Does General Liability Cover Vendors?

A CGL policy protects the people and entities defined as insureds; it does not automatically insure every vendor working with your business. The ISO specimen’s Who Is An Insured section specifies insured status, and an additional insured endorsement can extend limited protection to another party for certain liability connected to your operations. The exact endorsement controls which entities, acts, and time periods qualify. A certificate of insurance is evidence of reported coverage but does not change policy terms.

If a venue, customer, event organizer, or vendor contract requires additional-insured protection, compare the contract language with the endorsement attached to the policy. Check whether coverage applies to ongoing operations, completed operations, or both, and whether limits are shared. Obtain the vendor’s own certificate and, when the contract requires it, confirm its policy and endorsements. Do not assume one party’s CGL substitutes for another’s required insurance.