The declarations page is the summary at the front of a policy setting out the named insured, the policy period, the limits, the premium and the schedule of forms and endorsements attached. It is where a review starts, because it lists what else has to be read, and it is not itself the coverage.
Updated September 2026.
Why brokers care
Teams under time pressure read the declarations and stop, which is how a restricted limit gets missed. The declarations can show an intact limit while an endorsement listed in the schedule narrows it for the exposure that matters. The dec page tells you which documents exist. The endorsements tell you what they do.
What to check
- The named insured, exactly, against the contracting entity
- The policy period against the full contract term including option years
- The complete schedule of forms and endorsements, then read them
- Whether limits shown are per occurrence, aggregate or both
- Any change from the expiring declarations, line by line
Common mistake
Treating the dec page as the policy. It is the index. It tells you which documents exist, and the endorsements it lists are where the coverage is actually shaped.
Where this fits the review order is in the certificate review checklist.