Names and addresses that do not match
Reviewers compare the certificate to the contract character by character. If the contract is with Example Technologies, LLC and the certificate says Example Technologies, the reviewer may reject it. The same goes for the holder block. Ask the reviewer for the exact text they expect, and send that to your broker to reissue.
Limits or coverage lines that fall short
If the contract requires two million dollars of general liability aggregate and the certificate shows one million, the reviewer has no discretion, and neither does the certificate. Either the contract requirement is reconsidered or the policy limits are raised, often through an umbrella policy. The same applies when the contract requires a line you do not carry at all, such as cyber or professional liability.
Missing endorsements and wording
Additional insured status, waiver of subrogation and primary and non-contributory wording each depend on an endorsement being attached to the policy. A certificate that marks these without an endorsement behind them is a problem for everyone later, so a careful broker will not issue one. If the reviewer flags a missing endorsement, ask your broker to request it from the insurer and to reissue the certificate when it is confirmed.
Dates and process details
A policy that is about to expire can be rejected even if it is technically in force. Reviewers often ask for coverage that extends a set number of days past the contract start. Check the dates on the certificate against the contract, and if renewal is close, ask your broker to send the renewal certificate once it binds. If a reviewer's objection is unclear, ask them to point to the line of the contract that the certificate fails to meet, which usually reveals the fix in a sentence.
Last updated October 22, 2026. Written by the Alton Risk placement team.