The Broker's Guide to Most Commonly Used ACORD Forms

ACORD (Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development) publishes standardized forms used by every insurance carrier, agency, and broker in the United States. There are over 200 ACORD forms in circulation, but fewer than 15 account for the overwhelming majority of daily agency transactions. Getting the wrong form to the wrong party - or completing it incorrectly - costs agencies in E&O exposure, carrier rejections, and client disputes.

This guide covers the 12 most commonly used ACORD forms in commercial and personal lines agencies, with form purpose, usage triggers, and what distinguishes each from similar forms.

Key Takeaways

• ACORD 25 (Certificate of Liability Insurance) is the single most-issued form in any commercial agency.
• ACORD 125 is the cover sheet for all commercial lines applications - it goes with every supplemental application (ACORD 126, 127, 130, 140).
• ACORD 27 and ACORD 28 serve different purposes: ACORD 27 is residential/personal, ACORD 28 is commercial property.
• ACORD 75 creates a temporary binder of coverage - it binds insurance before a policy is issued.
• All commercial lines applications use the same starting point: ACORD 125 as the general information page.
• A certificate-of-insurance (ACORD 25 or 24) is informational only - it does not modify the policy and confers no rights on the certificate holder.

Certificate and Evidence Forms

ACORD 25 - Certificate of Liability Insurance

ACORD 25 is the most-used form in any commercial insurance agency. It provides evidence that a named insured holds liability insurance - typically commercial general liability, auto, umbrella, and workers compensation - to a requesting third party. The certificate holder is listed in the lower-left box and receives a copy as documentation.

When to use it: Any time a third party - a landlord, general contractor, project owner, lender, municipality, or vendor - requires proof of the named insured's liability coverage. Certificates are requested at lease signing, contract award, project kickoff, and annual renewal.

What makes it unique: ACORD 25 includes a disclaimer box stating that the certificate is issued as a matter of information only and confers no rights upon the certificate holder. It does not amend, extend, or alter the coverage afforded by the policies below. Agencies that modify this disclaimer or represent additional insured status without a corresponding policy endorsement create E&O exposure. ACORD 25 covers liability lines only - it does not document property coverage.

The certificate-of-insurance is the most requested document an agency produces and the source of the most common E&O errors in commercial agencies.

ACORD 24 - Certificate of Property Insurance

ACORD 24 documents property insurance coverage for a named insured. It identifies the property insured, policy limits, deductibles, and the mortgagee or loss payee if applicable. Banks and lenders requiring proof of property insurance before closing a loan receive ACORD 24.

When to use it: Mortgage lenders, commercial landlords, and equipment lessors require ACORD 24 when evidence of property coverage on specific collateral is required. It is also used for SBA loan requirements and commercial real estate transactions.

What makes it unique: ACORD 24 is property-specific. It can identify the specific building address or property being insured. It has a separate field for the mortgagee or loss payee with their specific interest in the property - a field ACORD 25 does not have. Never use ACORD 25 to document property coverage or vice versa.

ACORD 27 - Evidence of Property Insurance

ACORD 27 documents property insurance for personal lines or residential accounts. It is the residential equivalent of ACORD 24 and is used for homeowners, renters, and personal property policies.

When to use it: Mortgage lenders requiring evidence of homeowners insurance at residential closing receive ACORD 27. Condo associations requiring evidence of unit owner coverage also commonly request it.

What makes it unique: ACORD 27 is designed for personal lines. It references personal lines policy structures and includes fields for the loan number and mortgagee clause formatted for residential mortgages. Using ACORD 24 for residential accounts or ACORD 27 for commercial accounts creates documentation mismatches.

ACORD 28 - Evidence of Commercial Property Insurance

ACORD 28 is the commercial equivalent of ACORD 27. It provides evidence of commercial property insurance to a mortgagee, loss payee, or additional interest on a commercial property account.

When to use it: Commercial lenders requiring evidence of building coverage on a financed commercial property receive ACORD 28. Equipment lenders and lessors also use ACORD 28 for financed equipment.

What makes it unique: ACORD 28 allows the named insured's specific property interest to be documented along with the lender's interest. It distinguishes between building, business personal property, and equipment. The form includes a field for the policy's occurrence-form or claims-made-form designation - useful when lenders have specific coverage-type requirements.

Binder and Transaction Forms

ACORD 75 - Insurance Binder

ACORD 75 is a temporary evidence of insurance document used to confirm that coverage has been bound before the actual policy is issued. It serves as a binder - a temporary contract of insurance effective until the policy is issued or declined.

When to use it: When a client needs immediate evidence of coverage - for a lease signing, loan closing, or contract start - and the full policy has not yet been issued. The binder is typically effective for 30 to 90 days depending on the carrier and line.

What makes it unique: ACORD 75 is legally binding as an insurance contract. Unlike ACORD 25 (which is informational only), ACORD 75 represents actual coverage in force. Binding authority must exist before ACORD 75 can be issued. If a producer issues ACORD 75 without binding authority, the coverage representation may not be backed by the carrier.

ACORD 35 - Cancellation Request / Policy Release

ACORD 35 is used to request mid-term policy cancellation or to document a policyholder's release of the insurer's obligation. It is also used to request short-rate or pro-rata cancellation and to document the insured's reason for cancellation.

When to use it: When a client cancels a policy mid-term - due to sale of a business, replacement of coverage, or any other reason - the agency submits ACORD 35 to the carrier. It documents the insured's authorization and requested effective date of cancellation.

What makes it unique: ACORD 35 requires the named insured's signature. Carriers require this authorization to process mid-term cancellations and to calculate return premium. Without the insured's signed authorization, a carrier can refuse to cancel at the agent's request alone.

Commercial Lines Application Forms

The commercial lines application suite uses ACORD 125 as the general information cover sheet, combined with supplemental forms for each line of coverage. Every commercial lines submission requires ACORD 125.

ACORD 125 - Commercial Lines Application (General Information)

ACORD 125 is the cover sheet for the entire commercial lines application suite. It collects the applicant's general information, nature of business, prior carrier data, and loss history that applies across all lines being submitted. ACORD 125 goes with every supplemental application.

When to use it: Every commercial lines submission: new business, renewal, midterm endorsement applications requiring underwriter review. ACORD 125 is never used alone - it always accompanies at least one supplemental form.

What makes it unique: ACORD 125 contains the 5-year loss run summary for the entire account. It also carries the SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) code that drives many carrier underwriting algorithms. A wrong SIC code on ACORD 125 can result in incorrect underwriting classification for the entire submission.

ACORD 126 - Commercial General Liability Section

ACORD 126 is the commercial general liability supplemental application. It captures the operations, exposure basis, products/completed operations details, and specific GL risk characteristics needed to underwrite a CGL policy.

When to use it: Any commercial lines submission requiring GL coverage. Paired with ACORD 125 as the general information page.

What makes it unique: ACORD 126 identifies whether the policy should be written on an occurrence-form or claims-made-form basis - the fundamental coverage trigger distinction. It also captures contractor classification, subcontracted work percentages, and prior GL claims separately from the loss summary on ACORD 125. Underwriters pay close attention to the subcontracted work section for contractor accounts.

ACORD 127 - Business Auto Section

ACORD 127 is the commercial auto supplemental application. It collects the vehicle schedule, driver list, radius of operations, and auto-specific risk information needed to underwrite a commercial auto policy.

When to use it: Any commercial lines submission requiring business auto coverage, from a single vehicle florist to a fleet of 200 trucks. Paired with ACORD 125.

What makes it unique: ACORD 127 contains the vehicle schedule with VINs, stated values, garaging locations, and use descriptions. It also includes the driver schedule with MVR authorization. Carriers require this form (rather than just a spreadsheet) because it standardizes the vehicle and driver data into underwriter-readable format.

ACORD 130 - Workers Compensation Application

ACORD 130 is the workers compensation supplemental application. It captures employee count by class code, payroll by class code, interstate operations, and WC-specific risk characteristics.

When to use it: Any commercial lines submission requiring workers compensation coverage. Paired with ACORD 125. Required for any account with employees in states that mandate workers compensation coverage.

What makes it unique: ACORD 130 organizes employees and payroll by NCCI class code - the classification system used by workers compensation carriers to rate risk. Accurate class code assignment on ACORD 130 is the single largest factor in getting a competitive WC quote. Misclassification on ACORD 130 leads to audit adjustments at policy expiration.

ACORD 140 - Property Section

ACORD 140 is the commercial property supplemental application. It captures building details, construction type, protection class, occupancy, and business personal property values for each location.

When to use it: Any commercial lines submission requiring building or business personal property coverage. Paired with ACORD 125. Each insured location may require a separate ACORD 140 or a supplemental location schedule.

What makes it unique: ACORD 140 collects the construction and protection data that drives property rating: frame vs. masonry vs. fire-resistive construction, public protection class (1-10), square footage, year built, and sprinkler status. ISO property rates vary by 300% to 500% based on these variables. An inaccurate ACORD 140 creates post-loss coverage disputes and policy rescission risk.

ACORD 160 - Umbrella/Excess Liability Section

ACORD 160 is the umbrella and excess liability supplemental application. It identifies underlying coverage limits, retention amounts, and risk characteristics specific to umbrella and excess layers.

When to use it: Any commercial lines submission requesting umbrella or excess liability coverage. Paired with ACORD 125. The underwriter uses ACORD 160 alongside the underlying ACORD 126, 127, and 130 to evaluate total liability exposure.

What makes it unique: ACORD 160 documents the underlying coverage schedule - the specific policies and limits that the umbrella sits above. Most umbrella carriers require specific minimum underlying limits (typically $1M/$2M GL, $1M auto, $500K EL) before quoting. ACORD 160 confirms these limits exist.

Quick Reference: Most Commonly Used ACORD Forms

For more on building a ACORD form workflow in your agency, see Post #551 on commercial lines submissions and Post #554 on certificate management.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most commonly used ACORD form?

ACORD 25 (Certificate of Liability Insurance) is the most-issued form in any commercial insurance agency. It documents third-party liability coverage evidence for landlords, contractors, lenders, and other parties requiring proof of insurance. In agencies with active commercial lines books, ACORD 25 requests can number in the hundreds per week.

What is the difference between ACORD 24 and ACORD 28?

ACORD 24 (Certificate of Property Insurance) and ACORD 28 (Evidence of Commercial Property Insurance) both document commercial property coverage but serve different parties. ACORD 24 is a certificate used for general evidence of property coverage to third parties. ACORD 28 is used specifically for lenders, mortgagees, and loss payees on commercial property - it includes the lender's specific interest and loan information. Use ACORD 28 when a commercial lender is requesting evidence of building coverage with a mortgagee clause.

What is ACORD 125 used for?

ACORD 125 is the general information cover sheet for the entire commercial lines application suite. It collects the applicant's entity name, address, business description, SIC code, prior carrier history, and 5-year loss run summary. ACORD 125 is never submitted alone - it always accompanies at least one supplemental application (ACORD 126 for GL, ACORD 127 for auto, ACORD 130 for WC, ACORD 140 for property, ACORD 160 for umbrella).

What is the difference between ACORD 27 and ACORD 28?

ACORD 27 (Evidence of Property Insurance) is for personal lines and residential accounts - homeowners, renters, and personal property policies. ACORD 28 (Evidence of Commercial Property Insurance) is for commercial accounts with mortgagees, loss payees, or additional interests on commercial property policies. Using ACORD 27 for commercial lenders creates format mismatches because the form fields do not align with commercial mortgage requirements.

Does ACORD 25 create an additional insured?

No. ACORD 25 is informational only. It does not modify the policy and does not create additional insured status. The disclaimer on ACORD 25 states explicitly that the certificate confers no rights upon the certificate holder. Additional insured status requires a policy endorsement (such as ISO CG 20 10 or CG 20 37). An agency that checks the additional insured box on ACORD 25 without a corresponding policy endorsement creates E&O exposure.

What ACORD form is used for an insurance binder?

ACORD 75 (Insurance Binder) is the standard form for temporary evidence of coverage pending policy issuance. It creates a binding contract of insurance, unlike ACORD 25 (which is informational only). The producer must have binding authority before issuing ACORD 75. Most carriers limit the binder period to 30 to 90 days, after which the policy must be issued or the binder expires.

Written by Javier Sanz, Founder of BrokerageAudit. Last updated April 2026.

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