What happens when a contractor's COI expires?

An expired COI is an evidence problem that requires attention

The date shown on the certificate tells you that the summarized policy period has ended. The contractor may have renewed the policy without providing the new certificate, changed coverage, or allowed coverage to lapse. The old certificate alone cannot tell you which situation applies.

Because work, contracts, and jurisdictions differ, the operational consequence should follow your organization's requirements and qualified professional guidance. Software should flag the condition and organize evidence, not decide whether work may continue.

How should a team respond?

1. Identify the affected work. Find every active project or location connected to the contractor.
2. Contact the contractor. Request a current COI and any endorsements required by the applicable project.
3. Escalate internally. Notify the person responsible for the compliance or operational decision.
4. Review replacement evidence. Compare it with the requirements rather than merely updating the expiration date.
5. Record the outcome. Preserve the new document, reviewer, decision, and any remaining gaps.

Start before the date becomes urgent

Early reminders give the contractor time to contact their broker and give the reviewer time to resolve missing endorsements or incorrect evidence. COIRoster's automatic COI reminders begin 90 days before the recorded expiration, then continue at 30 and 7 days when acceptable replacement evidence is still missing.

Keep a defensible activity history

A useful record includes the original evidence, expiration date, contractor contacts, reminder milestones, replacement submissions, review decisions, and the reason for rejection when applicable. This history helps the team understand what happened without reconstructing the process from email threads.

For the complete process, read how to track subcontractor COIs.