Vendor insurance requirements and COI request.
Vendor insurance requirements usually say that each vendor carries general liability coverage at limits you set, provides a certificate of insurance before the event, and names your organization or venue as additional insured. The text below has placeholders for your limits, and your venue or city decides what they should be.
Updated
Your venue or city sets the limits.
Don't pick coverage amounts by guessing or by copying another market. Ask your venue, your city or county special event office and your own insurance agent what they require, then write exactly that into the text below. Ask whether your venue has its own required wording.
Also ask who has to be named on the certificate. It may be your organization, the venue owner, the property manager, or all three. Each name goes into the [Additional insured names] placeholder.
Requirement wording for your application or agreement.
INSURANCE REQUIREMENT. Each vendor must carry commercial general liability insurance covering their activities at [Event name] on [Event date(s)], with limits of at least [Limit per occurrence] per occurrence and [Aggregate limit] in total, or the limits required by [Venue or city] if higher.
CERTIFICATE. Vendors must provide a certificate of insurance showing the policy number, the policy dates covering the whole event, and these limits. Upload it with your application or send it to [Email address] by [Deadline].
ADDITIONAL INSURED. The certificate must name [Additional insured names] as additional insured. Certificate holder: [Name and address].
FOOD AND OTHER SPECIAL VENDORS. Vendors serving food or drink, using open flame, cooking equipment, heating or generators, or selling alcohol must also carry [Any additional coverage required by the venue or the agency] and provide [Related permits or approvals].
NO CERTIFICATE, NO BOOTH. We cannot confirm a booth without a valid certificate on file. Vendors who arrive without one may be asked to leave, with [the booth fee refunded / no refund, as set out in the vendor agreement].
VENDOR RESPONSIBILITY. Vendors are responsible for their own products, equipment, employees and booth. [Event organizer] does not insure vendors' goods or property. Vendors should speak with their own insurance agent about what their policy covers.
How to request a certificate of insurance from a vendor.
Subject: Certificate of insurance needed for [Event name] by [Deadline]
Hi [Vendor name], thanks for joining [Event name] on [Event date] at [Venue]. Before we can confirm your booth, we need a current certificate of insurance showing general liability coverage of at least [Limits set by your venue or city], with policy dates that include [Set-up date] through [Breakdown date].
Please ask your insurance agent to list [Your organization's legal name and address] as certificate holder[, and to add [Venue or city legal name] as additional insured, including the endorsement page]. Send the certificate to [Email or upload link] by [Deadline].
If you don't carry insurance yet, ask your agent about coverage for a single event. Reply here with any questions. Thanks, [Your name], [Event name]
What to check on each one.
- The business named on the certificate matches the vendor who applied.
- The policy dates cover your event dates, including load-in and load-out.
- The coverage type and limits meet what your venue or city requires.
- The additional insured names are spelled the way your venue asked.
- The certificate holder is listed correctly. A certificate holder receives the certificate; additional insured is a separate status, so ask the vendor's agent if you aren't sure which one a document shows.
- Anything unclear goes back to the vendor's agent, not to you to interpret. Keep every certificate with the application.
Ask for it in the application.
This page is a starting template, not legal or insurance advice. Requirements differ by venue, city and state, so confirm yours with your venue, your local agency and your insurance agent, and have a lawyer review your final agreement.
- Require documents such as insurance certificates and permits with each application, so nothing arrives by scattered email.
- Attach your insurance terms as an agreement vendors must sign, sent automatically when you approve them.
Common questions.
How do I request a certificate of insurance from a vendor?
Email them the deadline, the event dates, the exact certificate holder name and address, the coverage and limits your venue requires, and any additional insured wording. The request email above covers each point.
What are typical insurance requirements for vendors?
Most markets ask each vendor for general liability coverage, a certificate of insurance before the event, and your organization or venue named as additional insured. The limits are set by your venue or city, so ask them first.
What is a certificate of insurance for a vendor?
It is a document from the vendor's insurer or agent that shows their policy, the dates it covers and the limits. You collect it before the event to confirm the vendor is covered. It is a summary, not the whole policy.
What does additional insured mean for vendors?
It means a person or organization other than the vendor, such as you or the venue, is also covered under the vendor's policy for the vendor's activities. Your venue will tell you who to name and what wording it needs.
Should I require every vendor to carry insurance?
Often the venue or city decides, so start there. Requiring it of everyone is simpler to enforce. If you make exceptions, write down who qualifies and ask your venue first.
Do I need insurance for my own event?
Venues and cities often ask the organizer for coverage too, separate from vendor insurance. Ask your venue and your local special event office, and talk to an insurance agent about what suits your event.
Keep reading.
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