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What is a certificate of currency?

A certificate of currency is a short document from an insurer or broker confirming that a policy, such as public liability, is in force on the date it’s issued. It usually shows the insured, the insurer, the type of cover, the policy period and the limit. It isn’t the policy itself and doesn’t list its full terms or exclusions.

Written by COVRA · Updated · Sources

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What a certificate of currency shows.

Certificates differ between insurers, but most show the same few details.

  • The insured The person or business the policy covers1, 2. One shopping centre manager wants the name to match its agreement “exactly”3.
  • The insurer Who issued the policy1. The same manager also wants the insurer’s address, ABN and licence number (AFSL)3.
  • The type of cover Such as public and products liability, professional indemnity or workers’ compensation, often with a short description of the cover1, 2.
  • The dates The start and end (expiry) dates of the policy term2, 4, and the date the certificate was issued1.
  • The limit The limit of liability, or sum insured: the most the policy pays1, 4.
  • Interested parties A council, landlord or other party named on the certificate. What that gives them depends on the wording: Vero’s extends cover to an interested party only for liability arising “directly from your negligence”, and only as far as the contract requires5.
  • Sometimes more The policy number, the excess or the premium paid. CBOS Tasmania’s list includes the premium, while QBE’s certificates leave payment details out1, 2, 4.

Some insurers call it a certificate of insurance. upcover, a broker, says the two are usually the same document under different names6.

What it doesn’t prove.

It’s evidence of cover, not the policy. The Department of Defence’s guidance for its procurement staff sets out the limits.

  • That you’re covered today It’s “only evidence that a policy is in force as at the date the certificate has been issued”, and as most insurances renew yearly, a new one may be needed each year1. A policy can be cancelled, changed or left to expire after the certificate is issued6.
  • The full terms It “will not provide details of the full terms, conditions and exclusions of cover”, and it isn’t part of the policy. Where the two differ, “the terms of the policy will usually prevail”1.
  • How much cover is left The limit shown is generally the one at the start of the policy period. It “does not mean that those limits have not been depleted or exhausted by claims”1.
  • The whole policy A certificate issued for one contract may show only the limit that contract requires, and only the insureds relevant to it1.
  • An invoice or schedule An invoice isn’t a certificate, even one marked “Paid”3. CBOS Tasmania won’t accept an invoice, a policy schedule or a letter of eligibility in place of one4.

Who asks for one.

Councils, landlords, shopping centres, government buyers, licensing bodies and head contractors. Some published requirements.

Who asks What they want
City of Melbourne, permits in public spaceAt least $20 million for a single claim, the council named as an interested party, and a certificate kept current for the life of the permit7
A shopping centre manager, casual mall leasingAt least $20 million of public and products liability, “Australia Wide”, on a certificate no older than 14 days3
Crown Lands NSW, short-term licences$20 million of public liability covering “the entire proposed licence period”8
NSW Government, ICT contractsA certificate from the insurer or broker within 10 business days of a request9
CBOS Tasmania, electrical contractor licencesAt least $5 million of public and products liability, with a certificate in the application10
Building sites, VictoriaA workers’ compensation certificate, “a prerequisite when hiring a contractor or getting on a building site”11

Leases too: an insurance clause “will generally require the lessee to provide the lessor with a Certificate of Currency”, one law firm says12. Our retail, café, electrician and IT contractor guides list more.

Getting one: most insurers let you download it from your online account4. QBE normally emails one within two business hours for some policies2, and upcover says most insurers and brokers don’t charge for a standard certificate6.

Workers’ compensation certificates.

Workers’ compensation insurers issue their own, and head contractors ask for them.

  • NSW icare’s certificate shows your business name, ABN, wages, industry classification and the number of workers covered. You can download it at any time, and a copy comes in the renewal pack six weeks before renewal. Its Employer Lookup tool confirms whether a business has a policy13.
  • Victoria WorkSafe’s certificate “verifies that you are currently registered for WorkCover insurance”, and you can request one as evidence that “you or another business” is covered. Only employers who must register have one11.
  • Queensland An interim certificate covers 1 July to 30 September while you renew. Once you pay or set up a payment plan, the certificate of currency confirms cover for the full financial year14. An online tool checks an employer’s cover by ABN15.
  • NSW subcontractors A principal contractor is liable for a subcontractor’s unpaid workers’ compensation premiums unless it holds the subcontractor’s written statement, “accompanied by a copy of any relevant certificate of currency”. It can hold back payment until it gets one, and must keep it for at least 7 years16. Revenue NSW’s form is OPT 01117. See who counts as a worker.

Because the law sets a workers’ compensation policy’s terms, Defence’s guidance says its certificate “is generally sufficient evidence” that the right insurance is held1.

FAQ

Common questions.

Is a certificate of currency the same as a certificate of insurance?

Usually, yes. They’re different names for the same kind of document, which confirms a policy is in force. Neither is the full policy.

How do I get a certificate of currency?

From your insurer or broker. Most insurers let you download one from your online account. Workers’ compensation certificates come from your workers’ compensation insurer, such as icare in NSW.

How long is a certificate of currency valid for?

It confirms cover only on the day it was issued, and shows the date the policy ends. Some requesters set a maximum age, such as 14 days for one shopping centre manager, and as most policies renew yearly, many ask for a new one each year.

Does a certificate of currency cost anything?

Usually not. upcover, a broker, says most insurers and brokers don’t charge for a standard certificate.

Is a certificate of currency the same as workers’ compensation?

No. A workers’ compensation certificate of currency is one kind: proof from your workers’ compensation insurer that your policy is current. Public liability and other insurers issue their own.

What is an interested party on a certificate of currency?

A third party named on the certificate, often a council or landlord. What rights that gives them depends on the policy wording.

Still have a question? A broker can talk it through with you.

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Covers in this guide.

Our guides to what each cover generally does, what it costs and the rules that apply.

Public Liability Insurance Professional Indemnity Insurance

Sources.

  1. Guidance note: insurance certificates of currency, Department of Defence, 2014
  2. Request Certificate of Currency and Payment Summary, QBE
  3. Insurance, Mall Managers
  4. What is a Certificate of Currency?, CBOS Tasmania, 10 October 2023
  5. SME Business Insurance PDS and Policy Wording (V11562), Section 6 Liability, Vero, 11 March 2025
  6. What is a certificate of currency?, upcover, 13 August 2026
  7. Public liability insurance, City of Melbourne
  8. Short-term licence, Crown Lands NSW, 12 February 2026
  9. ICT Agreement (ICTA), clause 27, NSW Government (buy.nsw), August 2025
  10. Electrical contractor licence, CBOS Tasmania, 20 July 2026
  11. Request a Certificate of Currency for your WorkCover insurance, WorkSafe Victoria, 28 July 2022
  12. Retail and commercial lease insurances, No Borders Law Group
  13. Download a Certificate of Currency, icare
  14. Renewing your accident insurance policy and declaring wages, WorkCover Queensland
  15. Verification of cover, WorkCover Queensland
  16. Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW), section 175B, NSW legislation, 1 July 2026
  17. Subcontractor’s statement (OPT011), Revenue NSW, June 2026