In Washington you buy workers comp from the state, not from a carrier.
Private carriers may not write it in Washington. We do not place workers compensation or employers liability here — we place everything else. We set the coverage up and produce the certificate — usually the same day.
What Washington requires
Washington requires workers compensation at one worker, from the first hour worked, unless the worker meets a statutory exemption. (RCW 51.12.010; RCW 51.12.020).
app.leg.wa.gov·checked 2026-08-16
Washington is monopolistic and prices by the hour rather than by payroll: cover comes from the State Fund, and only employers with at least $25 million in assets can qualify to self-insure instead.
lni.wa.gov·checked 2026-08-16
Washington has no rating bureau — L&I sets State Fund rates itself, charged by the hour worked rather than by payroll.
lni.wa.gov·checked 2026-08-16
An employer in Washington that no carrier will voluntarily write is covered through the state fund itself — private carriers cannot write here, so there is no assigned risk plan.
lni.wa.gov·checked 2026-08-16
Limits
What to carry, and why that number.
- Workers compensationState fund only
Coverage
Six lines. Each one closes a specific hole.
Medical benefits
Treatment for a work-related injury or illness, with no deductible and no cap in most states.
Without it — The employer pays the medical bills directly, and in most states also the penalty for not carrying cover.
Wage replacement
A portion of lost earnings while an injured employee cannot work, set by a state formula.
Without it — The employee sues for lost wages, and the exclusive-remedy protection that normally blocks that suit does not apply.
Employer's liability
Defends the employer when an injury leads to a suit that workers comp benefits do not settle — a spouse’s claim, a third party seeking contribution.
Without it — A defence funded out of operating cash, on a claim the comp policy was supposed to absorb.
Assigned risk placement
Cover through the state residual market when no voluntary carrier will quote — the plan of last resort every state is required to maintain.
Without it — No cover, which in most states means no legal ability to employ anyone.
In Washington
The organizations that will ask for your certificate.
- the Washington State Fund, administered by the Department of Labor and Industries · The sole provider of cover in this state.
Questions
Can I buy workers comp from a private carrier in Washington?
No. Washington is monopolistic — cover comes from the state, and the only alternative is qualifying to self-insure. We do not place workers compensation or employers liability here. What we do place is everything else the business needs, and we will tell you that up front rather than after a submission.
Do I need workers comp in Washington at all?
One worker, from the first hour worked, unless the worker meets a statutory exemption. (RCW 51.12.010; RCW 51.12.020).
Why is my quote different in every state I operate in?
Because workers comp is priced off a state loss-cost filing, not a national rate. Most states take those filings from NCCI; California, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Delaware and Indiana each run their own rating bureau. Same payroll, same class code, different starting number.
Every carrier has declined us. What now?
Every state maintains a residual market — an assigned risk plan or a state fund — that must take risks the voluntary market will not. The submissions are long and most brokers avoid them, which is why declined accounts often hear nothing rather than hearing no. We place them.
Our experience mod jumped. Is that permanent?
No. A mod is a three-year rolling calculation that drops the oldest year as it adds the newest, so a bad year ages out. What changes the trajectory is what happens between now and then — claim handling, return-to-work, and whether the reserves on open claims are still realistic. We have taken accounts out of the residual market this way.
Do I need workers comp for subcontractors?
Usually yes, in the sense that you will pay for them. If a sub cannot produce their own certificate at audit, most states let the carrier charge you as though they were your employee — which is why an uninsured sub is often the single largest line on an audit bill.
What is an audit and why did it produce a bill?
Workers comp premium is an estimate based on projected payroll, trued up after the policy year. If payroll ran higher than projected, or uninsured subs appeared, or employees were classified into cheaper codes than the work they actually did, the difference arrives as an audit bill.
Tell us what you do. We’ll tell you what it costs.
Licensed in Washington. Have your payroll figures and a list of services on hand — those are the two things that slow a quote down.
Start a quoteLast reviewed 2026-08-16