Endorsement (Rider)

Amend, add to, or delete provisions of the base policy — A rider, also called an endorsement, is a written amendment attached to a policy that adds, deletes, or changes provisions of the base contract. For example, a waiver-of-premium rider adds a benefit that excuses premium payments during disability, while an endorsement might delete a named peril or add an additional insured. Because the rider becomes part of the contract, its terms prevail over conflicting base policy language to the extent of the conflict. Riders are how coverage is customized to the insured's needs without rewriting the entire policy, and each rider typically carries its own premium and must be delivered with the policy so the insured can review it.

National insurance concept

Qualify an implied warranty, but cannot qualify an express provision — Section 354 provides that a representation cannot qualify an express provision in a contract of insurance, but it may qualify an implied warranty. This rule preserves the primacy of the written express terms of the policy while allowing representations some flexibility with respect to implied warranties, which are not written out in the contract. Because the premium is an express term stated in the policy, a representation cannot alter it, and changing the named insured modifies the identity of the parties to the contract itself, which requires the insurer's consent through proper endorsement procedures rather than a representation.

CA-specific example