Texas COIs and Blanket Additional Insured Endorsements: What to Request

If you receive a contract requiring you to name the other party as an additional insured, and your policy contains only a Blanket Additional Insured endorsement, you face a specific Texas certificate question: can the certificate name that party as an additional insured, or not?

The Texas Department of Insurance answers this directly. According to the TDI Certificates of Insurance FAQ, when a certificate holder asks to be named as an additional insured but the policy contains only a Blanket Additional Insured endorsement, the certificate may not name that holder as an additional insured. However, the certificate can state that the policy contains a Blanket Additional Insured endorsement. This distinction flows from Texas Insurance Code Sections 1811.051(a), 1811.054, and 1811.152, which prohibit a certificate from saying more than what the underlying policy actually contains.

This is a Texas-specific rule that applies when the risk is located in Texas. TDI confirms that any certificate issued for a Texas risk must use a TDI-approved form, regardless of where the certificate holder is located.

The practical consequence: the certificate itself is not where additional insured status gets established. It is evidence of what the policy already says. The endorsement document—not the certificate—is what you and your issuer need to examine.

A certificate of insurance is an informational summary, not a policy. As described by Travelers, state insurance regulators define COIs as informational documents only—they do not confer rights on the certificate holder and cannot amend, extend, or alter coverage. What a certificate holder actually receives depends on the underlying policy and any executed endorsements.

The ACORD 25 certificate form includes an "Additional Insured" checkbox. Per TDI's FAQ, that box should be checked only when the policy includes an endorsement that names the certificate holder as an additional insured—not when coverage flows through a blanket endorsement that covers whoever qualifies under a general description.

A Blanket Additional Insured endorsement works differently from a scheduled endorsement. A scheduled endorsement names a specific party by name in the policy or endorsement itself. A blanket endorsement extends additional insured status to parties who meet a defined trigger—typically, those with whom the named insured has agreed in a written contract to provide additional insured status. Whether a specific certificate holder actually qualifies under the blanket endorsement depends on the endorsement's trigger language, which can vary significantly between policies and carriers.

Additionally, the TDI FAQ notes that a certificate holder may not use the "Certificate Holder" box to imply or confer any new or additional rights beyond what the policy or any executed endorsement actually provides. Listing corporate officers, subsidiaries, affiliates, or assigns in that box does not create coverage for those parties.

For a broader look at how general liability coverage works—the policy type where additional insured endorsements are most commonly requested—see General Liability Insurance: What It Covers, Costs & Who Needs It.

Before you sign a contract or send a certificate to a client or general contractor, gather the actual endorsement documents and review them against the contract requirement. The COI & Contract Insurance Checklist can help you organize the requested insurance terms and questions to bring to your insurance professional. It does not issue or authenticate a certificate, interpret legal obligations, or verify compliance.

The following worksheet is an original organizational tool. Fill it in using your own policy documents and endorsement copies. It does not determine coverage, legal compliance, or whether your policy satisfies a specific contract.

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Endorsement Comparison Worksheet

Use this with copies of your actual policy endorsements and the contract's insurance requirements section. Leave blank any row where you do not yet have the document.

Item to Confirm	What the Contract Requires	What Your Policy or Endorsement Says	Match?	Question for Your Agent or Insurer
Endorsement type	Named additional insured? Blanket?	Scheduled or blanket?
Endorsement trigger (blanket)	Written contract required?	What written-contract language triggers AI status?
Who qualifies as AI	Specific company name listed?	Qualifying parties defined how?
Scope of AI coverage	Ongoing operations only? Completed operations?	What operations does the endorsement cover?
Primary/noncontributory language	Does the contract require it?	Does the endorsement include it?
Waiver of subrogation	Does the contract require it?	Does your policy have a blanket or scheduled waiver endorsement?
Certificate statement allowed	Contract requires AI named on COI	TDI: certificate can state blanket endorsement exists, not name holder as AI	Note Texas rule	Confirm with agent what the certificate will actually state
Certificate form	TDI-approved form required for Texas risk	Is the ACORD form TDI-approved for this use?
Cancellation notice	Does the contract require notice to holder?	Is the holder named in the policy or endorsement for notice rights?
Record of written contract	Blanket trigger requires written contract	Do you have an executed written contract in your files?

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For each row where there is a mismatch or a blank, write down a specific question to bring to your agent or insurer before you issue the certificate or sign the contract. Do not rely on the certificate to resolve a gap—contact your insurer or agent to request the actual endorsement language.

These questions are not a coverage determination. They are a starting point for your conversation with a licensed insurance professional who can read your actual policy documents.

• Does my policy contain a Blanket Additional Insured endorsement, a scheduled endorsement, or both?
• If blanket, what exactly triggers coverage for a specific party—must there be a signed written contract before work begins?
• Does the endorsement extend to completed operations, or only ongoing operations?
• Does it include primary and noncontributory language, and does that language match what this contract requires?
• Does my policy include a Blanket Waiver of Subrogation endorsement, and can the certificate state that it exists?
• For a Texas risk, what TDI-approved certificate form will be used, and what exactly will it say about my AI and waiver status?
• If this contract holder is not specifically named anywhere in my policy, do they actually qualify for coverage under the blanket endorsement based on our written agreement?

For additional context on how these requests fit into a construction risk-transfer program, Travelers' contractual risk transfer resource notes that additional insured endorsements can be reviewed and discussed with your insurance agent or legal counsel, and that indemnification clauses in construction contracts can involve complex legal issues.

For contractors, the TDI framework means the certificate is the last step in the process—not the first. The chain runs: written contract → endorsement that meets its trigger → certificate that accurately describes what the endorsement says.

For project-level insurance requirements that go beyond the certificate question, Business Insurance for Contractors: A Buying Checklist covers how different coverage types typically appear in contractor insurance programs.

To organize the specific insurance terms and endorsement questions you need to resolve before your next project, use the COI & Contract Insurance Checklist as a starting point, then review the results with your insurance professional.

If you want to share your situation and questions with PolicyBenchmark, you may submit an optional request using our coverage inquiry form. No quote or provider connection is promised.