Waiver of Subrogation — What It Means on a COI

What subrogation is, in one paragraph

When an insurer pays a claim, it steps into its policyholder's shoes and inherits their right to sue whoever caused the loss. That is subrogation. It is why a workers' compensation carrier that pays out for an injured subcontractor employee can then pursue the property owner it believes created the hazard — the employee could have sued you, so now the carrier can.

A waiver of subrogation switches that off in advance, for a specified party. It does not reduce the vendor's coverage; it removes your exposure to their insurer's recovery action.

The forms you are actually asking for

Policy	Typical form	What it does
General liability	CG 24 04 — Waiver of Transfer of Rights of Recovery Against Others to Us	Waives GL subrogation rights against the scheduled party
Workers' compensation	WC 00 03 13 — Waiver of Our Right to Recover From Others	Waives comp subrogation, usually for a small additional premium
Commercial auto / umbrella	Carrier-specific waiver endorsements or blanket wording	Same mechanism, different policy

Form numbers are the common ISO versions; carriers also use proprietary equivalents.

How to read it on the ACORD 25

The ACORD 25 has a "SUBR WVD" column with a checkbox per coverage line. Like the additional-insured column beside it, that checkbox is a claim typed by an agency employee — it is not the endorsement. Verify the same way: ask for the waiver endorsement page, check that your exact legal entity is scheduled (or that blanket wording reaches you), and confirm the policy number matches.

Confirm SUBR WVD is checked on general liability and workers' compensation, not just one of them.
Request the endorsement page for each policy line where you require it.
Check the scheduled entity name against your exact legal name.
Check that the waiver's effective dates cover your whole contract period.

Anti-subrogation wording in your contract

The endorsement is only half of it. Your vendor agreement should also require the vendor to obtain the waiver and to keep it in force, so that a missing endorsement is a contract breach rather than a surprise. Some states restrict waivers of subrogation in specific contexts, particularly around workers' compensation and anti-indemnity statutes, so the wording is worth a one-time review by your counsel before it goes into your template.

Waivers, additional insured status and primary wording usually get checked together.

Get the full COI check list

Frequently asked

What does SUBR WVD mean on a certificate of insurance?

It is the ACORD 25's abbreviation for "subrogation waived" — a checkbox indicating the agency believes a waiver of subrogation endorsement applies to that coverage line. It is an indicator, not proof; the endorsement page is the proof.

Does a waiver of subrogation cost the vendor money?

Usually a modest additional premium, particularly on workers' compensation where waivers are rated. That cost is exactly why the endorsement is sometimes claimed on a certificate but never actually added to the policy.

Do I need a waiver of subrogation if I already have additional insured status?

Yes — they solve different problems. Additional insured status gives you defense and indemnity under the vendor's policy. A waiver stops the vendor's insurer from recovering against you after it pays. Neither substitutes for the other.

Can a waiver of subrogation be added after a loss?

No. It has to be in place before the loss occurs. Waivers obtained after the fact do not retroactively give up rights the insurer already acquired when it paid.

Is a blanket waiver of subrogation acceptable?

Frequently, yes, as long as the blanket wording is triggered by a written contract requiring the waiver and that contract exists and was executed before the loss. Ask for the blanket form and read its trigger language.

Waiver of subrogation: what it means and why you require it