What Workers’ Compensation Insurance Requirements Apply in Minnesota?

Except for the State and its municipal subdivisions, every employer liable under chapter 176 must insure with an authorized carrier or obtain a written Commerce Commissioner order permitting self-insurance. The statute separately allows employers to pool liabilities under rules for qualifying group self-insurers. Section 176.041 excludes some owners and family work, with closely held corporation and LLC tests tied to payroll hours, ownership, and—in LLCs—member count.

What Is Workers’ Compensation Insurance?

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.

Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Insurance Requirements

Requirement	Details
Coverage method	For employers governed by §176.181 subd. 2(a): authorized carrier, an individual employer's written Commerce Commissioner self-insurance order, or qualifying group self-insurance under rules permitting pooled liabilities; the sentence excepts the State and its municipal subdivisions ²

What to Watch for With Workers’ Compensation in Minnesota

Household Coverage Has a Lookback Rule
A household worker earning less than $1,000 in cash in a three-month period from a single private home or household is excluded, unless the worker earned $1,000 or more from that present employer in any three-month period within the previous year; then the worker is covered even if earnings in the current quarter are lower. Track household earnings by three-month period, including the prior-year lookback. ¹
Some Owners and Close-Family Workers Are Excluded
A sole proprietor, a partner, and certain listed family members are excluded under §176.041. A closely held corporation officer must own at least 25% and the corporation must have fewer than 22,880 prior-year payroll hours; an LLC manager must own at least 25%, the LLC must have ten or fewer members, and it must have fewer than 22,880 prior-year payroll hours. Eligible owners, partners, managers, and officers can elect coverage, but §176.041 requires written notice to the insurer; it takes effect the day after receipt or a later date stated in the notice, and the policy must endorse the covered persons. Ask for the insurer's receipt date and the endorsement before counting an owner as covered. ¹
Family-Farm Work Has a Distinct Exclusion
Minnesota excludes people employed by a defined family farm and listed relatives working for farmer-employers. If a business combines farming and nonfarm operations, ask the broker to classify workers by the actual operation and relationship rather than applying a blanket farm exemption. ¹
Self-Insurance Requires Written Authority
Section 176.181, subd. 2(a), requires an individual employer to obtain a written Commerce Commissioner order to self-insure; group self-insurance instead uses pooled-liability rules for qualifying groups. Under subd. 2(b), an entity designing, establishing, or administering a group plan must be licensed or exempt under §60A.23, subd. 8. Ask for the group’s qualification records and the plan entity’s license or basis for exemption; pooling alone proves neither. ^2,³

Which Workers’ Compensation Providers Have Minnesota License Records?

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

Corgi
Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28
Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.
Corgi’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
Corgi lists workers’ compensation insurance.
ERGO NEXT Insurance
Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28
Next First Insurance Agency, Inc.
ERGO 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
ERGO NEXT offers workers’ compensation insurance for small businesses.
Hiscox
Insurer · checked 2026-09-28
Hiscox Insurance Company Inc.
Hiscox’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
Hiscox provides access to workers’ compensation underwritten by Hartford Fire Insurance Company and requires a general liability policy.
TechInsurance
Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28
Specialty Program Group LLC
TechInsurance’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. ¹⁷
TechInsurance arranges workers’ compensation insurance for small businesses.
Vouch
Insurance producer, Surplus-lines broker · checked 2026-09-28
Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC
Vouch’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. ¹⁸
Vouch lists workers’ compensation among core coverages for technology companies.

Who Regulates Insurance in Minnesota?

Minnesota Department of Commerce

The Minnesota Department of Commerce regulates insurance companies and producers, reviews rates and forms, and investigates complaints. You can use its state lookup or complaint service to check a license or raise an insurance issue. ^4,^5,⁶

Website: Regulator website
License lookup: Search licensed producers
Complaints: File a complaint
Phone: 651-539-1600

Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office in Minnesota

Reported tax rate. 3% of taxable gross premiums less return premiums, plus a 0.04% stamping fee on taxable premium when Minnesota is the insured's home state ^7,^10,^8,^9,¹¹

When Minnesota is the insured's home state, 3% tax applies to taxable gross premiums less return premiums; the separate 0.04% stamping fee on taxable premium is paid by you to the broker. Minnesota requires a policy warning that insolvency loss payment by a nonadmitted insurer is not guaranteed. A diligent search generally applies unless a Minnesota-licensed producer unaffiliated with the surplus-lines broker refers the risk, which the statute deems unavailable from a licensed insurer; an exempt commercial purchaser also has a separate written-request route after the required admitted-market disclosure.

Minnesota Surplus Lines Association

Questions to Ask Before You Buy Workers’ Compensation in Minnesota

Did any household worker earn less than $1,000 in cash in a three-month period from our household, or earn $1,000 or more from us in any three-month period within the previous year?
Does our owner or family worker satisfy every applicable Minnesota ownership, relationship, and payroll-hours test?
If we self-insure individually, can we see the written Commerce Commissioner order; if we use a group, what shows the group qualifies and each covered plan entity is licensed or exempt under §60A.23, subd. 8?

Workers’ Compensation Insurance in Minnesota: FAQ

When does a Minnesota household worker need workers’ comp?

A household worker earning less than $1,000 in cash in a three-month period from one household is excluded, unless the worker earned $1,000 or more from that present employer in any three-month period within the previous year. In that case the worker is covered even if earnings in the current quarter are lower. ¹

Are Minnesota sole proprietors and partners covered as employees?

Section 176.041 excludes a sole proprietor, partner, and certain listed family members; closely held corporation and LLC exclusions have additional ownership, payroll-hour, and (for LLCs) member-count tests. An eligible owner election requires written notice to the insurer, takes effect the day after receipt or a later stated date, and must appear in a policy endorsement. ¹

Sources for Workers’ Compensation Insurance in Minnesota

1
Minn. Stat. §176.041 (2025). Minnesota Revisor of Statutes; 2025 Minnesota Statutes, subd. 1(3)–(9), (14), (18)–(21) and subd. 1a(a)–(i): owner/family and household exclusions, corporate/LLC thresholds, election notice receipt/effective date and policy endorsement; accessed 2026-09-28. Accessed 2026-09-28.
2
Minn. Stat. §176.181 (2025). Minnesota Revisor of Statutes; 2025 Minnesota Statutes, subd. 2(a)–(d): State and municipal-subdivision carve-out, authorized-carrier and individual written-order routes, pooled-liability rules for qualifying group self-insurers, and plan-entity licensure/exemption rule; accessed 2026-09-28. Accessed 2026-09-28.
3
Minn. Stat. § 60A.23 (2025). Minnesota Revisor of Statutes; 2025 Minnesota Statutes, subd. 8(1)–(4): scope, listed exemptions, definitions, and licensing of compensated plan administrators and vendors; accessed 2026-09-28. Accessed 2026-09-28.
4
Insurance. Insurance; Insurance regulator and consumer resources. Accessed 2026-09-28.
5
Insurance License Lookup. Insurance; State-designated producer/company search. Accessed 2026-09-28.
6
File an Insurance Complaint. Insurance; Insurance complaint topic; filing portal, complaints line, email contact. Accessed 2026-09-28.
7
Minn. Stat. §297I.05. Minnesota Revisor of Statutes; 3% on gross premiums less return premiums when Minnesota is insured's home state; 100% taxable in Minnesota. Accessed 2026-09-28.
8
Instructions for 2026 Semiannual Stamping Fee Report. Minnesota Surplus Lines Association; 2026 report p.1, lines 82–94: stamping fee rate .0004 (0.04%) of policy premium for transactions effective on or after October 1, 2016; current report linked from the association's 2026 site. Accessed 2026-09-28.
9
Minn. Stat. §60A.207. Minnesota Revisor of Statutes; 2025 text, lines 250–255: policy notice states insurer is not otherwise licensed in Minnesota and insolvency loss payment is not guaranteed. Accessed 2026-09-28.
10
Minn. Stat. §297I.01. Minnesota Revisor of Statutes; Definition of gross premiums for nonadmitted insurance includes fees, assessments and other consideration, with stamping fee and operating assessment exclusions. Accessed 2026-09-28.
11
Minnesota Statutes 2025, §60A.201. Minnesota Revisor of Statutes; 2025 Minn. Stat. §60A.201 subd.1 (admitted-market restriction); subd.5 (ECP disclosure and subsequent written request); subd.6 (risk referred by unaffiliated Minnesota-licensed producer deemed unavailable). Amendments listed through 2025. Accessed 2026-09-28.
12
Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
13
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.
14
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.
15
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.
16
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.
17
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.
18
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.

What Workers’ Compensation Insurance Requirements Apply in Minnesota?

What Is Workers’ Compensation Insurance?

Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Insurance Requirements

What to Watch for With Workers’ Compensation in Minnesota

Household Coverage Has a Lookback Rule

Some Owners and Close-Family Workers Are Excluded

Family-Farm Work Has a Distinct Exclusion

Self-Insurance Requires Written Authority

Which Workers’ Compensation Providers Have Minnesota License Records?

Corgi

ERGO NEXT Insurance

Hiscox

TechInsurance

Vouch