Policy Endorsement Checklist

Pull the policy from Applied Epic, AMS360, or whichever system houses the in-force file. Confirm the named insured matches the request exactly — DBA mismatches and entity-name drift between renewal cycles are common reasons endorsements get rejected back at the carrier.

The dec page alone won't show mid-term changes. Pull every endorsement issued since inception so you can see the current state of coverage, not just the bound terms.

If the policy is in cancellation pending non-payment, most carriers will not process the endorsement until reinstated. Check the billing system before going further so you don't issue paperwork against a lapsed policy.

An endorsement that changes coverage scope mid-claim can create coverage disputes and bad-faith exposure. Pull current loss runs and flag any open matters that touch the lines being amended before pricing the change.

Verbal endorsement requests create E&O exposure. Get the request in writing — email, signed change request, or a documented call note in the AMS — before doing any work in the policy system.

Only an authorized signer for the named insured can request changes. For commercial accounts, check the requestor against the signature authority on file; for personal lines, check against the named insured roster.

Any new party added to the policy — new named insured, additional insured, loss payee, or mortgagee — must be screened against the OFAC SDN list before the endorsement is issued. A hit blocks the transaction and triggers a separate compliance escalation.

Compare the change against the carrier's binding authority document — line of business, hazard grade, class codes, and limit caps. Adding a new location with a different occupancy, expanding limits beyond authority, or moving outside appetite requires an underwriter referral, not a producer-issued endorsement.

Send the request and supporting documentation to the assigned account underwriter. Do not bind the change — an indication is not authority. Wait for written carrier approval before issuing the endorsement.

Use the carrier's rating engine or PolicyCenter to compute the pro-rata premium from the requested effective date through policy expiration. Manual calculations are an audit-finding magnet — and short-rate vs. pro-rata treatment varies by carrier and by line.

Surplus-lines (E&S) policies trigger separate stamping-office filings and state premium-tax obligations that admitted policies don't. Check the policy form filing status before issuing so the downstream filing path is clear.

Most surplus-lines states require the endorsement filed with the stamping office within 30–60 days of issuance, with state-specific premium tax remitted on the additional premium. The compliance obligation rests with the producer of record even when the wholesale broker handles the mechanics.

Send the additional-premium or return-premium figure to the insured before issuing the endorsement, not after. Surprise bills generate cancellation requests; surprise return-premium delays generate consumer complaints to the DOI.

Generate the endorsement using the carrier's approved form, including any state-specific variant. Confirm the effective date matches what was agreed with the insured — backdating beyond the carrier's tolerance window will be kicked back.

Pull the revised dec page and the endorsement form together — the insured needs both. Verify that schedules (locations, vehicles, equipment, payroll) reflect the change, not just the headline coverage.

Any change to limits, additional insureds, or named insured requires reissuing certificates to every certificate holder on the schedule. ACORD 25 has separate fields for Certificate Holder and Additional Insured — confirm the correct boxes are checked for each, since listing the wrong party as additional insured is the most common COI error.

Most states require 5–7 years of policy file retention; workers comp commonly runs 10+ years given lifetime medical exposure. Archive the prior version with the change date stamped so the audit trail is intact for any future market-conduct exam.

Send via ePolicy, DocuSign, or the carrier-specified delivery channel. Include the endorsement form, updated dec page, and the AP invoice or RP refund notice in a single package so the insured isn't reconciling pieces from different emails.

Many endorsements require signed insured acknowledgment — especially coverage reductions, exclusion additions, and named-insured changes. Save the executed copy to the policy file alongside the endorsement form.

Update the activity log with the endorsement number, effective date, and outcome. Notify the producer of record and any excess carriers if the change crosses the 50% notice threshold on the primary tower — missing that notice violates a coverage condition on most excess policies.