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Workers’ Compensation Insurance in Illinois

Illinois requires workers’ compensation insurance for an employer’s first employee, including a part-time worker, subject to rare statutory exceptions. An out-of-state company doing any work in Illinois must carry a policy that includes Illinois coverage for those workers. 1

What Is Workers’ Compensation?

Workers’ compensation can pay medical care and part of an employee’s lost wages after a work-related injury or illness. If you have staff, check who is covered in each state; owners, contractors and some workers may be treated differently. Read the national Workers’ compensation guide.

What to Watch for in Illinois

  • One Hire Starts the Duty

    The Commission says even one part-time employee requires coverage, with no waiting period after hire. Arrange the policy before the first shift. 1

  • Check the Agricultural Family Exception

    Family employees are generally covered, but the Commission identifies an exception for corporate officers and certain family members of agricultural enterprises below 400 labor days per quarter in the preceding year. Confirm the statutory test before excluding family payroll. 1

  • Illinois Work Must Appear on an Out-of-State Policy

    An out-of-state employer doing any work in Illinois needs a policy that includes Illinois; the Commission says an employee injured on that work may file a claim here. Ask the broker to confirm Illinois is listed before dispatching staff. 1

  • A Coverage Search Can Miss Pool Coverage

    The Commission’s public search draws on NCCI policy data and approved self-insurers, but does not include employers in Illinois self-insurance pools. If a search returns no match, ask the employer or Commission to confirm pool coverage instead of treating the result as proof of no coverage. 2

Who Regulates Insurance in Illinois

Illinois Department of Insurance

The Department licenses and oversees insurers and insurance producers doing business in Illinois, reviews regulated insurance activity, and investigates complaints about coverage, claims, premiums, and sales. 3,5,4

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 3.5% of taxable premium plus a 0.04% stamping fee; separate 1% fire marshal tax on taxable fire premium When Illinois is the insured’s home state, the broker reports and remits a 3.5% tax on gross taxable surplus-line premium less returned taxable premium. The separate SLAI stamping fee is 0.04% for policies effective on or after January 1, 2023; a 1% fire marshal tax also applies to taxable fire premium. 7,6,10,11,8

Surplus Line Association of Illinois

  • Illinois guaranty fund limits: For covered claims against a member insurer, the Illinois Insurance Guaranty Fund generally caps its obligation at $500,000 per claim; workers’ compensation claims are excepted from that dollar cap. This fund does not protect policies issued by nonadmitted surplus-lines insurers. The net-worth exclusions apply to covered claims against member insurers. 8
  • Illinois FAIR Plan: If you cannot obtain basic property coverage in the voluntary market, the Illinois FAIR Plan offers a residual-market option for eligible property. Check its current eligibility and coverage limits before relying on it for a commercial location. 9

Providers With Documented State Licenses

These providers publish a national listing for Workers’ compensation; the state records document licenses for the entities and roles shown below. Some records rely on company-reported information rather than independent regulator verification. A national listing does not confirm the product is available in Illinois. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.

  • CorgiCorgi Insurance Services, Inc.Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28Corgi’s company producer-license table lists 50 jurisdictions: 49 states and the District of Columbia, including DC license 3003091619. New Mexico does not appear in the table and is not included here; the omission does not establish that Corgi is unlicensed there. The company-reported table has no stated as-of date and does not establish product availability. 14
  • ERGO NEXT InsuranceNext First Insurance Agency, Inc.Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28ERGO NEXT’s current license table lists Next First Insurance Agency, Inc. in 50 jurisdictions, including Washington, DC; New York is excluded because its table rows name Next Insurance Services and AP Intego, not Next First. The table is company-reported; it does not establish product availability or provide state-regulator verification for each entry. 16
  • HiscoxHiscox Insurance Company Inc.Insurer · checked 2026-09-28Hiscox’s U.S. company information states that Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This is company-reported insurer authority for this entity and does not establish which company issues every Hiscox-branded product. 15
  • RisklyticsRisklytics, Inc.Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28Risklytics’ licensing page lists its Massachusetts resident agency license plus state license records in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas and Washington; it identifies the NPN record date as September 10, 2026. This list is company-published and not a product availability map. 17
  • TechInsuranceSpecialty Program Group LLCInsurance producer · checked 2026-09-28TechInsurance’s current licensing page names Specialty Program Group LLC / SPG Insurance Solutions and lists state license numbers, but labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses” rather than identifying a license for the named agency. RI is omitted because this disclosure does not establish agency authority there; this is a search limitation, not an assertion that the company is unlicensed. The remaining state entries are company-reported and are not an insurance product availability map. 18
  • VouchVouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLCInsurance producer, Surplus-lines broker · checked 2026-09-28Vouch’s licenses page, effective January 16, 2025, lists producer licenses in all 50 states and DC. Its separate surplus-lines table includes Idaho number 870820, while a footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses. Because those statements conflict for Idaho, this record keeps Idaho producer-only and does not treat the table number as established agency surplus-lines authority. The page is company-reported and does not establish product availability. 19

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Illinois

  1. Does a part-time first hire trigger coverage before their first shift?
  2. Does our policy include Illinois for employees temporarily working here?
  3. If a subcontractor’s search result is blank, how can we verify coverage through an Illinois pool?

Workers’ Compensation in Illinois: FAQ

Does Illinois require workers’ comp for one part-time employee? 1

Yes. The Illinois Commission says an employer with one employee, even part-time, must obtain coverage; it identifies only rare statutory exceptions. 1

Does my out-of-state workers’ comp policy cover work in Illinois? 1

Only if the policy includes Illinois coverage. An out-of-state company doing any work in Illinois must provide that coverage for its workers. 1

Workers’ Compensation in Other States

Other Coverage in Illinois

Sources

  1. Insurance. Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission; Employer questions: employee threshold, family agricultural exception, out-of-state operations; accessed 2026-09-28. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. Illinois Department of Insurance. Illinois Department of Insurance; Official agency homepage and agency information. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. File a Complaint. Illinois Department of Insurance; Official insurance complaint intake and consumer phone. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Calculating & Remitting Taxes: Surplus Line Tax. Surplus Line Association of Illinois; Current surplus-line tax applicability and rate. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. 215 ILCS 5/445: Surplus line. Illinois General Assembly; Subsections (3)(a), (12): tax and code applicability. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. 215 ILCS 5: Illinois Insurance Guaranty Fund. Illinois General Assembly; Article XXXIV: cap, net-worth exclusions, exceptions, and non-admitted insurer exclusion. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Illinois FAIR Plan Association. Illinois FAIR Plan Association; Plan overview and current eligibility information. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Stamping Fees: Fee Calculation. Surplus Line Association of Illinois; Current stamping fee 0.04% of premium for policies effective January 1, 2023 or later; may be passed to insured. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. 50 Ill. Adm. Code § 2701.130: Taxes. Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules; Surplus line producer pays 1% fire marshal tax on gross premiums less returned premiums for insurance subject to the Fire Investigation Act. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  11. Licenses and Carriers. Coalition; Licenses and Carriers, re-read 22 September 2026: Insurance Licenses table for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., national producer number 18419475, with producer and surplus-lines numbers for all 50 states and DC including California 0L76155, Georgia 196479, Texas 2199630 and 2205589, Pennsylvania 815731 and 817452, Colorado 539028 and Wisconsin 3000108852. Insurance Carriers table naming, with NAIC numbers, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company 36420, Arch Specialty Insurance Company 21199, Ascot Specialty Insurance Company 45055, Ascot Insurance Company 23752, Aspen Specialty Insurance Company 10717, Chaucer Insurance Company DAC, Coalition Insurance Company 29530, Fireman's Fund Indemnity Corporation 11380, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company 16823, Lloyd's of London, MSIG Specialty Insurance USA Inc. 34886, MS Transverse Specialty Insurance Company 41807, Steadfast Insurance Company 26387, Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company 16275 and Zurich American Insurance Company 16535. Accessed 2026-09-22.
  12. Insurance Producer Licenses. Corgi Insurance; Current complete Insurance Producer Licenses table for Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; 50 rows covering 49 states and DC (DC 3003091619); no New Mexico row; no NPN or as-of date shown. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  13. About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  14. Licenses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current entity-by-state license table reopened 28 September 2026: 50 rows under Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., including Washington, DC; New York rows instead list Next Insurance Services PC-1423070 and AP Intego BR-1198885. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  15. About Risklytics. Risklytics; What we do; Who we insure; Licensing; Agency licenses table dated 2026-09-10. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  16. Insurance Licenses by State. TechInsurance; Current state table; identifies TechInsurance as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC d/b/a SPG Insurance Solutions; lists DC 3000041536 and labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses,” without an agency license number. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  17. Licenses. Vouch; Effective 16 January 2025: Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC, NPN 19926463; P&C table (50 states and DC); surplus-lines table includes Idaho 870820; footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses; Idaho retained as producer-only due to conflict. Accessed 2026-09-15.

Updated .

This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with a supporting source.

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