What is the difference between a certificate of insurance and additional insured status?

Additional insured status means another party (usually a customer or property owner) is added to your policy to receive liability protection for claims arising from your work. Certificate of insurance is a document proving your coverage exists at specified limits. You cannot be named as additional insured on a certificate alone; the endorsement must be on the actual policy. Many Georgia contractors face claims denied because a certificate was issued but the endorsement was not.