CG 00 01 is the ISO "Commercial General Liability Coverage Form" — the occurrence-based CGL form at the core of most general liability policies. Published by ISO (a Verisk business), it provides three coverages: Coverage A (bodily injury and property damage liability), Coverage B (personal and advertising injury liability), and Coverage C (medical payments). CG 00 01 is the occurrence version — its claims-made twin is CG 00 02. A finished CGL policy is CG 00 01 plus a declarations page and endorsements (such as additional insured CG 20 10 / CG 20 37). The widely-used current edition is CG 00 01 04 13.
Almost every general liability policy a US business buys is built on CG 00 01. It's the ISO form that standardizes what "general liability" means — so Coverage A, "occurrence," and "products-completed operations" mean the same thing from carrier to carrier. This guide explains the three coverages, the occurrence trigger, the limits, and the endorsements that usually ride on top. Source: IRMI CGL policy reference + "A High-Level View of the CGL Policy" + "How the Limits Apply in the CGL Policy"; Verisk/ISO; NAIC.
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What is the CG 00 01 form?
CG 00 01 is the ISO Commercial General Liability Coverage Form — the standardized occurrence-form wording most insurers use as the foundation of a CGL policy. Like the CA 00 01 business-auto form, it isn't a complete policy by itself: a finished CGL policy is CG 00 01 plus a declarations page (named insured, limits, premium) plus endorsements.
- It standardizes "general liability" — because most carriers start from CG 00 01, terms like "occurrence," "products-completed operations," and "personal and advertising injury" mean the same thing across insurers.
- It's an occurrence form — coverage is triggered by when the injury or damage happens, not when the claim is filed (contrast the claims-made CG 00 02 below).
- Carriers modify it with endorsements — additional insured, primary & non-contributory, waiver of subrogation, exclusions, and enhancements are added on top of the base form.
- It's the GL half of a BOP — a Business Owner's Policy packages CGL (built on CG 00 01) with commercial property. See our general liability guide.
The three coverages (A, B, C)
| Coverage | Name | What it responds to |
|---|---|---|
| A | Bodily Injury & Property Damage Liability | The core — third-party bodily injury or property damage the insured is legally liable for, caused by an "occurrence." Most CGL claims fall here. |
| B | Personal & Advertising Injury Liability | Offenses like libel, slander, false arrest, wrongful eviction, copyright infringement in advertising. |
| C | Medical Payments | Small, no-fault medical bills for someone injured on the premises or by operations — paid regardless of legal liability. |
Occurrence vs claims-made (CG 00 01 vs CG 00 02)
The single most important thing to know about CG 00 01 is that it is the occurrence form. This determines which policy pays a claim.
| Form | Trigger | Which policy pays |
|---|---|---|
| CG 00 01 (occurrence) | When the injury/damage happens | The policy in force when the incident occurred — even if the claim is filed years later. |
| CG 00 02 (claims-made) | When the claim is made | The policy in force when the claim is reported — subject to a retroactive date; often needs "tail" coverage when cancelled. |
Most small businesses want the occurrence form (CG 00 01) — it avoids the retroactive-date and tail-coverage complications of claims-made.
The CGL limits of insurance
The declarations page sets several separate limits on a CG 00 01 policy:
| Limit | What it caps |
|---|---|
| Each Occurrence | The most paid for any single occurrence (Coverage A + C combined). |
| General Aggregate | The most paid in the policy period for most claims (except products-completed operations). |
| Products-Completed Operations Aggregate | A separate annual cap for injury/damage from your products or completed work. |
| Personal & Advertising Injury | The most paid per person/organization for Coverage B offenses. |
| Damage to Premises Rented to You | A sub-limit for fire (and certain) damage to premises you rent. |
| Medical Expense | The per-person cap on Coverage C medical payments. |
Endorsements that ride on CG 00 01
- Additional insured (CG 20 10 / CG 20 37) — adds another party (a GC, landlord, or client) as an insured. See our additional insured guide.
- Primary & non-contributory — makes your policy pay first, ahead of the additional insured's own coverage.
- Waiver of subrogation — waives your insurer's right to recover from a named party after paying a claim.
- Exclusions / enhancements — carriers add industry-specific exclusions or broadening endorsements on top of the base form.
Who needs it
- Nearly every business — CGL (built on CG 00 01) is the baseline third-party liability policy for contractors, retailers, offices, and service firms.
- Anyone signing a commercial lease or contract — landlords and clients almost always require CGL with additional-insured status.
- BOP buyers — a Business Owner's Policy is CGL + property; the GL half is CG 00 01.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CG 00 01 form?
CG 00 01 is the ISO Commercial General Liability (CGL) Coverage Form — the standardized occurrence-form wording most insurers use as the core of a general liability policy. It provides three coverages: A (bodily injury and property damage), B (personal and advertising injury), and C (medical payments). It is not a complete policy by itself; a CGL policy is CG 00 01 plus a declarations page and endorsements.
Is CG 00 01 occurrence or claims-made?
CG 00 01 is the occurrence form — coverage is triggered by when the injury or damage happens, so the policy in force at the time of the incident responds, even if the claim is filed later. The claims-made version is CG 00 02, which triggers on when the claim is made and involves a retroactive date and often tail coverage.
What are Coverages A, B, and C in CG 00 01?
Coverage A is Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability (the core). Coverage B is Personal and Advertising Injury Liability (libel, slander, false arrest, advertising offenses). Coverage C is Medical Payments — small, no-fault medical bills paid regardless of legal liability.
What is the current edition of CG 00 01?
The widely-used current edition is CG 00 01 04 13 (April 2013). The last two number pairs are the edition date. ISO periodically revises the form, so the edition on your declarations tells you which version of the wording governs your policy.
Is CG 00 01 the same as a general liability policy?
Not exactly. CG 00 01 is the coverage form (the standardized wording). A general liability policy is CG 00 01 plus a declarations page (named insured, limits, premium) plus endorsements (such as additional insured CG 20 10 / CG 20 37). In everyday use people say "GL policy," but the coverage grammar underneath is CG 00 01.
What is the products-completed operations aggregate?
It's a separate annual limit that caps what the policy pays for bodily injury or property damage arising from your products or completed work — distinct from the general aggregate that applies to most other claims. Contractors watch this limit closely because completed-work claims can surface long after a job ends.
How does CG 00 01 relate to a BOP?
A Business Owner's Policy (BOP) packages general liability with commercial property in one policy. The general-liability half of a BOP is built on the CG 00 01 CGL coverage form (sometimes on a proprietary BOP liability form modeled on it). See our BOP guide for how the two halves fit together.
Quick glossary — CG 00 01 terms
- Occurrence
- An accident, including continuous or repeated exposure to substantially the same harmful conditions, that causes bodily injury or property damage.
- Coverage A
- Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability — the core CGL coverage.
- Coverage B
- Personal and Advertising Injury Liability — libel, slander, and similar offenses.
- Coverage C
- Medical Payments — small no-fault medical bills, paid regardless of liability.
- Products-Completed Operations
- Injury or damage arising from your products or completed work, capped by its own aggregate limit.
- General Aggregate
- The most the policy pays in a policy period for most claims other than products-completed operations.
- CG 00 02
- The claims-made version of the CGL coverage form (CG 00 01 is the occurrence version).