Business insurance certificates: how to get and check proof of cover

Start with the organisation responsible for your existing policy. You do not need to buy another policy to ask for its documents.

1. Identify the provider using your original policy emails or documents.
2. Check the policy email pack or official account.
3. Find evidence for the correct cover and dates; not every attachment is a certificate.
4. Request missing or inaccessible evidence using verified official provider contacts.
5. Check the details before sharing or displaying it.

Document names, availability and replacement arrangements vary. For Simply Business policies, use the support link above; for another provider’s policy, use that provider’s document service.

Old policies: Ask the insurer or broker responsible at the time for help, where identifiable. Searching for historical records is different from replacing a current certificate; retrieval is not guaranteed.

A certificate may state the business or person insured, insurer, policy reference, cover type, period and limit. It may not show excesses, territories, activities, exclusions or how much of a shared claim limit remains available.

Check that the document names the type of cover requested. A certificate for one section does not prove that other sections are included. A stated limit is not a promise of claim payment.

Current status: Changes or cancellation may mean an earlier certificate no longer reflects current cover. Ask the provider to confirm the position where needed.

Authenticity: If you need to verify a document, use independently verified provider contacts. A logo, signature image or reference number alone is not conclusive.

Each document has a different purpose. Names and contents can vary.

Document	Purpose	What else to check
Certificate	Evidence of the stated insurance.	Full cover details and current status.
Policy schedule	Particular business details, selected sections and amounts.	Applicable wording and amendments.
Policy wording	Clauses describing cover, definitions, exclusions and conditions.	Correct product, version and selected sections.
Endorsement	Changes or clarifies the terms.	Which provisions it broadens or restricts.
Summary or product information	Explains main features.	Full agreed documents.
Quote	Proposed terms and price.	Whether cover has started or been confirmed and remains active.

Read the documents together and ask the provider which terms apply if they conflict. Do not assume one document always takes priority.

Missing summary detail means “not stated; ask”, rather than automatic inclusion or exclusion. Use the guides to policy exclusions and limits and excesses for those reading questions.

Check the document against the business, dates and cover requested. Use the full policy documents for details not shown on the certificate.

Topic	What to check
Business and provider details	Correct business or person insured, relevant trading name, issuer, insurer and matching policy reference.
Dates and version	Required period and times, current version and relevant amendments.
Cover and amounts	Requested cover type and amount. Does the limit apply to each claim or on another basis required by the recipient?
Activities and territories	Whether the full terms fit the intended work and locations.
Recipient requirements	Exactly what the client, venue, tender or other recipient needs.
Unresolved questions	What the provider or requester must clarify before you rely on the evidence.

For example, a contractor asked for public liability evidence might open an employers’ liability certificate. Locate evidence for the requested cover; the wrong attachment alone does not establish that the contractor is uninsured.

For cover explanations, see public liability insurance, employers’ liability insurance and professional indemnity insurance.

This checklist does not guarantee legal or contractual compliance. Send only the documents needed, through an appropriate channel, and avoid publishing unnecessary personal or financial information.

Employee access to a compulsory employers’ liability certificate is separate from sending proof to clients. First establish whether compulsory cover applies, then follow the relevant territory’s display requirements.

Employers’ liability certificates in Great Britain

Where the Great Britain display duty applies, provide certificate access at each place of business where relevant employees covered by it are employed. Electronic availability can satisfy the duty where each relevant employee has reasonable access. Tell employees how and where to find it. See HSE’s employer guide, page 3.

Employers’ liability certificates in Northern Ireland

HSENI separately directs employers to display one or more valid copies at each business premises where employees can easily see and read them. Electronic display is permitted if employees know how and where to find the certificate and have reasonable access. See HSENI’s display guidance.

Keep the current certificate accessible to the relevant employees. Make sure staff can read it without needing access to an administrator’s private account, including staff without routine access to the chosen system.

Public liability and professional indemnity evidence

Check client, professional and activity-specific requirements for public liability or professional indemnity evidence. These are separate from the employers’ liability employee-access duty. The legally required business insurance guide explains the different sources of obligation.

Do not edit issued certificates yourself. Establish whether the client wants:

• a current copy;
• a different type of cover;
• a higher limit;
• activity or location confirmation;
• another business included;
• specific wording.

Take the request to the provider and ask whether it needs a policy amendment or only new evidence. Confirm the agreed terms and effective date, then obtain updated documents. A request or quotation alone does not confirm a change; availability, cost and acceptance need checking.

A client accepting your certificate does not change your policy. Ask the provider to confirm whether the actual cover meets the request.

Subcontractor evidence: A subcontractor’s certificate does not establish cover for the main contractor, every worker or every task. Check the relationship and actual terms. Specialist contract questions may also need legal advice.

1. Compare the certificate with your policy pack and identify the discrepancy.
2. Contact the provider responsible for the policy.
3. Confirm current cover and any agreed changes or renewal.
4. Obtain corrected or current evidence.
5. Replace outdated shared or displayed copies and make sure employees can still find and read the current certificate.

An expired certificate shows an earlier period. Check whether the policy has renewed and obtain current evidence; the old copy alone does not confirm current status. A renewal reminder is not confirmation that renewal is complete.

Keep useful historical records securely, including previous employers’ liability policies and certificates. They may help identify the insurer for a work-related illness claim arising much later. No universal retention period is prescribed here. The renewal guide covers wider checks.

Clarify any possible gap and planned work with the provider. Issuing replacement evidence does not itself add cover for an earlier period. For missing or incorrect documents, use the provider’s servicing contact; for interpretation, ask about the relevant policy terms.

For an existing incident or allegation, read how to notify a business insurance claim and follow your policy’s claims instructions.