COI tracking software
Software · Cloudbreak team · Updated October 29, 2026 · 11 sources
Definition
COI tracking software is an automated system for tracking the certificates of insurance that contractors and vendors provide. It cuts data entry and the risk of surprise coverage lapses, and it can email reminders automatically to staff and to the vendor.1 A certificate is evidence that certain types of coverage and limits were purchased. It is not the policy.2
How it works
Leases and service contracts require vendors, contractors and tenants to carry set coverage, often with the owner named as additional insured, and a certificate of insurance is the usual proof. Tracking those certificates by hand gets hard once there are dozens of vendors, each with policies that renew on different dates.
RIMS calls a certificate a snapshot in time: it proves coverage was in force when it was issued, while policies renew on dates throughout the year and can be cancelled with little warning.1
Tracking software keeps a current certificate on file for each vendor and compares it with what that vendor's contract requires. Common features:
- Requirement profiles that set the coverage and limits needed for each type of contract.
- Reading certificate data with optical character recognition (OCR) and storing both the data and the PDF.
- Accepting ACORD forms, insurer-specific certificates and policy forms, and tracking additional insured, per project aggregate and waiver of subrogation endorsements where a contract requires them.
- Emailing vendors for new and renewal certificates and about deficiencies such as insufficient coverage, cancellations or a downgraded insurer rating.
- A status for each certificate, such as requested, in review, deficient, escalated or accepted.
Buyers ask for the same list. A request for proposals issued April 21, 2023 by the Southwest Florida Water Management District, a public agency, requires each of these features.3
Example
Example inputs: a contract requires $3,000,000 of general liability for exterior contractors working on facades and roofs, and counts primary and umbrella limits together, as Columbia University's contract rules do. A roofer with $1,000,000 of general liability plus $2,000,000 of umbrella meets the requirement.4
| Check | What the certificate shows | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Limits | $1,000,000 general liability plus $2,000,000 umbrella | Meets $3,000,000 with primary and umbrella combined |
| Additional insured | ADDL INSD box marked | Endorsement copy still needed (Columbia asks for ISO CG 20 37 07 04 or equivalent) |
| Waiver of subrogation | SUBR WVD box marked | Certain policies may require an endorsement; the certificate confers no rights in its place |
| Dates | Policy expiration date | Renewal certificate needed when the policy renews |
A RIMS case shows what a missed renewal can cost. A plumbing contractor's certificate and additional insured endorsement were in order, but the contractor did not renew the policy. The general contractor never requested a renewal certificate and paid a loss of more than $75,000.1
Where you'll see it
- ACORD 25, Certificate of Liability Insurance: general liability, auto, umbrella and workers compensation policies, with ADDL INSD and SUBR WVD columns. It is issued as a matter of information only and confers no rights on the certificate holder.5
- ACORD 28, Evidence of Commercial Property Insurance: for parties with a financial interest in the property, typically lenders. It lists the amount of insurance, deductible, coinsurance and wind, hail and named storm terms.6,7
- Leases: in property insurance, IRMI says additional insured status most often comes from a lease requiring the tenant to insure the building and name the owner.8
What a certificate proves and doesn't
A certificate is a summary issued for information. It does not change the policy, make anyone an additional insured or give the holder rights the policy doesn't; only the policy and its endorsements do that. It also leaves out the policy's exclusions and limitations, and it is the endorsement, not the certificate, that confirms terms such as additional insured status.
State rules
For risks in Texas, Insurance Code Chapter 1811 sets these rules for certificates:9
- An approved, properly issued certificate confirms that the referenced policy was issued or coverage was bound.9
- It is not a policy, does not amend, extend or alter coverage, and confers no rights beyond the policy or an executed endorsement.9
- It may not refer to insurance requirements in another contract, such as a construction or service contract.9
- A holder has a right to notice of cancellation only if it is named in the policy or an endorsement and the policy or Texas law requires the notice.9
In Texas, TDI says to check the additional insured or waiver of subrogation box when the policy includes an endorsement that names the certificate holder. If the policy has only a blanket endorsement, the certificate can say so but cannot name the holder.10
Questions
- Does a certificate of insurance prove additional insured status?
- No. Additional insured status comes from the policy or an endorsement. The ACORD 25 states that a statement on the certificate confers no rights in place of the endorsement.5
- What is the difference between ACORD 25 and ACORD 28?
- ACORD 25 certifies liability insurance. ACORD 28 is evidence of commercial property insurance for parties with a financial interest in the property, typically lenders. Both forms state that they are issued as a matter of information only.6,5,7
- What does a waiver of subrogation do?
- It is the insurer's acknowledgment that it has no right to recover from a liable third party after paying a loss. IRMI notes that many policies exclude coverage if the insured waives its recovery rights after a loss rather than before.11
- Why are there separate property and liability certificates?
- A property policy typically must notify the mortgage holder of cancellation, while a liability policy notifies only the first named insured unless endorsed. ACORD working groups recommend separate certificates for that reason.6
Cloudbreak
Cloudbreak keeps every policy, statement of values and loss run in one place per property, tracks renewals, and watches every building against storms with its proprietary predictive storm engine, built with AI and backed by meteorologists.
Sources
Written by the Cloudbreak team. Numbers, dates and rules cite the published sources below.
- 1. RIMS, Risk Management Magazine: Ensuring Certificate Compliance
- 2. International Risk Management Institute (IRMI): certificate of insurance
- 3. Southwest Florida Water Management District: RFP 22-3966 Full-Service Certificate of Insurance Tracking Solution
- 4. Columbia University, Office of the Treasurer, Risk Management Department: Minimum Insurance Requirements for Contracts
- 5. New York State Department of Financial Services: Approved Certificate of Insurance: ACORD 25 (2025/12) Certificate of Liability Insurance
- 6. ACORD: Certificates of Insurance Frequently Asked Questions
- 7. New York State Department of Financial Services: Approved Certificate of Insurance: ACORD 28 (2016/03) Evidence of Commercial Property Insurance
- 8. International Risk Management Institute (IRMI): additional insured (AI)
- 9. Texas Legislature: Insurance Code Chapter 1811, Certificates of Property and Casualty Insurance
- 10. Texas Department of Insurance: Certificates of Insurance Frequently Asked Questions
- 11. International Risk Management Institute (IRMI): waiver of subrogation