COI (certificate of insurance)
Updated August 2026
A certificate of insurance, or COI, is a one-page document issued by your insurer that proves a policy exists: who is insured, what kinds of coverage, what limits, and what dates it runs between. It is evidence of coverage, not the policy itself.
Also called: certificate of insurance, insurance certificate.
Why it matters to a small caterer
The COI is the piece of paper that decides whether a venue lets you through the loading door. Hotels, country clubs, corporate offices, universities and municipal spaces all ask for one before an event, and many of them want to be listed as an additional insured on the policy, which is a change to the policy rather than a line on the certificate. That distinction is where caterers get caught: the certificate can be issued in minutes, the endorsement cannot.
Treat it as a lead-time problem. As soon as a venue is named on a booking, ask what they require, what limits, and in whose exact legal name the certificate should be issued. Then request it. A COI chased on the Thursday before a Saturday wedding is a genuinely common way to lose a job you had already been paid a deposit for.
What venues typically ask about
General liability is the usual core, often with a specific limit per occurrence and in aggregate. Where alcohol is served, liquor liability may be required separately. If you employ anyone, workers’ compensation is frequently requested. Auto coverage comes up when you are driving to the venue in a work vehicle. The exact combination and the limits are the venue’s call, and they vary widely, so ask rather than guess.
Keep a folder with the current certificate, the renewal date, and your broker’s direct contact. Diary the renewal a month ahead, because a certificate that expired last week is the same as no certificate at all.
Where this shows up
Put the terms to work on a real quote
CaterKit costs every dish from your own ingredients, prices the quote at your margin, and sends it as a page the client can accept on their phone.