ACORD 26 policy certification log: what it is and how to automate it
For agencies, brokers and risk teams that issue or track certificates of insurance: what the ACORD 26 log records, how it relates to the ACORD 24, 25, 27 and 28, and how to move certificate tracking out of paper logs.
Key takeaways
- The ACORD 26 is the Policy Certification Log: a one-page table an agency uses to record every certificate or evidence of insurance issued for one insured.
- It logs certificates issued on forms such as the ACORD 24 and 25 (certificates of property and liability insurance) and the ACORD 27 and 28 (evidence of property insurance).
- Each row records the date issued, log number, holder name and address, insurer and line, special terms such as additional insured or wording changes, notice of cancellation days and expiration.
- ACORD's forms index lists 2002/01 as the current edition, and most agencies now keep this log in their agency management system.
- Automation matters most for digitizing old paper logs and the certificates behind them so renewals and holder notifications can be tracked from data.
On this page
The ACORD 26 is the Policy Certification Log: a one-page table where an insurance agency records every certificate or evidence of insurance it has issued for a single insured. Each row shows when the certificate was issued, who holds it, which insurer and line it covers, any special terms such as additional insured status or wording changes, and when it expires. Agencies use it to know who needs a new certificate when a policy renews or changes.
This guide covers what the form records, how it relates to the certificate forms, and how to digitize and automate certificate tracking.
What is the ACORD 26?#
ACORD 26 is a standard form published by ACORD, the nonprofit that maintains standard insurance forms. ACORD's forms index, revised September 2026, lists its current edition as 2002/01, the same edition shown in the header image.
The log sits alongside the four certificate forms an agency issues:
ACORD 24: Certificate of Property Insurance
Evidences property coverage, for a certificate holder.ACORD 25: Certificate of Liability Insurance
Evidences general liability, auto, umbrella and workers' compensation coverage. See our ACORD 25 guide.ACORD 27: Evidence of Property Insurance
Evidences property coverage, typically for a lender or additional interest.ACORD 28: Evidence of Commercial Property Insurance
Evidences commercial property coverage, typically for a lender or landlord.
A business with many vendors, landlords, lenders or project owners can have dozens of certificates outstanding. The ACORD 26 keeps them on one page per insured.
How a certificate gets logged#
Every certificate an agency issues should leave a row on the log, and every row is a promise to revisit that holder when the policy renews or changes.
- Holder request
- Policy renewal
- Policy change
- 01Issue the certificate
- 02Log it on the ACORD 26
- 03Watch expiry and special terms
- 04Reissue to each holder
The fields on an ACORD 26#
| Section | Fields | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Header | Agency, insured | Identifying whose certificates are logged |
| Insurers affording coverage | Insurers A to F, each with a policy period | Linking each certificate to an insurer and term |
| Date issued and log number | Date the certificate was issued; log ID | Finding the certificate in the file |
| Certificate or evidence holder | Holder name and address | Knowing who to reissue to at renewal |
| Coverage | Letter or name and NAIC code; line of business; insurer letter (INSR LTR) | Which policy the certificate evidences |
| Special terms | Check columns for scheduled autos, wording change, additional insured and "PERM" | Tracking terms that need an endorsement or approval |
| Cancellation and expiry | Number of days' notice of cancellation; month and year the certification expires | Renewal and notice obligations |
The special terms columns are the ones to watch. A wording change or additional insured entry usually means the certificate relies on an endorsement, and that endorsement has to be in place on the renewed policy too.
Why paper certification logs cause problems#
Renewals get missed
If the log lives on paper or in a scanned PDF, nobody is reminded when certificates need reissuing.Special terms get lost
An additional insured or wording change noted on a log can be missed when the policy renews, leaving a holder with a certificate the policy no longer supports.Search is slow
Answering "which holders have a certificate on this policy?" means reading every page.Errors and omissions exposure
Agencies need a record of what they certified, to whom and when.
How to automate certificate logging and tracking#
There are two jobs here: digitizing the past, and logging the future.
Digitizing existing logs and certificates
- CollectGather scanned ACORD 26 logs and the certificates they refer to.
- ClassifySort each page as a log, an ACORD 24, 25, 27 or 28, or an endorsement.
- ExtractRead every log row: date, holder, insurer, line, special terms and expiration. Docsumo reads ACORD forms and reaches 99% field-level accuracy across the 250+ document types it handles.
- MatchPair each log row with its certificate, and flag rows with no certificate or certificates with no log entry.
- LoadSend the data into your agency management or compliance system through an API or webhook.
Logging new certificates
Most agency management systems log certificates as they're issued. If yours doesn't, extracting data from each outgoing certificate gives you the same record: holder, line, dates and special terms, ready for renewal reminders.
For certificate holders
The flip side of the log is the holder's job: collecting certificates from vendors and checking them against contracts. That's certificate of insurance tracking, covered in our guide to COI tracking software.
- 99%field-level accuracy across 250+ document types
- 95%+of documents processed straight through, without manual review
Checks to run on a digitized log#
Once the rows are data, a few checks turn the log into a renewal worklist, whether it came from paper or from your agency system.
- Every row has a certificateA log entry with no certificate behind it can't be reissued or defended.
- Every certificate has a rowA certificate missing from the log won't be reissued at renewal.
- Special terms have an endorsementAdditional insured and wording change entries should point to an endorsement on the current policy.
- Expiry dates are presentRows without a month and year of expiry drop out of renewal reminders.
- Holder addresses are currentThe reissued certificate goes to the address on the log.
The bottom line#
The ACORD 26 is a simple log with an important job: knowing who holds a certificate for which policy, with which special terms, until when. Paper logs make that hard to act on. Digitize old logs and certificates, keep new ones as data, and let renewal dates drive reissuance.
Book a demo with a few of your own logs and certificates, or start a free trial.
Frequently asked questions#
What is an ACORD 26 form?
ACORD 26 is the Policy Certification Log, a standard ACORD form that lists every certificate or evidence of insurance issued for one insured, with the holder, coverage line, special terms and expiration.
Which forms does the ACORD 26 log?
It's used to log certificates and evidence of insurance issued to holders, typically on the ACORD 24 (certificate of property insurance), ACORD 25 (certificate of liability insurance), ACORD 27 (evidence of property insurance) and ACORD 28 (evidence of commercial property insurance).
Is the ACORD 26 still used?
ACORD still lists it in its forms index, with a 2002/01 edition. Many agencies now track certificates in their agency management system instead, but paper and scanned logs remain in older files.
Why does a certificate log matter at renewal?
When a policy renews, every holder on the log may need a new certificate. The log shows who holds a certificate, which lines it covers, and whether special wording or additional insured status was granted.
Can ACORD 26 logs be digitized automatically?
Yes. A document AI platform can read scanned logs row by row and extract each certificate's holder, line and expiration into a system that tracks renewals. See ACORD form extraction.