Certificates of Insurance
A certificate of insurance is a document issued by an insurance company to a third party to provide information about the insured, including the insurance policy coverages, effective dates and limits, and other contract provisions.
Many university operations routinely request certificates of insurance. Below are some examples of circumstances when a certificate of insurance may be required or requested:
An outside organization requests to use University-owned space.
All non-university organizations using ISU facilities for their organization's event or activity must provide ISU with a certificate of insurance. An Insurance Fact Sheet is available from ORM to assist outside organizations in meeting ISU's insurance requirements. The fact sheet details the insurance requirements that must be included on the certificate including coverage limits, additional insureds, etc. The organization should share the fact sheet with their insurance agent to make sure the certificate being issued meets our specifications. Departments arranging the use of ISU facilities on behalf of outside organizations need to work with both Facilities Planning and Management and the Office of Risk Management to coordinate a Facilities Use Agreement and the appropriate insurance documentation to protect the university.
You've been asked to provide proof of liability insurance for use of a non-university facility
. When ISU uses property or facilities owned by others, we may be asked to provide a Certificate of Insurance. Because ISU is self-insured for liability, we cannot issue a standard certificate used by commercial insurance companies. ORM can, however, provide a letter of self-insurance to meet their proof of insurance requirement. In general, activities or events sponsored by the University are covered under the state's self-insurance program, and it is not necessary to purchase commercial liability insurance. If you have a contract or rental agreement that requests proof of insurance, ORM staff will assist in determine if self-insurance is adequate and provide the documentation. In those rare instances where commercial insurance may be required, ORM is available to provide assistance.The Office of Risk Management is available to provide assistance in determining when certificates are required and to provide a certificate of insurance at the request of another agency or venue. All certificates of insurance should be routed through our office to verify that all insurance requirements have been met. At your request, we'd welcome the opportunity to provide assistance in developing an Insurance Fact Sheet customized to meet your department or program's insurance needs.
Office of Risk Management
3618 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011
(515) 294-7711
E-Mail:
