WHAT IS A CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE (COI)?
If you're renting your home, business, land or other property to a film or photo production, you may be asked to provide information so the production can issue you a Certificate of Insurance, commonly called a COI.
A COI is a document that provides evidence of a production company's insurance coverage.
For property owners, it's an important piece of paperwork to request and review before the crew arrives.
WHAT DOES A COI SHOW?
A Certificate of Insurance provides a snapshot of the production's insurance coverage at the time the certificate is issued.
Depending on the production and its policies, a COI may show:
Name of the insured production company
Insurance carrier
Policy numbers
Types of insurance coverage
Policy effective and expiration dates
Coverage limits
Certificate holder
Additional insured information, when applicable
In the United States, one of the most commonly used forms is the ACORD Certificate of Liability Insurance. You can learn more about ACORD insurance forms through ACORD.
WHY SHOULD A PROPERTY OWNER ASK FOR A COI?
Allowing a production onto your property introduces activity that wouldn't normally be there.
Even a relatively small shoot may involve crew members, lighting equipment, cables, stands, vehicles, furniture movement and other production equipment.
A COI helps confirm that the production has insurance in place for the dates it will be using your property.
It should be obtained before production begins, giving you time to review the information and request corrections if necessary.
WHAT SHOULD YOU CHECK ON A COI?
You don't need to understand every insurance term on the certificate, but there are several basic things worth checking.
THE PRODUCTION COMPANY
Make sure the insured company listed on the certificate matches the company actually conducting the production.
POLICY DATES
Confirm that the insurance policies shown are active during your prep, shoot and wrap dates.
If production will access your property on September 10 but the policy doesn't begin until September 11, that's a problem worth catching before anyone arrives.
TYPES OF COVERAGE
The certificate may show several types of insurance, including commercial general liability, automobile liability and workers' compensation.
What coverage is appropriate will depend on the size and nature of the production.
COVERAGE LIMITS
The COI will list the limits associated with the policies shown.
Property owners with specific insurance requirements should confirm that the certificate reflects those requirements.
For more information about production insurance, read What Insurance Should You Require From Production?.
CERTIFICATE HOLDER
The certificate holder is the person or entity receiving evidence of the insurance.
Make sure the legal name and address listed here are correct.
WHAT IS AN ADDITIONAL INSURED?
This is one of the most commonly misunderstood parts of a COI.
Being listed as a certificate holder and being an additional insured are not necessarily the same thing.
A certificate holder receives evidence that an insurance policy exists.
An additional insured may receive certain coverage rights under a policy through an endorsement, subject to the actual policy terms and conditions.
If your location agreement requires you or your property entity to be named as an additional insured, communicate that clearly to the production so its insurance broker can provide the appropriate documentation.
If you're unsure whether you should require additional insured status, speak with your insurance agent or attorney.
DOES A COI MEAN YOU ARE FULLY PROTECTED?
No.
A Certificate of Insurance provides evidence of insurance, but it is not the insurance policy itself.
It does not independently change the terms of the policy, guarantee coverage or confirm that every possible incident at your property would be covered.
Actual coverage depends on the policy, endorsements, exclusions and circumstances of a claim.
You can find general information about insurance regulation in Tennessee through the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance.
WHO PROVIDES THE COI?
The production company generally requests the certificate through its insurance broker or insurance provider.
As the property owner, you may be asked to provide:
Your legal name or business/entity name
Property address
Mailing address
Required insurance language
Additional insured requirements, if applicable
The production can then have its broker issue the certificate.
You generally shouldn't need to create or modify the production's COI yourself.
WHAT IF SOMETHING ON THE COI IS WRONG?
Ask the production to have it corrected.
Incorrect names, addresses, dates or insurance requirements can usually be addressed by the production's insurance broker.
It's much easier to fix these details the day before filming than while a crew is unloading equipment in your driveway.
IS A COI THE SAME AS A LOCATION RELEASE?
No.
A COI provides evidence of insurance.
A location release or location agreement establishes permission and terms for the production to use your property.
For most professional productions, these documents work alongside one another rather than replacing each other.
Read What Is a Location Release? for more information about location agreements and the terms property owners should review before a shoot.
THE BOTTOM LINE
A Certificate of Insurance is one of the basic documents property owners should become familiar with when hosting professional film or photography productions.
Before production begins, confirm that the production company is correctly identified, the policies are active for your production dates, the requested coverage is shown and your property or entity information is accurate.
If you're unsure whether the coverage shown is appropriate for your property, ask your insurance agent or attorney to review it.
Nashville Location Company provides location scouting, location management and location consulting for film, photography and commercial productions throughout Nashville and Middle Tennessee.