What you need to do, step by step
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. Your quote and payment take minutes. Then Cimarron issues your policy within 24 business hours of your payment and signed documents.
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.
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 these policies do NOT cover you, the owner, if you get hurt at work. You reject coverage for yourself when you buy one. A ghost policy is for the owner only, with no employees and no subcontractors of any kind.
Step 3: Know what it does not cover
A ghost policy does not cover you, the owner. You reject coverage for yourself when you buy it. That means if you get hurt on the job, the policy does not pay your medical bills or lost wages.
Think about what you need. If you just need a certificate for a client, a ghost policy can do that. If you want a policy that pays you when you get hurt, you need regular workers' comp, not a ghost policy. It’s important to know this before you buy.
Step 4: Pay and get your documents
After you choose your price, you can pay. You pay online, by card. Cimarron issues your policy within 24 business hours of your payment and signed documents. Then 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 after Cimarron issues your policy. Your certificate shows the insurance exists, but the policy doesn’t cover you if you get hurt. 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.
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.
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 and pay in minutes. Then Cimarron issues your policy within 24 business hours of your payment and signed documents.
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 with your own state’s rules, look at your state’s workers’ compensation website.
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 something about your business changes. If anyone else starts working for you, you need regular workers' comp, not a ghost policy. If nothing has changed, just send the certificate you have.
Remember: the policy does not cover you. A ghost policy exists to show proof of coverage, and it pays nothing for your own injuries at work.
