR or account assistant prepares the certificate in the agency management system (AMS) or carrier process.

A producer or account manager gets involved when the request includes new limits, unusual contract wording, a waiver of subrogation, primary and noncontributory wording, or an additional insured request that is not clearly supported by the current policy.

Step	Usually handled by	What they need	Risk if skipped
Take the request	Receptionist, CSR, account assistant	Holder name, email, due date, project details	CSR has to call back and re-ask basics
Check policy status	CSR or account manager	Active policies, effective dates, limits	Certificate shows stale or wrong coverage data
Review special wording	CSR, account manager, producer	Contract requirements, endorsement availability	Agency implies wording the policy may not support
Prepare ACORD 25	CSR or account assistant	AMS data and approved wording	Typos, wrong holder, wrong operations text
Deliver certificate	CSR or account assistant	Requester's email, insured copy preference	Certificate goes to the wrong person
Save documentation	CSR or account manager	Transcript, email, certificate copy	Later review and documentation become harder

One phrase I would train CSRs to clarify right away is “just add them.” Add them as what? Certificate holder? Additional insured? Waiver holder? Loss payee? Mortgagee? Those are not the same thing.

The better answer is, “We will review what they are asking for and whether the policy supports it.”

How Do You Fill Out the ACORD 25 Fields?

The ACORD 25 form is easiest to control when your CSR treats it as a top-to-bottom checklist, not as one large fillable PDF. Confirm the current edition through your authorized forms source before issuing, and use policy records instead of memory.

Here is the field map I would put in an agency standard operating procedure. ACORD maintains an official forms program. Agencies should use authorized sources rather than random downloads from search results. See ACORD Forms for the official forms program.

ACORD 25 section	What goes there	CSR check before issuing
Date	Certificate issue date	Use the actual date prepared, not the policy effective date
Producer and contact information	Agency name, address, contact name, phone, fax if used, and email	Confirm the branch, servicing office, and contact are correct
Insured	Named insured and mailing address	Match the policy named insured, not just the DBA from the request
Insurers A through F and NAIC numbers	Carrier names assigned to coverage letters, with NAIC numbers when available	Confirm each carrier, especially on packages and layered accounts
Certificate disclaimer	The form's notice that the certificate is issued as a matter of information only	Do not use the certificate to promise rights or coverage changes
Coverage grid columns	Insurer letter, type of insurance, addl insr, subr wvd, policy number, effective date, expiration date, and limits	Verify policy facts from AMS or carrier source before typing
Commercial general liability	Occurrence or claims-made indicator, general aggregate, products, personal and advertising injury, each occurrence, damage to rented premises, med exp	Do not guess occurrence versus claims-made
Automobile liability	Any auto, owned autos, hired autos, non-owned autos, scheduled autos, policy number, dates, combined single limit or split limits	Match the policy symbol or coverage basis
Umbrella or excess liability	Umbrella or excess indicator, occurrence or claims-made, retention, limits, policy number, dates	Do not show umbrella if it is only quoted or pending
Workers compensation and employers liability	WC statutory box, other indicator when applicable, employers liability limits, policy number, dates	Confirm state and employer liability data match the policy
Description of operations, locations, vehicles	Project, location, job number, contract reference, supported additional insured or waiver wording	Keep wording factual and tied to policy terms and endorsements
Certificate holder	Exact legal name and mailing address of requester	Copy from contract or written request when possible
Cancellation	The form's cancellation notice wording	Do not type custom notice promises unless approved by carrier and procedure
Authorized representative	Agency authorized signature or system-generated signature	Follow agency and carrier procedure

Yes, that is more than the visible boxes people notice. But this is how the work actually fails. The certificate holder field may look simple, but an incorrect legal name or address can cause rejection or rework.

Two notes for ACORD 25 fillable searches:

1. Do not build your certificate process around random fillable PDFs found online. Your agency should use an authorized source such as your AMS, carrier portal, or authorized forms provider.
2. A fillable ACORD 25 does not validate coverage. It only makes typing easier. The CSR still has to confirm policy facts and endorsement authority.

What Does a Filled ACORD 25 Example Look Like?

A useful ACORD 25 example starts with the request, not the blank form. For a subcontractor, your CSR needs the insured, certificate holder, job or location, requested wording, active policy facts, due date, and delivery email before preparing the certificate.

Scenario: Brightside Electrical LLC is doing low-voltage work for a general contractor. The general contractor asks for evidence of general liability, auto liability, umbrella, and workers compensation. The contract asks that the general contractor be shown as additional insured, subject to what the policy and endorsements allow.

All business names, addresses, policy numbers, emails, and dates below are fictional.

Field	Example entry	Why it matters
Insured	Brightside Electrical LLC, 1420 Maple Ave, Dayton, OH 45402	Use the named insured from the policy
Certificate holder	North Ridge Builders Inc., 88 Stone Park Dr, Columbus, OH 43215	Exact holder name and address reduce rejection loops
Description of operations	Project: Tenant buildout at 410 Market St, Columbus, OH. North Ridge Builders Inc. is included as additional insured only to the extent supported by policy terms and endorsements.	Wording stays tied to policy and endorsement support
General liability	Fictional policy CGL 1234567, effective 01/01/2026 to 01/01/2027, each occurrence limit $1,000,000, aggregate $2,000,000	Shows the requester the key liability limits
Auto liability	Fictional policy BAP 778899, effective 01/01/2026 to 01/01/2027, combined single limit $1,000,000	Common general contractor requirement
Umbrella	Fictional policy UMB 445566, effective 01/01/2026 to 01/01/2027, each occurrence $5,000,000	Shows excess limits when active
Workers compensation	Fictional policy WC 112233, effective 01/01/2026 to 01/01/2027, statutory limits, employers liability $1,000,000	Often required before jobsite access
Delivery	Email to certificates@northridge.example and copy service@brightside.example	Gives the CSR a clear send path

This is a simplified example, not coverage advice. Any additional insured, waiver, primary and noncontributory, or special operations wording must match policy terms, endorsements, carrier-approved procedure, and agency authority.

A good CSR note after issuing might read:

“Issued COI to North Ridge Builders for 410 Market St tenant buildout. Showed GL, auto, umbrella, WC per active policies. Additional insured wording included only to the extent supported by policy terms and endorsements. Sent to certificates@northridge.example and copied insured.”

That note is boring. Boring is good. Boring helps when the same requester calls back two months later.

Which ACORD 25 Mistakes Cause Rework?

Most preventable ACORD 25 mistakes start before the CSR opens the form. Missing holder information, unclear contract wording, stale policy data, and rushed promises turn into rejected certificates, extra phone calls, and E&O exposure for errors and omissions.

Here are 8 I would audit first:

Mistake	What it looks like	Better control
Wrong certificate holder	“ABC Builders” instead of the exact legal entity	Require written holder name and address
Stale policy data	Last year's expiration date or old carrier	Pull from AMS or carrier source every time
Unsupported additional insured wording	Certificate says AI but no endorsement applies	Verify endorsement support before wording goes out
Overpromising cancellation notice	CSR types custom notice language that conflicts with policy terms	Use approved cancellation wording only
DBA used as named insured	Holder rejects because named insured does not match contract	Check named insured and doing business as relationship
Vague operations text	“For all work performed” on a specific project request	Tie description to job, location, or contract
Missing delivery instructions	CSR issues certificate but sends it to insured only	Capture requester email and copy preference
Treating urgent as simple	Rush job includes waiver, primary wording, and umbrella requirement	Review special wording before promising turnaround

A script I like for CSRs:

“Happy to help with the certificate. I need the certificate holder's exact name and address, the project or location, the email where it should be sent, and any contract wording they require. If they are asking for additional insured, waiver of subrogation, primary and noncontributory wording, or unusual cancellation wording, our licensed team will confirm the policy supports it before we issue.”

That script is not fancy. It keeps the agency out of the ditch.

Cancellation wording deserves special care. The ACORD 25 cancellation section is not the place to freestyle notice promises. If your staff frequently handles termination paperwork too, keep a separate process for ACORD 35 cancellation requests so certificate work and cancellation work do not blur together.

How Can You Cut ACORD 25 Request Time?

The fastest ACORD 25 process starts with clean request details, not a faster typist. For a 5 to 50 person agency, the goal is simple: get the holder, job, wording, deadline, and delivery email before the CSR starts building the certificate.

For agencies with 5 to 50 staff, certificates are death by interruption. A CSR is in the middle of an endorsement. The phone rings. The insured says the general contractor is mad. The CSR asks for the holder information. The insured does not have it.

Ten minutes later, an email arrives with a contract attachment and no explanation. Now the CSR has to rebuild the request.

Use a standard request checklist:

Request question	Why it matters	Example answer
Who is the insured?	Finds the account	Brightside Electrical LLC
Who is the certificate holder?	Populates holder field	North Ridge Builders Inc.
What is the holder's mailing address?	Reduces rejection	88 Stone Park Dr, Columbus, OH 43215
What job, project, or location is this for?	Populates operations text	410 Market St tenant buildout
What wording is being requested?	Flags licensed review	Additional insured and waiver requested
Is there a contract or sample certificate?	Supports review	Contract attached by email
When is it due?	Sets queue priority	Needed before noon tomorrow
Where should we send it?	Prevents follow-up calls	certificates@northridge.example

Then set rules:

• Simple certificate, no special wording: CSR queue.
• Additional insured, waiver, primary and noncontributory, completed operations, or unusual cancellation wording: licensed review.
• New limits, policy change, missing coverage, or coverage question: producer or account manager.
• Claim-related call mixed into certificate request: handle it separately. For claim call problems, see first notice of loss (FNOL) call handling.

If your team is already buried, this is the same operating principle I wrote about in insurance CSR process: reduce interruption before you try to make the interrupted person faster.

Where Does Sera Fit in ACORD 25 Requests?

Sera can help collect ACORD 25 request details after hours, text back missed calls on Growth and above, and send the request to your team. Sera should not make coverage decisions, decide endorsement wording, bind coverage, quote premiums, give coverage advice, or file claims with carriers.

At Twig, we make Sera. Sera is Twig's artificial intelligence (AI) front desk for local businesses. She answers every phone call, text, web chat, email, and WhatsApp message, 24/7, and books the appointment.

For an independent insurance agency, the useful ACORD 25 role is collecting the first set of details:

ACORD 25 task	Sera can help?	Human still owns
Answer the certificate request call after hours	Yes	Agency sets escalation rules
Collect insured name, holder name, address, due date, and delivery email	Yes	CSR verifies before issuing
Ask whether special wording is requested	Yes	Licensed staff decides what can be shown
Send the conversation transcript to the agency	Yes	CSR documents in AMS manually
Missed-call text-back	Yes, on Growth plan and above	Agency decides follow-up process
Live transfer to a person	Yes, on Growth plan and above	Staff availability and licensing
Quote premiums, bind coverage, give coverage advice, or file claims with carriers	No	Licensed agency team or carrier
Directly update EZLynx, HawkSoft, Applied Epic, AMS360, or QQCatalyst	No	Staff enters notes manually

Sera has no direct integration with agency management systems like EZLynx, HawkSoft, Applied Epic, AMS360, or QQCatalyst. Call notes and request details can go to email or supported tools including Gmail, HubSpot, Salesforce, and Slack. Every conversation is logged with a full transcript, which helps when a CSR needs to see exactly what the insured asked for.

Sera is SOC 2 Type II certified. Twig is not Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant and does not sign business associate agreements (BAAs). Sera also does not bind coverage, quote premiums, give coverage advice, or file claims with carriers. When a question is outside what she knows, she escalates to a person with the conversation attached, and your agency sets the escalation rules.

If you want to see how we position Sera for agencies, start with AI receptionist for independent insurance agencies. If you are comparing cost against an answering service or another phone process, Sera pricing is public. Starter begins at $49 per month. Live transfers and missed-call text-back require Growth, which starts at $499 per month. Every plan includes a 15-day free trial, voice, and no-credit-card signup.

What Should You Do Next?

The next step is to create a one-page ACORD 25 request template your front desk, CSR team, and producers all use. Do not rewrite your whole commercial lines process first. Start with the next certificate call.

Require the holder's exact name, address, project, requested wording, due date, delivery email, and attachments before the CSR prepares the ACORD 25.

Then audit 10 recent certificate requests. Count how many had missing holder information, unsupported wording, stale policy data, or unclear delivery instructions. That count will tell you whether your problem is the form or the request path that feeds it.