What Is an Insurance Declaration Page?

Your insurance declaration page is a document that lists basic information about an insurance policy. Also known as a dec page, you can refer to this part of your policy for a summary of your coverage.

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Here’s more information about an insurance declaration page, including what details it includes, where you can find it, and why you might need it. 

Insurance Declaration Page Contents

Your insurance declaration page provides a summary of your coverage. Depending on your policy, it may be longer than one actual page. 

Regardless of how many pages it is, here’s the type of information you'll find on your copy:

• Insurance provider name
• Policyholder name
• Other named insured 
• Policy number
• Policy period (the effective date and expiration date)
• Type of coverage
• Coverage limits
• Deductible
• Insurance premium
• Endorsements held
• Discounts applied 

While most insurance declaration pages include the same basic information, there are items that vary based on the type of policy. Here are a few examples.

What’s On a Business Car Insurance Declaration Page? 

In addition to the items listed above, a commercial auto insurance declaration page also lists: 

• Form of business 
• Covered vehicles with specific policy limits
• Bodily injury, towing or labor limits included in your car insurance policy 
• Loss payee or lienholder (if your business doesn’t own the vehicle)
• Vehicle information, such as the vehicle identification number, year, make, and model

What’s Included on a Business Owners Policy Declaration Page?

You can expect to find all the basic facts plus the following on a business owners policy’s (BOP) page:

• Optional insurance coverage you’ve purchased
• Address of your business headquarters
• Description of insured property
• Name and address of the building’s owner 

What’s Included on a Workers’ Compensation Insurance Declaration Page? 

If you get workers’ compensation insurance, you can expect to find all the basic information and: 

• Estimated payroll
• Classification codes used by your business
• Rates and credits 
• State where you have coverage

Hourly can work with your agent to help you save money on workers’ compensation insurance. The platform syncs your workers’ comp with your payroll, so premiums are based on actual wages—and not a guess. This essentially eliminates the uncertainty of the workers' comp audit.

Other Insurance Dec Pages

Business insurance isn’t the only type to issue a declaration page. You’ll also see them for personal insurance policies. For instance, a homeowners insurance declaration page gets issued with every home insurance policy. 

For every policy you have, whether personal or business, you should get this important documentation. 

What’s Not Included on an Insurance Declaration Page? 

Every insurance contract has four basic parts. The first one is an insurance declaration page, followed by the insuring agreement, exclusions, and conditions. Your dec page is simply an overview of your policy information. It doesn’t go into details or include the fine print. That’s what the other parts of the contract are for.

To truly understand your policy coverage, it’s important to read the entire contract. That way you aren’t surprised by your policy terms. 

How Do You Get an Insurance Declaration Page? 

Every insurance policy includes a dec page at the start. It’s often the first page. Every time you renew your policy, you should get a new insurance declaration page summarizing your new coverage. Since it contains such important information, you should keep this page in a safe spot. 

If you’ve misplaced your copy, you can request a new one from your insurance company. Alternatively, if you can access your insurance policy online in your client account, you may be able to print one on your own. 

Review Your Insurance Declaration Page Carefully 

Once you get your new or updated dec page, take the time to review it right away. You want to make sure the insurance described matches the insurance you purchased. During your review, ask yourself these questions: 

• Is my contact information correct? 
• Is the deductible what it’s supposed to be? 
• Does anyone need to be added to this policy? 
• Do the coverage types reflect what I need? 
• Is there anything missing from my policy?
• Are the dates of coverage right? 
• Are all of my discounts included? 
• Do I have enough coverage to meet my needs? 

If everything looks good, you’ll know your policy is accurate. If not, now is the time to speak with your insurance broker about how to update your coverage. Mistakes happen, and it’s better to catch them now than when something unexpected happens and you need to file a claim. 

Why Do You Need an Insurance Dec Page? 

The main purpose of your insurance declaration page is to provide you with your policy information at a glance. But there are also other uses for it. 

If you’re ready to shop around for a better price on your insurance, you want to make sure you’re getting comparable levels of coverage. Your dec page makes that simple. As your broker sends insurance quotes from different companies, you can verify your limits are what you expect or match your current coverage. 

You might also need your insurance declaration page when you’re in the market for a new car. Lenders require certain levels of coverage, and your insurance card doesn’t include those details. You can ask your insurance broker to fax over the dec page as proof of insurance limits. 

Finally, your policy declaration page can be useful if you need to file an insurance claim. It’ll help you quickly find the information you need about your coverage and limits. 

Is a Dec Page the Same as a Certificate of Insurance? 

Small business owners have likely heard of a certificate of insurance (COI). This document proves that you have insurance and summarizes your coverage. 

And while a dec page and a COI contain similar information, they aren’t the same. An insurance declaration page includes more personal details, such as how much your premiums are and your eligible discounts.

Hang On to Your Dec Page 

An insurance declaration page is an important document to have on hand. It summarizes your policy information in an easy-to-read format. You should review it regularly to make sure the information is accurate.