Short answer. Non-construction employers with four or more employees, counting business owners who are corporate officers or LLC members. Construction: Construction employers with one or more employees.
At a glance
- Who must carry it
- Non-construction employers with four or more employees, counting business owners who are corporate officers or LLC members.
- Construction
- Construction employers with one or more employees.
- Agriculture
- Agricultural employers with six regular employees, with separate counts for seasonal workers.
- Owners and officers
- Outside construction, sole proprietors and partners aren't employees unless they ask to be included on the policy (Form DWC-251). Corporate officers and LLC members count as employees, and owners who qualify may opt out for themselves.
- Independent contractors
- If a subcontractor has no coverage, its workers become employees of the contractor, so the contractor must make sure subcontractors are covered before work starts.
- Going without
- A penalty of 2 times the premium the employer would have paid, over a 12- or 24-month look-back, and usually a Stop-Work Order until the employer complies.
- Workplace notice
- Employers with coverage post the compensation notice, the 'broken arm poster' (DFS-F4-1548, Spanish DFS-F4-2026), and the anti-fraud reward notice.
- Check a policy
- Search the division's Proof of Coverage database. Open the lookup
- Agency
- Florida Division of Workers' Compensation (Department of Financial Services)
In the agency's words
The rule
"Employers with four (4) or more employees"
Construction
"Employers with one or more employees"
Agriculture
"Employers with six (6) regular employees"
Owners
"Exemptions are available to business owners who opt out of the insurance coverage protections for themselves"
Contractors
"those workers become the employees of the contractor."
Going without
"The penalty is equal to 2 times the amount the employer would have paid in manual premium."
Notice
"requires every employer who has secured workers' compensation insurance to post in its place of business"
Three example businesses
What the stated rule says for three common setups:
- 2 employees, most businesses (not construction), llc: Not required by the headcount rule. See why
- 4 employees, construction, corporation: Required. See why
- 6 employees, most businesses (not construction), sole proprietor: Required. See why
Your own numbers: open the checker for Florida.
Not stated on the pages we read: self-insurance.
Official sources
- Coverage Requirements | Workers' Compensation | Florida Department of Financial Services (checked November 2026)
- Enforcement | Workers' Compensation | Florida Department of Financial Services (checked November 2026)
- Rule 69L-6.007, Compensation Notice (Florida Administrative Code) (checked November 2026)
General information, not legal or insurance advice; we are not lawyers or insurance agents. Rules as published on the pages above, checked November 2026. We don't recommend or sell any insurer; the agency or a licensed agent can say how a rule applies to your business.
Common questions
Who has to carry workers' comp in Florida?
Non-construction employers with four or more employees, counting business owners who are corporate officers or LLC members. The agency puts it as "Employers with four (4) or more employees."
Is the rule different for construction in Florida?
Yes. Construction employers with one or more employees.
Do owners and officers need coverage in Florida?
Outside construction, sole proprietors and partners aren't employees unless they ask to be included on the policy (Form DWC-251). Corporate officers and LLC members count as employees, and owners who qualify may opt out for themselves.
What about independent contractors in Florida?
If a subcontractor has no coverage, its workers become employees of the contractor, so the contractor must make sure subcontractors are covered before work starts.
What happens to a Florida employer with no coverage?
A penalty of 2 times the premium the employer would have paid, over a 12- or 24-month look-back, and usually a Stop-Work Order until the employer complies.
What notice must a Florida employer post?
Employers with coverage post the compensation notice, the 'broken arm poster' (DFS-F4-1548, Spanish DFS-F4-2026), and the anti-fraud reward notice.
All states: workers' comp requirements by state · District of Columbia · Georgia