Workers' Compensation by state
Workers' compensation requirements in Ohio
Required, state fund only
Direct answer
Does Ohio require workers' compensation insurance?
Yes. Ohio requires workers' compensation coverage, and it is a monopolistic state: employers buy the policy through the state fund rather than the private market. Ohio requires employers with one or more employees to carry workers' compensation coverage, and coverage must be obtained through the state fund administered by the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, unless the employer qualifies for approved self-insurance.
How the mandate works
Ohio requires employers with one or more employees to carry workers' compensation coverage, and coverage must be obtained through the state fund administered by the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, unless the employer qualifies for approved self-insurance. Private workers' compensation policies are not sold in Ohio.
- Coverage trigger
- One or more employees
- Monopolistic state
- Ohio is a monopolistic state, so the workers' compensation policy is purchased through the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) rather than the private market. A broker can still help arrange the rest of the insurance program, including stop-gap employers liability coverage that the BWC policy does not include.
- If you go without coverage
- Employers without required BWC coverage can face penalties, personal liability for an injured worker's benefits, and loss of statutory immunity from suit.
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 who may elect coverage
- Some domestic workers earning below the statutory quarterly threshold
- Certain casual labor outside the usual course of the business
Statutes and sources
-
Ohio Workers' Compensation Law
Ohio Rev. Code Ann. sect. 4123.01 et seq.
Regulator: Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation . Last verified 2026-07-29 from the official source .
Related Ohio 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
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
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