If you are hiring employees, you must get a workers' compensation account by applying for or updating your state business license.

1. If you:
   • Don’t have a state business license: Apply for one.
   • Have a state business license: Update your business information to indicate you are hiring employees.
2. We will receive your application within 1 week and it will be assigned to an account manager. Your account manager will contact you to:
   • Ensure we classify your business correctly the first time.
   • Get your initial questions answered right away.
   • Provide a lasting point of contact for your business.
3. Your account manager will set up your policy. We will send a letter explaining your account, rate notice and certificate of coverage, as well as workplace posters, to the mailing address you listed on your application.

Learn more about your quarterly filing options.

After you set up your account

There’s more you need to do. You can:

• Set up your Accident Prevention Program, which is required for all businesses.
• Set up a Return to Work Program or learn about the Stay at Work Program:
  • Return to Work
  • Stay at Work
• Check the requirements of other state agencies using the Small Business Guide:
  • Employment Security
  • Department of Revenue
  • Secretary of State
  • New hire reporting (DSHS)
• Look at rules for Paid Sick Leave and Paid Family Medical Leave:
  • Paid Sick Leave
  • Paid Family Medical Leave
• Understand rules for:
  • Teen workers
  • Independent contractors
  • Volunteers

Owner coverage

Owner coverage is available for sole proprietors, partners, limited liability partners, excluded corporate officers, and excluded members of limited liability companies.

To elect coverage for owners:

1. Follow the steps on the previous tab to get a workers’ compensation account.
2. Make sure your account is in good standing if you already have an account.
3. Complete the Application for Elective Coverage - Sole Proprietor, Partners, For-Profit Corporate Officers, or Member/Managers of Limited Liability Company (LLC) (F213-042-000).
4. Fax or mail the completed form to the contact information listed on the application, or attach the completed form to a secure message to your account manager.

Excluded employments

Excluded employments are types of employment that are normally excluded from mandatory workers’ compensation coverage including musicians, entertainers, newspaper carriers, volunteers, and more. Employments normally excluded from coverage are described in RCW 51.12.020, 51.12.035, and 51.12.170.

To elect coverage for excluded employments:

1. Follow the steps on the previous tab to get a workers’ compensation account.
2. Make sure your account is in good standing if you already have an account.
3. Complete the Application for Elective Coverage for Excluded Employments (F213-112-000).
4. Fax or mail the completed form to the contact information listed on the application, or attach the completed form to a secure message to your account manager.

When will my coverage start?

Coverage will begin the day after we receive the request, unless you indicate a later date on your application. Your account must remain in good standing to keep elective coverage.

When will my coverage end?

• We will cancel your elective coverage if your workers’ compensation account has any required payments that haven’t been made.
• Cancel your elective coverage by notifying us in writing:
  • Complete the Cancellation of Elective Coverage for Sole Proprietor/Partner, Member of Limited Liability Company (LLC), Member of Limit Liability Partnership (LLP), or For-Profit Corporation Officers (F213-004-000) form to cancel owner coverage.
  • Complete the Cancellation of Elective Coverage for Excluded Employments (F213-005-000) form to cancel excluded employments coverage.

Note: Cancellations of coverage for excluded employments, corporate officers, and member/managers of LLCs take effect 30 days after we receive written notification of the cancellation. Cancellations for sole proprietors, partners, or LLCs with management vested in its members are effective the date we receive written notice of the cancellation, unless you tell us to cancel on a later date.

If your businesses has previously had a workers’ compensation, account and you are looking to reopen your closed account. Please follow these steps:

1. Go to www.Dor.wa.gov to “Apply for a new business license” you will find this box on the upper left corner of the Department of Revenues’ website.
2.  Locate the “Business Licensing” box in the upper left corner and select “Apply for new business license”.
3. If you do not yet have a business license, you will need to apply for one by selecting “Start doing business in Washington State”.
   1.  Please carefully complete all required fields of your application, as we will use this information when setting up your account.
4. If you do have a business license, you will need to select “Update an existing business license”. When updating, please review all information such as:
   1. Ownership of your business
   2. Physical locations
   3. Mailing address
   4. Contact information
   5. Business activities
   6. New employees
5. Indicate “YES” to hiring employees within 90 days
   1. If you also plan to hire Independent Contractors, select “YES”.
6. Enter a first hire date for your employees
   1. If you are bringing employees from out-of-state, indicate the date they will start working in Washington.
7. Submit application and payment.
8. We will receive your application within 1 week, and it will be assigned to an L&I account manager. Your account manager will then contact you to:
   1. Ensure we classify your business correctly the first time.
   2. Get your initial questions answered right away.
   3. Provide you with a lasting point of contact for your business.
9. Your account manager will set up your policy and will send a letter to the mailing address you listed on your application explaining your:
   1. Account
   2. Rate notice
   3. Certificate of coverage
   4. Workplace posters