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Workers’ Compensation Insurance in Tennessee

Tennessee’s coverage trigger depends on the business: non-construction employers generally need coverage at five employees, while construction service providers and coal mining employers need it with one employee. Part-time, minor, and working family members count toward the applicable threshold. 1,2

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.

Tennessee Requirements

RequirementDetails
Different industry thresholdsNon-construction employers generally need coverage at five or more employees; construction service providers and coal mining employers must cover employees beginning with one. 1,2

What to Watch for in Tennessee

  • Construction Classification Changes the Trigger

    Tennessee requires construction service providers with one or more employees to cover those employees; the state publishes contracting codes defining covered construction services. Ask whether the work puts your business in that category before applying the five-employee non-construction threshold. 2

  • Part-Time and Family Labor Count

    Tennessee counts minors, part-time employees, and working family members for the applicable threshold. Non-construction sole proprietors, LLC members, and partners are not counted as employees, while full-time corporate officers are included but may be eligible for exclusion. Have the broker document entity type and count. 1,2

  • Temporary Out-of-State Exception Is Narrow

    For non-construction employers only, Tennessee says an employee temporarily working here for no more than 14 consecutive days or 25 total days in a calendar year may be exempt when the employer has workers’ compensation insurance in another state. Confirm both time limits and the home-state policy; this rule does not apply to construction businesses. 1

  • A 1099 Does Not Decide Employee Status

    Tennessee applies a seven-factor relationship test that weighs control over how work is performed; a 1099 alone does not establish independent-contractor status. Ask the broker to evaluate the actual work arrangement before omitting contractors from payroll. 1,2

  • Out-of-State Construction Work Starts on Day One

    An out-of-state construction services provider operating in Tennessee must carry a Tennessee policy listing the state from the first day of work. Ask the broker to confirm the Tennessee entry before a crew or subcontracted operation arrives. 2

Who Regulates Insurance in Tennessee

Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance

TDCI regulates and licenses insurance companies, agents, brokers, surplus-lines agents, and public adjusters. Its complaint process accepts complaints about agents or companies when the policy was written in Tennessee, and its property/casualty unit reviews filed policy rates, rules, and forms. 3,4,5

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 5% of gross premium plus 0.175% SLAS transaction fee For Tennessee-home-state surplus-lines policies, TDCI lists a 5% tax on gross premium and a 0.175% SLAS transaction fee on gross premium; the agent receives an invoice and pays both through SLIP. The sources reviewed do not establish that the fee is always separately charged to the policyholder or resolve guaranty-association treatment, so ask your broker to itemize charges and review the policy notice. 6,7

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 Tennessee. 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. 10
  • 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. 12
  • 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. 11
  • 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. 13
  • 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. 14

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Tennessee

  1. Does our work meet Tennessee’s construction-services definition, making the one-worker threshold apply?
  2. How were working owners, corporate officers, part-time workers, family members, and contractors counted?
  3. Do any temporary Tennessee assignments meet both the day limits and other-state coverage conditions?

Workers’ Compensation in Tennessee: FAQ

How many employees require workers’ compensation in Tennessee? 1,2

For non-construction employers, generally five or more, counting minors, part-time workers, and working family members. Construction service providers and coal mining employers must cover employees starting at one. 1,2

Do Tennessee construction companies need coverage with one employee? 2

Yes. Construction service providers with one or more employees must secure coverage for those employees; owners and construction worker classification have separate rules. 2

Workers’ Compensation in Other States

Other Coverage in Tennessee

Sources

  1. Non-Construction Workers’ Compensation Requirements. Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development; Five-worker trigger, employee counting, exemptions, non-construction temporary-work rule. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. Construction Workers’ Compensation Requirements. Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development; Construction service providers and coal mining; one-employee trigger; employee factors. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. tennessee insurance regulator. State insurance regulator; TDCI official insurance-division and consumer pages describe department scope, review units and complaint role. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. TDCI Agent/Producer Resources. State insurance regulator; Agent Licensing Section licenses producers, business entities, surplus-lines agents, brokers, and public adjusters; page links to Verify License. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. File an Insurance Complaint. State insurance regulator; TDCI accepts online complaints about insurers and agents only for policies written in Tennessee; third-party claimants are directed to call. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Surplus Lines Filing Procedures. Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance; Tax Payments section: 5% gross premium plus .175% of gross premium SLAS transaction fee; agents receive quarterly invoices and pay via ACH in SLIP. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Tennessee Public Chapter 446 (2011), T.C.A. §56-14-113. Tennessee Secretary of State; Current tax framework enacted in §56-14-113: 5% applies when Tennessee is the insured’s home state; tax collected from insured in addition to premium. Read with current TDCI filing-procedure page for current fee and SLIP handling. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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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