Short answer. Employers with five or more employees; corporate officers count toward the total. Construction: Construction-industry employers with one or more employees.
At a glance
- Who must carry it
- Employers with five or more employees; corporate officers count toward the total.
- Construction
- Construction-industry employers with one or more employees.
- Farm labor and domestic work
- Farm labor and domestic servants in a private home are exceptions.
- Owners and officers
- Sole proprietors and partners aren't covered unless they elect it. LLC members are presumed covered unless they opt out with their insurer.
- Self-insurance
- Employers and groups of employers may apply to the division to self-insure.
- Going without
- Knowingly failing to insure is a class A misdemeanor (a later violation a class E felony), with a penalty of up to three times the annual premium or $50,000, whichever is greater.
- Agency
- Missouri Division of Workers' Compensation
In the agency's words
The rule
"Missouri Employers are required to carry workers' compensation insurance if they have five or more employees."
Construction
"Missouri Employers involved in the construction industry are required to carry the coverage"
Farm labor and domestic work
"Other exceptions include: farm labor, domestic servants in a private home."
Owners
"Members of a limited liability company are presumed to be covered unless they opt out with their insurer."
Going without
"An employer who knowingly fails to insure its workers' compensation liabilities is guilty of a class A misdemeanor"
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 Missouri.
Worth knowing
An employer below the threshold that carries no coverage can be sued by an injured employee, the division notes.
Not stated on the pages we read: independent contractors, a required workplace notice, how to check an employer's coverage.
Official sources
- Workers' Compensation Insurance | Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (checked November 2026)
- When an Employer Doesn't Have Workers' Compensation Insurance | Missouri DOLIR (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 Missouri?
Employers with five or more employees; corporate officers count toward the total. The agency puts it as "Missouri Employers are required to carry workers' compensation insurance if they have five or more employees."
Is the rule different for construction in Missouri?
Yes. Construction-industry employers with one or more employees.
Do owners and officers need coverage in Missouri?
Sole proprietors and partners aren't covered unless they elect it. LLC members are presumed covered unless they opt out with their insurer.
What happens to a Missouri employer with no coverage?
Knowingly failing to insure is a class A misdemeanor (a later violation a class E felony), with a penalty of up to three times the annual premium or $50,000, whichever is greater.
Can an employer self-insure in Missouri?
Employers and groups of employers may apply to the division to self-insure.
All states: workers' comp requirements by state · Idaho · New Jersey