What is an "additional insured"?
The endorsement venues, landlords, and clients almost always ask for — explained.
If you've ever been told "you need to add us as additional insured," here's what that actually means: another party gets added to your liability policy so the policy may also respond on their behalf for certain claims that arise out of your work or your use of their property.
Why it exists
It's about who pays when something goes wrong. A venue that lets you host an event, or a client whose site you work on, doesn't want a claim caused by your activity to hit their own insurance. Naming them as an additional insured on your policy is how that risk is shifted to where the activity actually happened — with you.
Additional insured vs. certificate holder
These get mixed up all the time:
- Certificate holder — simply receives your certificate of insurance as proof you're covered.
- Additional insured — is actually extended certain protections under your policy by endorsement.
A venue often asks to be both: listed as the certificate holder and named as an additional insured.
How to add one
Ask your carrier or agent for the additional-insured endorsement and give them the exact legal name and address of the party. It then shows up on your certificate. Many policies offer a blanket endorsement that automatically covers parties you're contractually required to add — handy if you work with many venues or clients. Coverage terms, eligibility, and pricing are determined by the carrier and vary by state.
For venues: skip the back-and-forth
If you run a venue and you're forever collecting additional-insured certificates from vendors and event hosts, our venue program automates it — your guests buy coverage through your branded link and your venue is named as additional insured on every certificate automatically.
Frequently asked questions
What does "additional insured" mean?
An additional insured is a party — often a venue, landlord, client, or general contractor — added to your liability policy by endorsement so that the policy may also respond to certain claims made against them arising from your work or your use of their space.
Why do venues and clients require additional insured status?
It shifts the financial risk of your activities onto your policy rather than theirs. If something you do leads to a claim, they want your coverage to respond first, which is why it is a near-universal condition in venue and contract requirements.
How do I add an additional insured?
You request the endorsement from your carrier or agent and provide the exact name and address of the party to be added. Once added, it appears on your certificate of insurance. Some policies include a blanket additional-insured endorsement that covers parties you are contractually required to add.
Is "additional insured" the same as "certificate holder"?
No. A certificate holder simply receives a copy of the certificate as proof of coverage. An additional insured is actually extended certain protections under the policy. A party can be one, the other, or both.
Need to add a venue or client as additional insured?
Start a quote and you can request the additional-insured wording on your certificate.
Get a quote →