How do I track subcontractor insurance certificates and expiry dates?

A subcontractor’s certificate of insurance (COI) shows what coverage was reported on the day it was issued. To track them, keep one record per subcontractor with the policy types, limits, and expiry dates. Review the records on a fixed schedule, and ask for a fresh certificate before each policy lapses. A simple spreadsheet is enough for many small businesses.

What a certificate shows

A COI is a summary page, usually issued by the subcontractor’s insurance agent or broker. It is evidence that a policy existed when the certificate was issued. It is not the policy itself, and it typically states that it does not amend, extend, or alter the coverage.

Look for these items:

• Insured: the legal name of the subcontractor. It should match the name on your contract and invoices.
• Insurer and policy number: who provides the coverage, and which policy it is.
• Type of coverage: commonly general liability, workers’ compensation, and commercial auto. Which ones apply depends on the work.
• Limits: the maximum amounts the policy is written for. Workers’ compensation limits are often shown as “statutory.”
• Effective and expiry dates: each policy has its own pair, and they often differ.
• Certificate holder: usually your business name and address. Being listed as certificate holder does not by itself make you an additional insured.
• Additional insured or other wording: relevant only if your contract requires it. Compare the wording on the certificate with your contract.

If you are unsure what a coverage type or limit means for your situation, ask your own insurance agent or another qualified professional. Requirements vary by state and trade, so confirm them with the official source.

Who to ask

Ask the subcontractor first. They can request a certificate from their agent or broker.

If you need to confirm a certificate is genuine, contact the agent or broker named on it. Get the contact details from a source you trust, not only from the certificate itself.

For your own requirements, such as minimum limits or additional-insured wording, ask your own agent. State your requirements in the subcontract so nobody is guessing.

Tracking expiry dates

Collect the certificate before work starts, not after. Then enter each policy’s expiry date in your tracker. If a subcontractor has three policies, that means three dates.

A few habits keep this reliable:

• Set a reminder well ahead of each expiry date. Thirty days is a common choice, because it leaves time to chase a renewal.
• Check the tracker on a regular schedule, such as the first of each month.
• Request the renewed certificate when the reminder date arrives. Don’t wait for the lapse.
• Save the PDF with a consistent file name, for example the subcontractor name plus the expiry date.
• Keep old certificates. They show what coverage was reported during past jobs.

Decide in advance what you will do if a certificate expires and no new one arrives. Some businesses pause scheduling that subcontractor until updated proof is received. If you want such a rule, put it in your contract or onboarding terms, and have a qualified professional review it if the stakes are high.

A simple tracking table

This works in any spreadsheet. The names and dates below are sample figures only, and each reminder is 30 days before expiry.

Worked example

Suppose your business has hired Sample Paving Co. Their general liability certificate, as in the table, shows a limit of $1,000,000 (a round sample figure) and an expiry of 2026-11-10.

You set the reminder for 2026-10-11, thirty days ahead of expiry. Today is 2026-10-22, so the reminder date has passed and no renewal is on file. The policy has not yet expired, with 19 days remaining, so there is still time to act. You mark the row “Renewal requested” and email the subcontractor asking for a renewal certificate.

If it arrives showing a new expiry date, you update the row and save the new PDF. If 2026-11-10 passes without one, you follow the rule you set in your contract or onboarding terms.

Common mistakes

• Treating the certificate as the policy. It is only a summary of it.
• Tracking one expiry date per subcontractor when each policy has its own.
• Checking the certificate once at hiring and never again.
• Accepting a certificate with a different business name than the one on the contract.
• Not looking at the limits, or at the certificate holder and additional-insured wording.
• Waiting until the expiry date to ask for a renewal.
• Assuming that a certificate on file means every job and worker is covered. Confirm the scope with your agent.