ACORD 31 is the Certificate of Marine / Energy Insurance. It gives a third party a structured summary of policies and limits associated with marine, offshore, or energy operations. The certificate can include liability, auto, workers compensation, hull, cargo, pollution, and other specialized coverage. It is informational and does not change the policies it lists.
What appears on ACORD 31?
The 2016/03 certificate identifies the producer, insured, insurers, certificate holder, and policy periods. Its coverage schedule includes common liability and workers compensation rows as well as marine and energy categories. The second page provides space for specialized coverages, limits, deductibles, and descriptions.[1]
How should you review the coverage schedule?
Start with the named insured and the operation or project described. Match each coverage row to its insurer letter, policy number, and dates. Then compare the stated limit and deductible with the contract requirement. For scheduled vessels, equipment, locations, or operations, ask for the underlying schedule when the certificate cannot show enough detail.
Does ACORD 31 grant rights to the certificate holder?
No. Like the ACORD 25 liability certificate, it reports issued coverage and confers no rights by itself. A certificate holder becomes an additional insured only if the policy or an endorsement grants that status. The same rule applies to waiver of subrogation, primary wording, or cancellation notice.
Where can you obtain ACORD 31?
New York's Department of Financial Services publishes the approved 2016/03 form for inspection.[1] ACORD's Forms Portal is the source for licensed current editions.[2] Request a completed certificate from the insured's agent or broker rather than editing a blank copy yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Is ACORD 31 only for vessel insurance?
No. It can summarize vessel and cargo coverage, but it also accommodates liability, workers compensation, pollution, energy, and other coverage relevant to the operation.
What if the contract requires wording that is not on the certificate?
Ask for the endorsement or policy provision that supplies the required wording. Free-text certificate remarks cannot create coverage that the policy does not contain.
The Bottom Line
ACORD 31 is a flexible evidence document for complex marine and energy accounts. Review every insurer, policy period, limit, deductible, and description against the contract and issued policy.
This guide is educational and describes ACORD 31 in original language. Menlo Insurance Services is not affiliated with ACORD Corporation. The insurer's documents control.
References
- 1.New York Department of Financial Services. “ACORD 31 (2016/03) Certificate of Marine / Energy Insurance.” Accessed September 2026. https://www.dfs.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2021/02/acord_31_2016-03.pdf ↩
- 2.ACORD. “Forms Portal.” Accessed September 2026. https://formsportal.acord.org/Home ↩