Workers' Compensation by state
Workers' compensation requirements in North Dakota
Required, state fund only
Direct answer
Does North Dakota require workers' compensation insurance?
Yes. North Dakota requires workers' compensation coverage, and it is a monopolistic state: employers buy the policy through the state fund rather than the private market. North Dakota requires employers with one or more employees to carry workers' compensation coverage, and coverage must be obtained through the state fund, Workforce Safety and Insurance.
How the mandate works
North Dakota requires employers with one or more employees to carry workers' compensation coverage, and coverage must be obtained through the state fund, Workforce Safety and Insurance. Private workers' compensation policies are not sold in North Dakota.
- Coverage trigger
- One or more employees
- Monopolistic state
- North Dakota is a monopolistic state, so the workers' compensation policy is purchased directly from Workforce Safety and Insurance (WSI) rather than the private market. A broker can still help arrange the rest of the insurance program, including stop-gap employers liability coverage that WSI does not provide.
- If you go without coverage
- Operating without required WSI coverage can bring penalties, personal liability for benefits, and loss of certain statutory protections.
Notable exemptions
Exemptions are narrow and fact-specific; confirm your situation with the regulator or an agent before relying on one.
- Sole proprietors, partners, and certain LLC members and corporate officers who may elect coverage
- Some agricultural labor
- Certain domestic and casual employment
Statutes and sources
-
North Dakota Workers' Compensation Act
N.D. Cent. Code sect. 65-01-01 et seq.
Regulator: North Dakota Workforce Safety and Insurance . Last verified 2026-07-29 from the official source .
Related North Dakota compliance pages
Workers' Compensation in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
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