COI and Blanket Additional Insured: Should an Agency Provide Notice of Cancellation?   

• By: The Big "I" Virtual University
• March 2, 2026

Q: If a certificate of insurance (COI) holder is shown as an automatic additional insured when required by contract through a blanket additional insured endorsement and the coverage is cancelled, does the agent need to notify the certificate holder of the cancellation? Since the additional insured is not listed on the policy, they won’t receive notice from the company.

Response 1: No, the agent does not need to notify the certificate holder unless the agent is contractually agreed to do so. Assuming a duty that is not yours could be an errors & omissions nightmare.

The ACORD 25 form (2016/03) states in all caps just above the signature line: “Should any of the above described policies be cancelled before the expiration date thereof, notice will be delivered in accordance with the policy provisions.”

If there is no policy provision requiring notification of the additional insureds, they will not be notified. If the policy contains a notice of cancellation provision for additional insureds, it is the insurer’s responsibility to send notice.

On a side note, if your client agreed via contract to provide notice of cancellation, and you were informed of that, then you need to ask the insurer for a specific notice of cancellation endorsement for those additional insureds.

Response 2: Additional insured status does not grant the right to notice of cancellation. If you did not endorse the policy so that the additional insured will get notice, they won’t receive it. The A COI does not modify the policy. Did the additional insured request notice of cancellation? 

Response 3: To the best of my knowledge, there is no law in any state that requires an insurance agent or broker to ever send a notice of cancellation to anyone. If a third party wants to be notified of a pending cancellation, the insured should ask the carriers to endorse the policies to require that notice. Cancellation notices are a matter between the insurer, the insured and any third parties to whom the policy promises notice—a mortgagee is a good example. It is an E&O loss prevention best practice for agents to stay out of it.

This question was originally submitted by an agent through the Big “I” Virtual University’s (VU) Ask an Expert service, with responses curated from multiple VU faculty members. Answers to other coverage questions are available on the VU website. If you need help accessing the website, request login information.

This article is intended for general informational purposes only, and any opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s). The article is provided “as is” with no warranties or representations of any kind, and any liability is disclaimed that is in any way connected to reliance on or use of the information contained therein. The article is not intended to constitute and should not be considered legal or other professional advice, nor shall it serve as a substitute for obtaining such advice. If specific expert advice is required or desired, the services of an appropriate, competent professional, such as an attorney or accountant, should be sought.

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