An additional insured endorsement is a change to your insurance policy that extends your coverage to another party, so that party is protected under your policy for claims connected to your activities. When a venue books your event and asks to “be added” to your insurance, this endorsement, not just a certificate, is usually what they are really asking for.
The request sounds like paperwork, but the distinction matters. A certificate shows you have coverage, an endorsement actually gives the venue coverage under your policy. This guide explains the difference, the specific forms a venue might name, and how to add one without a last-minute scramble before your date.
What an Additional Insured Endorsement Is
Your policy already protects you, the named insured. An additional insured endorsement adds someone else to that protection for claims that arise out of your work or your event. If a guest is hurt and names both you and the venue in a claim, the endorsement lets the venue turn to your policy for defense and damages, up to your limits.
The underlying coverage is general liability, the third-party bodily injury and property damage protection the Insurance Information Institute describes as commercial general liability insurance. The endorsement does not create new coverage out of thin air, it shares the coverage you already carry with the party you name.
Additional Insured Versus a Certificate of Insurance
These two documents get mixed up constantly, and the difference is the whole point of the request.
A certificate of insurance (COI) is a summary. It lists your carrier, policy number, coverage types, limits, and dates. It proves coverage exists on the day it is issued, but it does not change your policy or give anyone rights under it.
An additional insured endorsement changes the policy itself. The risk-management reference IRMI defines an additional insured as a person or organization not automatically covered who is added at the named insured’s request.
When a venue asks to be named as an additional insured, a COI alone does not satisfy that, the endorsement has to be in place, and the certificate should then show it.
The Endorsement Forms a Venue Might Name
Venues and their brokers often ask for a specific ISO form by number. A public reference guide from Sonoma County lists the additional insured endorsements that come up most, and a few are worth recognizing:
- CG 20 10 adds a party for liability arising from your ongoing operations, work while it is in progress.
- CG 20 37 adds a party for completed operations, claims that surface after the work is done.
- CG 20 11 covers managers or lessors of leased premises, which is the form that fits a venue renting space to you.
- CG 20 26 is a broader, catch-all additional insured form used when a more specific one does not apply.
For a venue hosting your event, a premises-based form like CG 20 11 often fits, though the contract or the venue’s broker may specify something different. Matching the exact form the contract names avoids a rejected certificate at check-in.
Blanket Versus Scheduled Additional Insured
There are two ways an endorsement can name who is covered.
A scheduled endorsement lists each additional insured by name. It is precise, but you request a new one for every venue, which takes time.
A blanket endorsement covers any party you are required by a written contract to add. For anyone running several events a year, a blanket endorsement is far less hassle, because a new venue is covered as soon as your contract requires it. If you only need coverage for a single date, a one-day event policy with the venue added is often the simpler route.
How It Differs From Primary Noncontributory and Waiver of Subrogation
A venue contract frequently asks for three things in the same sentence, and they are not interchangeable.
Being added as an additional insured gives the venue coverage under your policy. A primary noncontributory requirement goes further by setting the order of payment, so your policy pays first before the venue’s own coverage is touched, EventsGuardian explains this in its note on the primary noncontributory endorsement.
A waiver of subrogation is different again. It stops your insurer from later trying to recover its costs from the venue after paying a claim. EventsGuardian’s breakdown of the waiver of subrogation endorsement walks through how that form works. A contract can require all three at once, so read the insurance clause closely rather than assuming one covers the others.
How to Add a Venue the Right Way
A clean process keeps the paperwork from derailing your date:
- Read the insurance clause in the venue contract and note the exact limits, the additional insured form, and any primary noncontributory or waiver of subrogation requirements.
- Send that language to your insurer or broker and ask them to add the endorsement, not just issue a certificate.
- Confirm the venue’s correct legal name and address for the endorsement.
- Get an updated certificate that references the endorsement and shows the venue as additional insured.
- Send it to the venue well before load-in and keep a copy on hand.
The contract usually spells out what the venue wants, EventsGuardian’s guide to common venue insurance requirements is a useful cross-check before you request anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why would a venue want to be listed as an additional insured?
So it has direct protection under your policy if a claim arises from your event, rather than relying only on proof that you are covered. It shifts the risk of your activities back toward your insurance.
2. Is an additional insured endorsement the same as a certificate of insurance?
No. A certificate proves your coverage exists, an endorsement changes your policy to extend coverage to the named party. A venue asking to be “added” usually needs the endorsement, with the certificate showing it.
3. What is a CG 20 37 endorsement?
It is an ISO additional insured form that covers claims arising from your completed operations, damage or injury that surfaces after the work is finished, as opposed to CG 20 10, which addresses ongoing operations.
4. How much does an additional insured endorsement cost?
It varies by insurer and policy. Some carriers add one at no charge, especially on annual policies with a blanket endorsement, while others charge a small per-event fee. Ask your insurer before you buy.
5. What is the difference between an additional insured and a named insured?
The named insured owns the policy and controls it. An additional insured is added to it for specific claims tied to the named insured’s work and does not control the policy or its limits.
An additional insured endorsement is the step that turns “proof of insurance” into actual protection for a venue, which is why so many contracts ask for it by name. Confirm the exact form and limits in your contract, ask your insurer for the endorsement rather than a certificate alone, and send the updated paperwork early so the venue has what it needs before your event.