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Workers’ Compensation Insurance in Wisconsin

Wisconsin coverage can be triggered three different ways: three employees on the day the third is hired, $500 in quarterly wages for even one employee, or a farm’s sixth worker employed on 20 days in a calendar year. An out-of-state employer also needs a Wisconsin-authorized insurer and a policy endorsement naming Wisconsin in Item 3A when employees work there. 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.

Wisconsin Requirements

RequirementDetails
Coverage triggersThree employees on the third person’s start date; one or more employees with $500+ gross wages in a quarter by the 10th of the next quarter; or a farm’s sixth worker after 20 days in a calendar year. 1

What to Watch for in Wisconsin

  • Quarterly Wages Can Trigger Coverage

    A business with fewer than three employees still becomes subject to the Act when it pays $500 or more in gross wages in any calendar quarter for Wisconsin work; insurance is due by the 10th of the next quarter’s first month. Track quarter totals so a low-headcount business does not miss the later trigger. 1,2

  • Farm Coverage Uses Days and Headcount

    A farmer reaches the threshold after employing six or more workers on the same day for 20 days in a calendar year, and coverage is due within 10 days after the twentieth day. Certain farmer relatives may not count toward six, though a policy can cover them; ask the agent to review the family relationship and calendar-day log. 1

  • Name Wisconsin in Item 3A

    Wisconsin requires coverage from an insurer licensed in the state for employees working in Wisconsin, including when the employer is based elsewhere. The policy must name Wisconsin as a covered state in Section 3A, so ask your carrier for the endorsement before an employee begins Wisconsin work. 1,2

  • Owners Need a Policy Endorsement

    Sole proprietors, partners and LLC members are not counted as employees and are excluded from policies unless specifically endorsed; corporate officers are generally employees, with limited exclusions for closely held corporations. If you want owner protection, ask the insurer to name the specific owner on an endorsement rather than assuming the business policy includes them. 3,1

  • Pool After a Private-Market Refusal

    If a licensed insurer refuses the application, Wisconsin’s Department directs employers to the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Pool through the Wisconsin Compensation Rating Bureau. Ask your agent to confirm the refusal and pool route before a coverage gap; the pool is an assigned mechanism, not a state insurance carrier. 1

Who Regulates Insurance in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance

The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance administers Wisconsin insurance laws, oversees insurers and insurance producers within its authority, and provides regulatory and consumer resources. You can use the department's complaint process to raise an insurance issue and its licensing resources to check insurance professionals. 4,5,6

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 3% of premium The NAIC's state chart lists a 3% of premium charge for surplus-lines coverage for Wisconsin (the chart's state entries were reviewed in October 2025). Your broker may collect the applicable amount with the premium. Surplus-lines insurers are not licensed in the state and generally are outside state guaranty-association protection; ask your broker to explain the insurer's financial protections and any diligent-search requirement that applies to your placement. 7,8

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 Wisconsin. 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. 11
  • 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. 13
  • 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. 12
  • 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. 14
  • 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. 15

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Wisconsin

  1. Which trigger applies first to my business: three employees, $500 in quarterly Wisconsin wages, or a farm’s 20-day test?
  2. Does the policy name Wisconsin in Section 3A before any out-of-state employee starts work here?
  3. Are my owners excluded unless we endorse them, and which corporate officers count toward the threshold?
  4. If a licensed insurer declines us, what documents do we need for the Wisconsin Insurance Pool?

Workers’ Compensation in Wisconsin: FAQ

How many employees trigger workers’ compensation in Wisconsin? 1,2

Three full-time or part-time employees trigger coverage on the day the third person is employed. A separate $500 quarterly wage trigger can require coverage with only one or two employees. 1,2

Does an out-of-state policy cover employees working in Wisconsin? 1,2

Only if it meets Wisconsin’s requirements. The employer needs a Wisconsin-authorized insurer and Wisconsin named in Section 3A of the policy. 1,2

Workers’ Compensation in Other States

Other Coverage in Wisconsin

Sources

  1. Workers’ Compensation Insurance Requirements in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development; Coverage trigger table; How to Get Insurance; Out-of-State Employers; Who Is Considered an Employee. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. Workers’ Compensation Insurance Policy Filing Requirements in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development; Questions 1–2; Wis. Stat. §§ 102.04(1)(b)–(c), 102.28(2). Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Coverage for Sole Proprietors, Partners and LLC Members. Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development; Who’s Covered; Who’s Excluded; Coverage for sole proprietors, partners or LLC members. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance; Official regulator website; insurance oversight and consumer/professional resources. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Insurance Department Directory. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance entry; official contact and website listing. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Surplus Lines Insurance Premium Taxes. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; WI row; state surplus-lines premium-tax rate reviewed October 2025. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Guaranty Associations & Funds. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Coverage of claims from insolvencies of insurers licensed in a state; surplus-lines insurers are nonadmitted. 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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