Business license application workers comp

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.

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
  • Employment Security
  • Department of Revenue
  • Secretary of State
  • New hire reporting (DSHS)
  • Paid Sick Leave
  • Paid Family Medical Leave
  • Teen workers
  • Independent contractors
  • Volunteers
  Owner/officer & Exempt employments coverage

  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.

    Reopening a closed account

    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.
       1. Ownership of your business
       2. Physical locations
       3. Mailing address
       4. Contact information
       5. Business activities
       6. New employees
       1. If you also plan to hire Independent Contractors, select “YES”.
       1. If you are bringing employees from out-of-state, indicate the date they will start working in Washington.
       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.
       1. Account
       2. Rate notice
       3. Certificate of coverage
       4. Workplace posters
       Updating an existing account

       It is important to keep your workers’ compensation account up-to-date! Even small changes in your business practices or ownership can impact your account, rate(s), or classification(s).

       Options for updating your account information

       • Send a secure message through My L&I to your Account Manager
       • Call or email your Account Manager
         • To find your Account Manager’s contact information:
           
           • Use the Verify Tool to look up your business
           • Check your quarterly report or your annual rate notice
           • Call L&I using the HELP line: 360-902-4817

           Washington State Department of Labor & Industries
           Employer Services
           PO Box 44140
           Olympia WA 98504

           • Fax your Account Manager
           • Update the information on your business license through Department of Revenue
           • Update the information when you file your Quarterly Report

           When should you update your account? When your business changes:

           • Services or products
             • Changes to the services, products, and business practices of your business may affect your business’s risk classification(s).
             • Reporting your workers for workers’ compensation in the incorrect risk classification(s) could result in missing premium payments plus late fees and penalties.
             • Updating the physical location of your business helps make sure that claims get assigned and processed quickly.
               Important: you must update your business location with Department of Revenue before L&I can update your locations.
             • Buying an existing business might impact your rates. Contact your Account Manager to learn more.
             • To protect the privacy of your business and your workers, it is important for L&I to know who is authorized to represent your business and to receive confidential claim and account information about your business.
             • Keep your contact information (phone, email, and mailing address) current with L&I so that you receive timely notices and updates about your claims and account.

             Related Resources

             • RCW 51.12.020 Employments excluded (app.leg.wa.gov)
             • RCW 51.12.035 Volunteers (app.leg.wa.gov)
             • RCW 51.12.170 Student volunteers and unpaid students (app.leg.wa.gov)