What you need to do in 15 minutes
If someone asks you to send a certificate of insurance, you need to get a policy. This checklist shows you exactly what to do, step by step. In 15 minutes, you can get a real price and start your policy.
Follow these steps. Each one gives you a clear action and something you can see or get. You’ll have a policy and a certificate you can hand over. You will know what to do next time someone asks, too.
Step 1: Start your quote
Go to start your quote. This is where you answer a few short questions about your work. You’ll tell what kind of work you do and where you work. The site will ask about your state and the work you do. These answers help give you a price.
It takes about 5 minutes. You don’t need to know insurance terms. Just answer the questions the way you would for anyone else who asks about your job. The price you see is the real cost for your policy.
Step 2: Get your price
After you answer the questions, the site shows you your price. This is the real cost for your policy. It is not a guess. The price is for a policy that proves your business has insurance. This is called a ghost policy.
Ghost policies are for businesses with no employees. They let you show a certificate to someone who asks. But by default, these policies do NOT cover you, the owner, if you get hurt at work. If you want to be covered, you can choose to add yourself. That will cost more. You can decide at this step.
Step 3: Choose to cover yourself (if you want)
At the quote, you get to decide if you want to be covered. This is called an owner inclusion election. If you pick this, the price will be higher. This means if you get hurt on the job, the insurance can help. But if you don’t pick it, you are not covered.
Think about what you need. If you want to be covered, choose it now. You make the choice when you get your quote. If you don’t choose it, you’ll have a certificate to give, but you won’t be protected if you get hurt. This step is optional, but it’s important to know what it means for you.
Step 4: Pay and get your documents
After you choose your price, you can pay. The payment is done online. Once you pay, you get two things: the policy documents and the certificate of insurance.
The policy documents are for you to keep. The certificate is for someone who asked for it. You can download both right away. Your certificate shows the insurance exists, but it doesn’t cover you if you get hurt unless you chose to be covered. This is an important difference to remember when you send it to someone else.
Step 5: Send the certificate
After you get your certificate, you can send it to the person who asked. That’s it. You have done everything needed. They get the certificate, and you have a policy that meets what they wanted.
If you chose to be covered, the policy helps if you get hurt on the job. If you didn’t choose it, the policy proves your business has insurance, but it does not cover you. The certificate is for showing the insurance exists. It does not cover you unless you chose to be covered.
What to do if something goes wrong
If you need help, go back to start your quote. You can try again or look at the questions again. But there is no one to call. Everything is done online. You can get your quote, pay, and get your documents all in 15 minutes.
Every state is different. Your quote shows if you can get a policy in your state. If not, you can’t get a policy here. If you need help finding someone in your state, look at your state’s insurance website. That is the only place where you can find more help about your own state’s rules.
What to do next time
If someone asks for a certificate again, you already have a policy. You can send the certificate you got before. You don’t need to do anything else unless you need to change something about your policy. If you did not choose to be covered, you can get a new quote to add yourself later. But it will cost more. If you do not need to change anything, just send the certificate you have.
Remember: by default, the policy does not cover you. If you want to be covered, you must choose to add yourself when you get your quote. That is the only way to get coverage for your own injuries at work.
