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How to verify a certificate of insurance: L&I first, then the PDF
How to verify a certificate of insurance: open FMCSA Licensing & Insurance for the BMC-91. 49 CFR 387.5 (eCFR, fetched 2026-11-14) says insured and principal is the motor carrier named in the policy. 387.15 says the MCS-90 is issued in that exact name. The emailed ACORD is not the filing.
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how to verify a certificate of insurance: L&I first, then the PDF
How to verify a certificate of insurance for a freight-broker desk is FMCSA Licensing & Insurance, then the PDF. 49 CFR 387.5 (eCFR, fetched 2026-11-14) defines insured and principal as the motor carrier named in the policy of insurance, surety bond, endorsement, or notice of cancellation. 49 CFR 387.15 (eCFR, fetched 2026-11-14) says the MCS-90 endorsement shall be issued in the exact name of the motor carrier. FMCSA’s MCS-90 Q&A (fetched 2026-11-14) says that endorsement does not require the insurer to satisfy a judgment against anyone else. Open L&I. Read BMC-91 or BMC-91X. Then match the certificate to that same legal person.
A certificate of insurance is a snapshot from an agent or broker of record. It can be useful. It is not the filing. Pending cancellations, form type, and the insurer on the federal file live on L&I — usually BMC-91 / BMC-91X (or a trust in lieu). Fraud desks forge COIs, reuse old certificates, or name a different insured than the motor carrier on your rate confirmation. Treat every emailed PDF as a claim to verify, not as permission to cover.
Public liability (BI&PD) on a COI is still not cargo insurance. Cargo insurance limits is that separate read: named insured, commercial limit versus load value, then exclusions. If the load needs cargo, ask for those pages separately. Do not treat the 387.9 number on the same PDF as cargo. FMCSA broker financial responsibility 2026 is BMC-84/85 on the brokerage — not a $750,000 raise and not this COI.
match named insured to the legal person
The named insured must be the same legal person as the FMCSA record and the rate confirmation — including Inc versus LLC, punctuation, and DBA rules your desk already uses for name match.
If the COI names a holding company, a dispatch service, or a near-name, stop. Do not “know what they meant.” Get a certificate that names the motor carrier on the docket, or do not cover.
Cross-check the USDOT / MC on the certificate (when present) to the numbers on the thread and on L&I. Extra numbers that belong to a different company are a stop.
dates, limits, and producers
Read policy effective and expiration dates against pickup and delivery. A certificate that expires before the load moves is not coverage for that load.
Read BI&PD limits against 49 CFR 387.9 for the commodity and equipment. Ordinary interstate property floors are not cargo. Hazmat and other rows have higher floors — read the table for this shipment.
Note the producer / agency and the insurer. If L&I shows a different insurer or a cancellation effective before pickup, believe L&I. Save both screens with the load file.
desk workflow with Verifreta
Look up the DOT or MC first. Match legal name. Open L&I for Active authority and the BMC filing. Then read the COI against that same legal person.
On the Desk plan you can upload a COI and compare named insured, limits, and policy dates against the carrier on file. That catches mismatches early. It still does not replace the L&I filing check. A COI desk versus packet portals is the same split: Verifreta compares the certificate to the filed name; MyCarrierPortal and RMIS ingest packets at volume.
If the COI and L&I disagree, do not average them. Fix the file or do not cover.
desk checklist
- DOT/MC looked up; legal name matches the rate con.
- L&I shows Active property authority and required BMC filing for this load.
- COI named insured matches that legal person (entity type included).
- Policy dates cover pickup through delivery.
- BI&PD limits meet the 387.9 row for this commodity; cargo asked for separately when needed.
- Producer and insurer noted; L&I insurer and cancellation status checked the same day.
what belongs in the load file
- Dated L&I screen (authority + BMC).
- COI PDF with named insured, dates, limits, producer.
- Note if COI and L&I insurers differ — and what you did about it.
- Census phone callback note if this is a first-time MC.
fail closed
- Named insured is not the motor carrier on the rate con / L&I.
- L&I missing required BMC filing or cancellation effective before pickup.
- COI expires before the load moves.
- Covering on COI alone without L&I.
- Treating BI&PD limits as cargo coverage.
sources
- FMCSA Licensing & Insurance (L&I)
- 49 CFR Part 387 — financial responsibility
- 49 CFR 387.5 — insured and principal is the motor carrier named in the policy (eCFR, fetched 2026-11-14)
- 49 CFR 387.15 — MCS-90 issued in the exact name of the motor carrier (eCFR, fetched 2026-11-14)
- FMCSA Q&A — “insured” on MCS-90 is the named motor carrier (fetched 2026-11-14)
- 49 CFR 387.9 — minimum coverage amounts
- FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot
common questions
How do I verify a certificate of insurance for a freight broker load?
Open L&I first. How to verify a certificate of insurance is the BMC-91 or BMC-91X on that docket, then the PDF. 49 CFR 387.5 (eCFR, fetched 2026-11-14) says insured and principal is the motor carrier named in the policy. 387.15 says the MCS-90 is issued in that exact name. An emailed ACORD is not the filing.
Is an emailed COI the same as a BMC-91 on L&I?
No. A certificate is a producer snapshot. Pending cancellations, form type, and the insurer on the federal file live on L&I. If L&I has no required BMC-91/91X (or qualifying surety/trust), the PDF does not create authority to operate. FMCSA’s MCS-90 Q&A (fetched 2026-11-14) says that endorsement does not require the insurer to satisfy a judgment against anyone other than the named motor carrier.
Does Verifreta replace L&I when we upload a COI?
No. Desk COI parsing compares named insured, limits, and policy dates to the carrier on file. It does not issue a policy and it does not replace Licensing & Insurance. Finish L&I before you cover.