Fill out ACORD forms
with AI.
ACORD forms are standardized documents developed by the Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development (ACORD) and used throughout the insurance industry to streamline the exchange of information between agents, brokers, insurers, and policyholders. These forms cover a wide range of insurance activities — from applying for property and liability coverage to verifying existing policies and managing account relationships. Because they follow a consistent format recognized across the industry, ACORD forms reduce errors and help ensure that all parties are working from the same information.
By continuing, you acknowledge Instafill's Privacy Policy and agree to get occasional product update and promotional emails.
About ACORD forms
A broad range of people rely on ACORD forms in their day-to-day work. Contractors and business owners frequently need the ACORD 25 Certificate of Liability Insurance to satisfy contractual requirements before a project begins. Property managers and developers may work with forms like the ACORD 140 Property Section or ACORD 147 Builders Risk Section when applying for commercial coverage. Homeowners and landlords use forms like the ACORD 84 Dwelling Fire Application when insuring residential properties. Insurance agents and brokers handle these documents regularly on behalf of their clients.
Filling out these forms accurately is important, as errors can delay coverage or create compliance issues. Tools like Instafill.ai use AI to complete ACORD forms in under 30 seconds, handling the data accurately and securely — a practical time-saver for agents, brokers, and business owners who deal with these documents frequently.
Forms in This Category
- Enterprise-grade security & data encryption
- 99%+ accuracy powered by AI
- 1,000+ forms from all industries
- Complete forms in under 60 seconds
How to Choose the Right Form
Start by identifying what you need the form to accomplish — verifying existing coverage, applying for new coverage, or making an administrative change.
Proving Insurance Coverage to a Third Party
- ACORD 25 – Certificate of Liability Insurance is what you need if a client, landlord, or contractor is asking for proof of your liability insurance. It summarizes your general liability, auto liability, umbrella/excess, and workers' compensation coverage in one document. Note: two versions of ACORD 25 appear in this list — they are the same form, so either entry will work.
Applying for Commercial Property Insurance
- ACORD 140 – Property Section is a supplemental form that must be attached to the ACORD 125 commercial application. Use it when applying for commercial property coverage — it captures building construction details, occupancy, protection class, and requested coverage limits.
- ACORD 147 – Installation/Builders Risk Section is the right choice if the property is under construction or installation. It collects project-specific details like job site security, transportation risks, and coverage for perils such as flood or earthquake during the build phase.
Applying for Residential (Dwelling) Insurance
- ACORD 84 – Dwelling Fire Application is designed for residential properties including single-family homes, apartments, condos, and co-ops. Use this form when applying for a dwelling fire policy rather than a standard homeowners policy.
Making an Administrative Change
- ACORD 36 – Agent/Broker of Record Change is the form to use when a policyholder wants to switch the agent or broker servicing their account. It officially transfers servicing authority and commission rights to a new representative without changing the underlying policy.
Quick tip: If you're unsure whether you need ACORD 140 or ACORD 147, ask yourself whether construction is actively underway. If yes, use ACORD 147. If the building already exists and you're insuring it as-is, use ACORD 140.
Form Comparison
| Form | Purpose | Who Files It | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACORD 25 (2016/03), Certificate of Liability Insurance | Verifies liability insurance coverages and limits for third parties | Insurance agents or brokers on behalf of insured | When a contract requires proof of liability insurance |
| ACORD 140 (2014/12), Property Section (Attach to ACORD 125) | Captures property-specific underwriting details for commercial risks | Agents and brokers submitting commercial property applications | When applying for commercial property insurance coverage |
| ACORD 84, Dwelling Fire Application (2013/09) | Applies for dwelling fire coverage on residential properties | Agents or applicants seeking residential fire insurance | When insuring homes, apartments, condos, or co-ops |
| ACORD 36, Agent/Broker of Record Change | Transfers servicing authority from current to new agent/broker | Policyholder initiating the agent change | When switching agents or brokers on an existing policy |
| ACORD 147, Installation/Builders Risk Section | Provides underwriting data for construction or installation projects | Producers and applicants for builders risk policies | When insuring property during construction or installation |
Tips for ACORD forms
When filling out ACORD forms, ensure that policy numbers, effective dates, and named insured information match exactly what appears on the underlying policy. Even small discrepancies — like a shortened business name or a transposed policy number — can cause delays, rejections, or disputes about coverage. Double-check these fields against the actual policy documents before submitting.
Several ACORD forms are designed to be used in combination — for example, ACORD 140 (Property Section) must be attached to an ACORD 125 commercial application, and ACORD 147 is a supplemental form that accompanies a primary application. Submitting a supplemental section without its required parent form is a common mistake that can stall the underwriting process. Review the form instructions to confirm which attachments are required.
The ACORD 25 Certificate of Liability Insurance is for informational purposes only — it does not modify, extend, or alter the underlying policy. If a contract requires Additional Insured status or a Waiver of Subrogation, those must be added via policy endorsements, not just noted on the certificate. Confirm with the insurer that required endorsements are actually in place before presenting the certificate to a third party.
AI-powered tools like Instafill.ai can complete ACORD forms in under 30 seconds with high accuracy, which is a major time-saver when you're dealing with several forms at once — such as a property application, a supplemental section, and a certificate request. Your data stays secure throughout the process, so you can fill confidently without worrying about sensitive policyholder information. This is especially useful for agents and brokers managing multiple clients or submissions simultaneously.
Forms like ACORD 84 (Dwelling Fire) and ACORD 140 (Property Section) require specific details about construction type, year built, square footage, roofing materials, and protective devices. Having this information ready before you begin filling out the form prevents incomplete submissions and reduces back-and-forth with underwriters. A quick walkthrough or inspection report can supply most of what you need.
When changing an agent or broker of record, the ACORD 36 must be signed by the policyholder and submitted to the carrier before the new agent can access the account or make changes. Skipping or delaying this step can leave the new agent unable to service the policy or respond to time-sensitive requests. Make sure the form is submitted well in advance of any planned policy actions.
On the ACORD 147 (Installation/Builders Risk Section), accurately estimating the total project value — including materials, labor, and equipment — is critical to securing adequate coverage limits. Underinsuring a construction project can leave significant gaps if a loss occurs mid-build. When in doubt, consult the project contract or a cost estimator to arrive at a defensible figure.
Always retain a copy of every completed ACORD form, including certificates issued and applications submitted, for your records. Certificates of liability are frequently requested multiple times by the same or different parties, and having a saved copy means you won't need to recreate the form from scratch. Organized records also make policy renewals and audits much smoother.
Frequently Asked Questions
ACORD (Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development) forms are standardized documents used across the insurance industry to streamline the exchange of information between agents, brokers, insurers, and policyholders. They are used by insurance professionals, businesses, contractors, property owners, and individuals to apply for coverage, document existing policies, or make administrative changes. Because they follow a consistent format recognized industry-wide, ACORD forms reduce errors and speed up processing.
This category includes six commonly used ACORD forms: ACORD 25 (Certificate of Liability Insurance), ACORD 36 (Agent/Broker of Record Change), ACORD 84 (Dwelling Fire Application), ACORD 140 (Property Section), and ACORD 147 (Installation/Builders Risk Section). Together, they cover a range of needs from verifying liability coverage to applying for property and construction-related insurance.
You typically need an ACORD 25 when a client, landlord, lender, or contracting party requires proof that your business carries adequate liability insurance before allowing you to begin work, sign a lease, or enter a contract. It provides a snapshot of your active liability policies, including coverage types and limits, without altering the underlying policies themselves. Items like additional insured status or waiver of subrogation must be added through proper policy endorsements.
ACORD 84 is a standalone application specifically for dwelling fire insurance, used for residential properties like single-family homes, apartments, and condominiums. ACORD 140, on the other hand, is a supplemental property section that must be attached to the ACORD 125 commercial insurance application to provide detailed underwriting information for commercial properties. In short, ACORD 84 is for personal/residential dwelling coverage, while ACORD 140 supports commercial property applications.
Policyholders who wish to switch their insurance agent or broker without changing their existing policy should use the ACORD 36 form. It formally notifies the insurance carrier of the change, transferring servicing authority and commission rights to the newly designated agent or broker. This form is commonly used when a business or individual finds a new agent who better meets their needs mid-policy term.
ACORD 147 is needed when applying for insurance that covers property, materials, or equipment during a construction or installation project. It is typically required by insurers underwriting builders risk or installation floater policies for contractors, developers, or project owners. The form captures project-specific details such as total project value, job site security measures, and desired coverage for perils like flood or earthquake.
No, ACORD forms do not replace or modify the underlying insurance policy. For example, the ACORD 25 Certificate of Liability Insurance is explicitly informational and does not grant additional rights to the certificate holder beyond what the policy itself provides. Any changes to coverage, limits, or endorsements must be made directly to the policy through the insurer.
The destination for a completed ACORD form depends on its purpose. Application forms like ACORD 84, 140, and 147 are submitted to the insurance carrier or underwriter for review and policy issuance. The ACORD 25 certificate is typically sent directly to the requesting third party (such as a client or landlord). The ACORD 36 is submitted to the policyholder's insurance carrier to authorize the agent or broker change.
Yes, AI-powered tools like Instafill.ai can fill out ACORD forms in under 30 seconds by accurately extracting and placing data from your source documents. This is especially useful for forms like ACORD 84, 140, and 147, which require detailed property and coverage information that can be tedious to enter manually. Instafill.ai can also convert non-fillable PDF versions of ACORD forms into interactive, fillable documents.
Manually completing an ACORD form can take anywhere from several minutes to over an hour, depending on the complexity of the form and the amount of information required. Using an AI tool like Instafill.ai, the same forms can be completed in under 30 seconds by automatically extracting relevant data from existing documents and populating the correct fields accurately.
ACORD forms themselves are standardized data-collection and documentation tools, not contracts. However, they often include fraud warnings and signature attestations that carry legal weight, particularly on application forms where the applicant certifies the accuracy of the information provided. The actual insurance contract is the policy issued by the carrier based on the information submitted.
Insurance carriers and state regulations may require a specific version of an ACORD form, so it is important to confirm which version is acceptable before submitting. For example, the ACORD 25 form in this category is the 2016/03 edition, and some carriers or certificate holders may reject older versions. Always check with your insurer or the requesting party to ensure you are using the correct and current form version.
Glossary
- ACORD
- Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development — a global standards organization for the insurance industry that creates standardized forms and data exchange protocols used by insurers, agents, and brokers worldwide.
- Certificate of Insurance (COI)
- A document, such as the ACORD 25, that summarizes an insured's active insurance coverages, limits, and policy periods. It is issued to third parties as proof of insurance but does not itself confer any coverage rights.
- Certificate Holder
- A third party (such as a client, landlord, or government agency) named on a Certificate of Insurance who receives proof that the insured carries required coverages. Being listed as a certificate holder alone does not grant additional rights under the policy.
- Additional Insured
- A person or organization added to an insurance policy — beyond the named insured — who receives certain coverage protections. This status must be established through a policy endorsement, not merely by being listed on a certificate of insurance.
- Waiver of Subrogation
- A policy endorsement that prevents an insurer from pursuing a third party for reimbursement after paying a claim on behalf of the insured. It is often required by contracts and must be added to the underlying policy, not just noted on a certificate.
- Named Insured
- The individual, business, or entity specifically identified in an insurance policy as the primary party covered. This is distinct from additional insureds, who are added by endorsement.
- Broker of Record
- The licensed insurance agent or broker authorized by a policyholder to service their insurance account, access policy information, and receive commissions from the insurer. A change is formally documented using a form like the ACORD 36.
- Dwelling Fire Policy
- An insurance policy designed to cover residential properties — such as rental homes, vacant homes, or investment properties — against fire and other specified perils. It differs from a standard homeowners policy in that it typically does not cover the owner's personal liability or belongings.
- Builders Risk / Installation Floater
- A type of property insurance that covers buildings, materials, and equipment during the course of construction or installation. Coverage typically ends when the project is complete and the property is occupied or put into use.
- Causes of Loss
- The specific perils or events (such as fire, wind, theft, or flood) that an insurance policy covers. On property forms like the ACORD 140, insurers distinguish between basic, broad, and special (open-peril) cause-of-loss forms, each offering different levels of coverage.