How to spot a fake or expired certificate of insurance

An expired certificate is the easy case: compare each policy's dates with today and with the end of your job. A forged one is harder, because the ACORD 25 is a standard form that's easy to copy. A fake looks like the real thing; only the facts on it are false. The check that settles both is the same. Confirm the policy with the agent who supposedly issued it, using contact details you find yourself.

Start with the dates

• Each policy row has its own dates. General liability, auto, umbrella and workers' comp often renew on different days. The sub is only as covered as the earliest one.
• Check the issue date in the top right corner. The certificate describes the policies on that day and nothing since.
• Compare against your schedule. A policy that ends before the job does needs a renewal on file before that date, not after.

What to look for on the page

None of these proves a certificate is fake. Each one is a reason to call the agent before the sub starts.

• Type that changes inside a row. Edited fields often sit in a slightly different font, size or position from the rest of the form. Look hardest at dates, limits and policy numbers.
• An insurer you can't find. The ACORD 25 has a column for each insurer's NAIC number. Look the company up in NAIC's Consumer Insurance Search and confirm it exists and is licensed in your state.
• A producer you can't reach. The producer box should name an agency with an address and phone you can confirm independently. If you can't find the agency anywhere except on this certificate, stop there.
• The wrong certificate holder. Your company's legal name and address belong in that box. A blank holder, "To whom it may concern" or another contractor's name suggests the sub is reusing a certificate made for someone else.
• A PDF last saved in an image editor. In Adobe Acrobat Reader, File > Properties shows the application that created the file and the PDF producer. Agency systems produce certificates; Photoshop doesn't.

Confirm it with the agent

1. Find the agency yourself. Search for it, or use your state insurance department's license lookup. Don't use the phone number or email printed on the certificate: whoever edited the document controls those too.
2. Ask for a written confirmation of the insurer, policy number, policy dates and limits.
3. Ask how you're covered. If your contract requires additional insured status or a waiver of subrogation, ask for the endorsement pages. A "Y" in the ADDL INSD column is the agent's statement, and the ACORD 25 says in its own header that a statement on the certificate doesn't confer rights in place of the endorsement.
4. Keep the confirmation with the certificate, with the date and the name of the person who gave it.

Make the check routine

Ask for certificates to come straight from the agent's office, not forwarded by the sub, and check every one the same way so the check never reads as an accusation. Do it again at each renewal: a new policy means a new certificate.

This is general information, not legal or insurance advice. If you believe a certificate was forged, talk to your own broker or attorney before you act on it.

What TradeGuard checks

TradeGuard reads each certificate that arrives, from you or from the sub's upload link, and records which program last saved the PDF. A file last saved by an image editor is flagged as possibly altered and doesn't count as coverage. One last saved by a PDF filler or an online PDF tool goes to Needs review with the tool's name, because agents and subs use those for real certificates too. You can also send the agent a request to confirm the policy, which they answer with one click. For a certificate that doesn't count yet, the request goes only to an address you type in yourself.

None of that proves a certificate is genuine. A forgery made in an agency's own software would pass the file check, which is why the agent's confirmation is the step that counts.

FAQ

How can I tell if a certificate of insurance is fake?

Confirm it with the issuing agent, at a phone number or email you look up yourself, and ask for the confirmation in writing. Warning signs on the page, such as mismatched fonts, an insurer you can't find or a PDF last saved in an image editor, are reasons to call. They aren't proof either way.

Can I check whether an insurance company is real?

Yes. Look up the company and its NAIC number in NAIC's Consumer Insurance Search, or with your state insurance department, which also lists the companies licensed in your state.

What should I do if a sub's certificate turns out to be fake?

Keep the sub off the site until you have real coverage confirmed by the agent, and keep copies of what you were sent. Talk to your broker or attorney before you accuse anyone; most state insurance departments also take reports of insurance fraud.

Is an expired certificate the same as no insurance?

Not always. The sub may have renewed and not sent you the new certificate. Until it arrives, treat the sub as not covered.