"Waiver of subrogation" is one of those insurance phrases that sounds complicated but protects something simple: it stops a vendor's insurer from coming after your venue to recover money it already paid out.
First, what subrogation is
Subrogation is an insurer's right to recover a claim it paid from whoever caused the loss. If a vendor's insurer pays a claim, then decides your venue was partly at fault, subrogation lets the insurer sue your venue to get that money back.
What a waiver of subrogation does
A waiver of subrogation is the vendor's insurer agreeing, in advance, not to do that against a named party — your venue. So even if your venue contributed to a loss the vendor's policy paid, the insurer can't pursue you for reimbursement.
Paired with additional insured status, it's a strong combination: additional insured means the vendor's policy can cover your venue, and a waiver means their insurer won't claw the money back from you afterward.
How it shows on a COI
On an ACORD 25, a waiver appears in the SUBR WVD column:
| Where | What to look for |
|---|---|
| SUBR WVD column | A "Y" on the coverage line (often general liability and workers' comp) |
| Description of Operations | Wording like "Waiver of subrogation applies where required by written contract" |
Like additional insured, the waiver is created by an endorsement to the policy; the certificate only reports it.
Blanket vs scheduled
- Scheduled waiver names the specific party.
- Blanket waiver automatically applies to anyone the vendor is required by written contract to waive against — which is why the wording keys off your vendor agreement.
What this means for your venue
If your vendor contract requires a waiver of subrogation, check the SUBR WVD column on each certificate — not just the additional insured column. A certificate can name you as additional insured but omit the waiver, which leaves the door open for the vendor's insurer to pursue your venue later.
Checking both columns, on every certificate, is the kind of detail that's easy to miss by eye and easy for VenueCOI to verify automatically. You can also check a certificate free.