A certificate of insurance for moving is a document proving your mover carries liability insurance that protects the building and third parties. It does not cover your furniture unless you buy replacement value protection or confirm valuation coverage through the mover or your own policy. Many buildings also require to be named as an Additional Insured, and issuing the certificate can take several business days, so ask early.
TL;DR:
- Ask the property manager for exact coverage limits and wording: a certificate holder receives proof, while an Additional Insured is added to the mover’s policy.
- A certificate covers building damage and claims by others, not household goods; confirm replacement value coverage with your mover or transit coverage with your insurer.
- Basic mover liability may pay only a low amount per pound, so get valuation terms in writing and compare them with your household policy.
- Send the building’s exact legal name, address, and required wording to your mover, and allow several business days for the broker to issue the certificate.
- Verify policy numbers, limits, dates, and named parties by contacting the broker or insurer through independently found details, and never pay a third party.
Table of Contents
- What a certificate of insurance for moving is and what it shows
- How a COI differs from moving insurance and replacement value protection
- Why buildings and property managers ask for a COI
- How to get a COI for your move, step by step
- Who pays for the COI and how much time to allow
- How to verify a COI is real
- What to check on the COI before move day
- Our view: the COI should not be your job
- How we help you get a COI and a smooth move
- FAQ
- Sources
What a certificate of insurance for moving is and what it shows
A certificate of insurance, or COI, is a document from the mover's insurer or broker confirming that specific liability coverages are in force. The Insurance Bureau of Canada's glossary describes it as a written statement that insurance exists and a general summary of coverages, while the policy itself is the legally binding contract with full terms and endorsements. In other words, the COI is proof, not the policy.
Most certificates show the same core fields:
- Insurer: the company that issued the policy.
- Named insured: the mover's legal name, which should match your contract.
- Policy numbers: one for each coverage listed.
- Coverages: typically Commercial General Liability, Automobile Liability, and sometimes cargo or transit coverage.
- Limits: the maximum payable per occurrence and in aggregate.
- Effective and expiry dates: the period the coverage is in force.
- Certificate holder: the party receiving the certificate, often your building or strata.
- Issuer details: the signing broker or authorized representative and contact information.
Two terms trip people up. A certificate holder simply receives proof that coverage exists. An Additional Insured is added to the mover's policy, which extends the mover's liability protection to the building owner for the duration of the move. Property managers may want the second one.
How a COI differs from moving insurance and replacement value protection
The COI protects the building and other third parties. It says nothing about your sofa, your television or your boxes. The federal Office of Consumer Affairs is direct on this point: a COI does not cover your furniture, so you should confirm replacement value protection with the mover or check your household insurance for coverage during transit.
Here is how the protections split:
- COI (mover's liability policy): covers damage to the building, injuries to other people and damage to other people's property caused by the mover.
- Replacement value protection, or valuation coverage: covers your belongings, usually at an extra cost. Ask exactly how a claim is settled, whether by repair, replacement or a set amount.
- Your home or tenant insurance: may cover some items in transit, but amounts and exclusions vary. Call your insurer and ask what applies when a professional mover handles your goods.
- The mover's default liability: many movers limit their basic responsibility to a low amount per pound, which can fall far short of what a television or dresser is worth.
That last point catches people off guard. A mover's basic liability may fall far short of a television or dresser's value. Before you sign, ask the mover to explain its valuation options in writing and compare them with what your own policy offers. Our guide to comparing movers on coverage, not just price walks through the questions worth asking.
Why buildings and property managers ask for a COI
Buildings are shared property. A mover who scratches an elevator cab, cracks lobby marble or injures a resident creates a loss that someone has to pay for. Without proof of insurance, that someone can end up being the owner, the strata corporation or even other residents through higher premiums or special charges. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's condominium guide notes that condo insurance requirements vary across Canada and that owners should check the corporation's coverage, including whether a chargeback of the corporation's deductible is possible. A COI documents the mover's insurance, while the building's coverage and any possible deductible chargeback should be checked against the corporation's insurance and governing documents.
Typical building requirements include:
- Being named as an Additional Insured on the mover's liability policy.
- A minimum amount of Commercial General Liability coverage, often set in the building's move-in rules.
- Automobile liability coverage for the moving truck.
- Advance written notice if the policy is cancelled or reduced, often in the range of 15 to 30 days.
If you want to see how formal these requirements get, look at public contracting. The federal government's standard clauses say the contracting authority is named as an Additional Insured with cross-liability wording and at least 15 days' prior written notice of any cancellation or change in coverage.
A sample federal procurement annex on insurance requirements calls for Commercial General Liability and Automobile Liability coverage with set minimum limits and 30 days' advance written notice of cancellation or reduction. Residential buildings usually ask for far less, but the structure is the same: named parties, defined limits and a notice period.
How to get a COI for your move, step by step
You do not request the certificate from the insurer yourself. The mover's broker issues it, so your job is to give the mover exactly what the building needs.
- Get the building's requirements in writing. Ask the property manager or strata for the required coverages, minimum limits and any specific Additional Insured wording. Ask whether they want a sample certificate for approval.
- Ask your mover to request the COI. The mover contacts its insurer or broker and asks for a certificate that lists your building or strata corporation as the certificate holder or, if required, as an Additional Insured.
- Send exact names and addresses. Provide the building's full legal name, such as the strata corporation's name and number, and the mailing address. A small spelling mismatch can get a certificate rejected.
- Pass along any endorsement wording. If the building supplies required phrasing, give it to the mover word for word so the broker can follow it.
- Allow several business days. Issuance can take time, so do not leave it for the week of the move. Our guide on when to book movers covers timelines and building rules.
- Confirm receipt and check the details. Review the certificate against the building's requirements, then forward it to the property manager and ask for written approval.
Pro Tip: Ask the property manager to approve the certificate before move day, in writing, so the building cannot turn the crew away at the door.
Who pays for the COI and how much time to allow
In most cases the mover or its broker arranges the certificate on the mover's behalf, since it is the mover's policy. Ask the mover whether arranging the certificate involves a fee before you book.
Keep these expectations in mind:
- Standard certificates: often quick for a broker to produce, but not instant. Plan for several business days.
- Special endorsements: if the building demands unusual wording or higher limits, the broker may need extra time and the mover may pass along an administrative cost.
- Multiple buildings: a move from one building to another may mean two certificates with two different certificate holders. Request both at the same time.
- Booking order: movers book up, and the COI request can only start once you have a confirmed date and the building's requirements in hand.
The practical advice is simple: schedule early, ask about COI fees at booking, and confirm the certificate has been issued again shortly before move day. If your moving window is tight, our article on how long movers take helps you plan the building's elevator booking around the job.
How to verify a COI is real
A certificate that looks professional is not necessarily genuine. Forged certificates exist, and the safest habit is to check with the source instead of trusting a PDF alone. Property managers are advised to verify certificates with the insurer or a reputable broker rather than accepting a document supplied only by the moving company.
Verification steps and red flags:
- Call the broker or insurer listed on the certificate. Use a phone number you find independently, not one printed only on the document.
- Confirm the details match: named insured, policy numbers, coverages, limits and dates.
- Be wary of third-party "issuers." Nobody legitimate asks you to pay a separate party to issue or verify a COI.
- Watch for missing contact details for the insurer or broker, or policy numbers that do not line up.
- Question odd letterhead use, especially a certificate that appears to borrow the branding of an industry body.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada has issued a scam alert about fraudulent certificates of insurance circulating with its letterhead, and advises verifying with the broker or insurer and never paying anyone who claims to issue a certificate. Treat a certificate claiming to come from the bureau with caution and verify it with the broker or insurer.
What to check on the COI before move day
Run through the certificate line by line as soon as it arrives. Catching a typo well before move day is a minor errand. Catching it at the loading dock is a postponed move.
- Mover's legal name matches your moving contract exactly.
- Insurer name and policy numbers are present for every listed coverage.
- Coverages include Commercial General Liability, automobile liability and, if requested, transit coverage.
- Limits per occurrence and in aggregate meet or exceed the building's minimums.
- Effective and expiry dates cover your move date with room to spare.
- Certificate holder or Additional Insured shows the building's correct legal name and address, with any required wording.
- Cancellation notice period matches what the building asked for.
- Broker signature and contact details are included.
If anything is missing or wrong, ask the mover to have the broker issue a corrected certificate, then confirm issuance with the broker or insurer directly. The declarations page of a policy is where policy period, limits, named insured and endorsements appear, so the certificate should line up with it.
Pro Tip: Save the final certificate as a PDF and email it to both your mover and the building contact, so everyone is looking at the same document.
Our view: the COI should not be your job
Here is my honest stance. The certificate of insurance is paperwork between a mover, a broker and a building, yet customers are the ones who get stuck chasing it. Plenty of people only learn the term when a property manager emails them shortly before the move with a deadline. That is backwards. A mover's insurance belongs to the mover, and the mover should handle it from request to delivery.
The reassuring truth is that this is easy to do well. We help make your move easier. If you want to prepare further, our house moving checklist fits the COI steps into a longer plan, and our booking staff can answer wording questions before you sign anything.
— Jack W.
How we help you get a COI and a smooth move
When you book with us, we focus on making your move easier. We handle residential, commercial, local and long-distance moves. We help make your move easier.
If you live in a condo, apartment or office tower, tell us about your move when you reach out. Contact us for a quote and we will take it from there.
FAQ
What is a COI for a move?
A COI is a certificate issued by the mover's insurer or broker showing that liability coverage is in force. It protects the building and third parties, not your belongings. The Insurance Bureau of Canada glossary calls it a general statement of coverage, while the policy holds the full legal terms.
How do I get a certificate of insurance for my move?
Ask your mover to request one from its insurance broker, naming your building or strata as the certificate holder or Additional Insured. Give the exact legal name and address. Issuance can take several business days, so ask well before move day.
Does a COI cover my furniture and boxes?
No. A COI covers the mover's liability for the building and other third parties. To protect your belongings, confirm replacement value protection with the mover or check whether your household insurance applies in transit.
How can I tell if a COI is fake?
Contact the insurer or broker named on the certificate using contact details you find yourself, and confirm the policy numbers, limits and dates. Never pay a third party to issue or verify a certificate, which is the warning in the Insurance Bureau of Canada's scam alert.
Sources
- Certificates of Insurance | HUB International
- Moving advice - Office of Consumer Affairs
- SCAM ALERT: Fraudulent ‘Certificate of Insurance’ Documents Circulating with IBC Letterhead