When someone asks you to send a certificate of currency, they usually want evidence that the relevant insurance policy is active. This guide explains what the document shows, who requests it, how dates work and why a certificate is not a substitute for the policy.
What a certificate of currency is
A certificate of currency is an official document that proves a current, active insurance policy exists. It shows:
- the policy type;
- the insurer;
- the coverage limits; and
- the expiry date.
A policy number will also normally appear on the certificate. The format varies between insurers, but the key information remains the same.
A certificate can confirm more than public liability. It may evidence professional indemnity or another type of insurance held by the business. That makes it important to check which policy the document covers. A public liability certificate will not necessarily confirm product liability, professional indemnity or any other cover.
The certificate provides concise evidence for clients and other third parties. It lets them check basic policy details without receiving the full policy wording.
Who asks for a certificate of currency
The request usually comes from a party that wants proof of insurance before entering an arrangement or starting work.
Head contractors and clients
Head contractors and clients often request a certificate before work starts. For contractors, tradies and consultants, this is a common part of onboarding or pre-start documentation.
The client wants evidence that the policy is genuine, current and relevant to the work. If the contract requires a certificate, providing an expired or unsuitable document could breach the contract requirements.
Some organisations also ask for certificates covering professional indemnity or other policies. Check the request carefully rather than assuming every certificate is being sought as evidence of public liability.
Landlords
A landlord may request a certificate before a commercial lease is signed. The landlord may also require their interest to be recorded in a particular way under the policy.
Providing the landlord with a copy of the certificate and recording the landlord as an interested party on the policy are separate matters. That distinction is explained below.
Market organisers
Market organisers may require public liability cover before a stallholder can trade. Some may also require product liability cover.
Public liability insurance covers certain situations where someone dies, is injured or has property damaged because of a business operator’s negligence. Product liability is a separate policy and should not be assumed to be included merely because public liability cover is in place.
Some insurance providers offer packages specifically for market trading. Some established markets may arrange insurance as part of the registration fee. If that applies, check what the market’s arrangement covers before buying separate insurance. Obtain evidence of the existing cover and confirm that it applies to the trading activities and the types of cover required by the organiser.
Government tenders and procurement processes
Many government tenders and procurement processes require a certificate of currency as part of the application. The required cover, limits and validity period may form part of the process.
A missing certificate could make the application incomplete, affect the chance of receiving the work or breach a later contract requirement. Providing the certificate does not guarantee that the application will be accepted. It supplies evidence requested for the process.
Requirements differ by activity and jurisdiction
A requirement from a client, landlord or market organiser is not necessarily the same as a general legal requirement.
Public liability insurance is required for certain occupations in some states and territories. It is not a uniform requirement for every business or activity across Australia. A tender process, lease or market rule can also impose its own documentary conditions.
Check the written requirement that applies to the occupation, contract, venue or procurement process. Do not assume another business’s requirement applies to yours.
Local council permits and events
Some councils require a certificate of currency as part of a permit application rather than only as a condition of a contract.
The City of Melbourne asks anyone applying for a permit to conduct an activity in municipal public space — road works, street trading or an event — to have public liability insurance, and to provide the certificate of currency issued by the insurer when the permit is applied for. The activities it lists as requiring a certificate include consent for works, temporary protective structures, real estate agent pointer boards and fundraising.
The council also sets documentary conditions of its own. The certificate must stay current for the life of the permit, the cover must be at least $20 million for a single claim, and the person or company applying for the permit must be named on the certificate.
Event conditions can be stricter again. Camden Council requires event organisers to hold a public liability policy underwritten by a broker or insurer authorised to conduct insurance business in Australia, and to provide a certificate showing the event is covered for at least $20 million. It also asks organisers to collect current certificates from their own suppliers — performers, marquee hire, fireworks — and from food and drink vendors.
Two points follow from those requirements. First, an organiser relying only on its own certificate may still be asked for its suppliers' certificates. Second, a condition about the policy itself, such as who underwrites it, is not satisfied by the certificate alone; the policy has to meet it.
A certificate of currency is not the policy
A certificate of currency is a summary snapshot of cover. It is not the policy document or the full policy wording.
The certificate records selected details so a third party can see that a policy exists. The policy contains the full terms on which that insurance operates. The certificate does not replace the policy or amend it.
This matters when deciding whether a particular activity, claim or event is covered. The certificate can show that a policy exists and state its limits. It may not provide enough information to answer every question about the full scope of cover.
For example, a public liability certificate can confirm the existence of public liability cover. It does not automatically confirm product liability cover. If both are required, the evidence should address both.
There is also no single certificate format used by every insurer. One insurer may use a different layout, headings or presentation from another. This does not change the certificate’s basic purpose. A recipient should still locate the policy type, insurer, coverage limits, expiry date and policy number.
Different formats do not make every certificate interchangeable, either. A familiar document from another policy or another insurer may contain the wrong type of cover, limits or dates.
Why the dates matter
Always check the certificate dates before relying on it or sending it to another party.
The expiry date shows how long the certificate supports the stated policy. A document that was valid when it was issued may no longer be current. An expired certificate is a common and avoidable mistake.
Once a policy renews, a fresh certificate is required. Renewal does not make an old certificate current. The replacement should be checked for the new policy period, insurer details, coverage limits and policy number.
A simple date check can prevent several problems:
- work starting after the certificate has expired;
- a tender application containing outdated evidence;
- a lease or contract requirement being met with the wrong document; or
- a renewed policy being supported by the previous policy’s certificate.
The expiry date should be considered alongside the period for which the requesting party needs evidence. A certificate that is current today may still expire before a later contractual or operational requirement.
What the NSW Department of Education example shows
The NSW Department of Education provides a useful example of why a certificate should be read as a dated and scoped document.
The department describes its certificate as a legal document that gives third parties evidence of its cover being provided by TMF, the department’s insurer. It notes that TMF provides cover across five broad lines of business: property, liability, motor vehicle, workers compensation and miscellaneous.
Even for a very large government purchaser, the public liability certificates are tied to defined cover periods. The department publishes a 2025/26 certificate valid until 30 June 2026. Its 2026/27 certificate covers 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. Those dates apply to those specific documents.
The department also states that its certificate is only for department activities. It is not for activities or events run by others, such as P&C groups.
This shows two important points. A large purchaser still treats a certificate as evidence for a particular period, rather than as standing permission. A particular certificate may also be limited to the purchaser’s own activities and may not extend to third-party events.
That wording belongs to the department’s document. It is not a standard scope statement that can be assumed on every certificate. Read the actual document issued for the relevant policy.
How to get a certificate of currency
Ask the insurer or insurance broker directly. A copy is generally provided when the policy is taken out. If one was not supplied, request the current certificate for the relevant policy.
A clear request should identify:
- the policy or insurance type required;
- the period for which evidence is needed;
- the person or organisation that should receive it; and
- any interested-party requirement stated by the recipient.
For example:
Please provide the current certificate of currency for the public liability policy, showing the insurer, coverage limits, policy number and expiry date.
If the market organiser requires both public liability and product liability, ask for evidence covering both. If the landlord has a separate interested-party requirement, raise that separately rather than assuming a copy of the certificate meets it.
Once received, check the document against the request before forwarding it. Do not rely on a filename, an earlier version or a certificate supplied for another policy.
Certificate holder and interested party are not the same
A certificate and a policy serve different purposes. The receiving party’s name on a certificate does not determine the full terms of the insurance.
A third party can be given a certificate as evidence that a policy exists. The certificate does not need to replace the policy for that purpose.
A landlord may, however, need to be noted as an interested party on the policy. This is a policy requirement, not just a matter of addressing the certificate to the landlord.
The two actions should be kept separate:
- A certificate can be supplied to a landlord or other interested party as evidence.
- The insurer or broker may need to record the party’s interest under the policy.
Naming someone on a certificate does not create cover for them. Labelling someone as a certificate holder, adding their name in a certificate field or sending them a copy should not be presented as changing the policy or giving them insurance.
If a landlord asks to be named, ask the insurer or broker whether the landlord:
- only needs to receive the certificate;
- needs to be recorded as an interested party on the policy; or
- needs both.
If the requirement is for an interested-party notation, that must be addressed on the policy. The certificate can then provide evidence of the policy, but it is not a substitute for meeting the policy requirement.
Do not tell a landlord or other third party that their status on a certificate guarantees cover. Any effect of an interested-party provision comes from the policy, not from the summary document alone.
Common mistakes
Thinking the certificate is the policy
A certificate is a quick summary, not the full policy wording. It is useful evidence of an active policy, but it does not reproduce all the terms on which cover operates.
Using an expired certificate
Always check the dates. A certificate that has expired is no longer current. If the policy has renewed, obtain a fresh certificate rather than resending the previous one.
Not knowing how to get one
The insurer or insurance broker can provide the certificate. If a copy was not supplied when the policy was taken out, contact the insurer or broker and request the current document.
Assuming every certificate looks the same
Insurers use different formats. The layout may change, but the key information remains the same. Check the fields rather than relying on the appearance or wording you have seen before.
What to check before sending a certificate
Before providing the document, check the following:
- The dates: Confirm that the certificate is current and will remain current for the period required.
- The policy type: Make sure it evidences public liability, product liability, professional indemnity or another policy as requested.
- The insurer and policy number: Confirm that the document identifies the policy expected by the recipient.
- The coverage limits: Compare the stated limits with the written requirement. Do not assume every certificate for the same business has the same limits.
- The activity scope: Read any wording that limits the certificate to particular activities or organisations.
- The interested-party requirement: Confirm whether the recipient only needs a copy or must be recorded on the policy.
- The renewal status: If the policy has renewed, use the fresh certificate.
- The market arrangement: If insurance is arranged through an established market, check the existing cover before buying another policy.
- Access to the policy: Keep the full policy available. The certificate answers a basic evidence request, but the policy remains the source of the full insurance terms.
If any of these points is unclear, ask the requesting party, insurer or broker before relying on the certificate or arranging separate insurance.
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