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Commercial Auto Symbols on a Certificate of Insurance: Any Auto vs. Owned, Hired, and Non-Owned

By SubCover HQ · Updated Nov 4, 2026 · 2 min read

The commercial auto section of an ACORD 25 looks simple: a few checkboxes and a combined single limit. But those checkboxes decide which vehicles are actually covered. A sub whose certificate shows only Scheduled Autos may have no coverage for the pickup an employee drives to your job site.

What the checkboxes mean

On a standard business auto policy, coverage is assigned by numbered symbols. The ACORD 25 checkboxes map to the most common ones:

• Any Auto (symbol 1): any vehicle the business owns, hires, or borrows, plus employees' vehicles used for business. This is the broadest.
• Owned Autos Only (symbol 2): vehicles the business owns, including ones it acquires during the policy.
• Scheduled Autos (symbol 7): only the specific vehicles listed on the policy.
• Hired Autos (symbol 8): vehicles the business rents, leases short-term, or borrows.
• Non-Owned Autos (symbol 9): vehicles the business doesn't own, hire, or borrow that are used for its business, such as an employee's personal car.

What to require

Many subcontract and vendor agreements require either Any Auto, or the combination of owned (or scheduled), hired, and non-owned autos. Together those cover the sub's trucks, rentals, and employees running errands in their own cars. A common limit is $1,000,000 combined single limit, but your contract and insurance professional set the number.

If a sub has no owned vehicles at all, hired and non-owned auto liability may be the right fit. See our hired and non-owned auto guide.

Checking it on the ACORD 25

1. Find the Automobile Liability row and see which boxes are checked.
2. If only Scheduled Autos is checked, ask whether hired and non-owned coverage exists, and whether the vehicles used on your job are on the schedule.
3. Check the combined single limit (or the bodily injury and property damage limits) against your requirement.
4. If you require additional insured status or a waiver of subrogation on auto, look for the ADDL INSD and SUBR WVD markers on that row and ask for the endorsements.
5. Track the auto policy's expiration separately. It often renews on a different date than GL.

Key takeaways

The checked boxes matter as much as the limit. Any Auto, or owned plus hired plus non-owned, covers the vehicles that usually show up on a job; Scheduled Autos alone may not. SubCover HQ reads every auto section against your requirements and tracks each policy's expiration, for $99/month.

Frequently asked questions

What does Any Auto mean on a COI?

It means the auto policy covers any vehicle the business owns, hires, or borrows, plus non-owned vehicles used for its business. It's the broadest auto coverage option.

Is Scheduled Autos enough for a subcontractor?

Not always. It only covers vehicles listed on the policy, so ask about hired and non-owned coverage too.

What auto limit should I require from subs?

Many contracts require $1,000,000 combined single limit, but your contract and insurance professional set the number.

This guide is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Policy forms vary; your insurance professional and attorney determine what you should require.