What Workers’ Compensation Insurance Requirements Apply in Kansas?
Kansas generally applies its workers’ compensation law to employers with employees in the state, but exempts certain work and employers whose total annual payroll stays at or below $20,000. Covered employers can use authorized insurance, approved self-insurance, or a qualified group-funded pool.
What Is Workers’ Compensation Insurance?
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.
Kansas Workers’ Compensation Insurance Requirements
What to Watch for With Workers’ Compensation in Kansas
The Payroll Exception Uses the Whole Employer Payroll
The Kansas exception looks at total gross annual payroll for all employees and requires the prior-year amount and a reasonable current-year estimate to remain at or below $20,000; qualifying family wages are excluded from that calculation. Check both numbers before assuming the business is exempt. 1
Agricultural Work Is Excluded by the Act
Kansas excludes agricultural pursuits and related employment from the Act, except when the employer is the state or a state agency. If your workforce mixes agricultural and other jobs, ask the broker how the nonagricultural payroll and work are handled. 1
Kansas Recognizes Three Ways to Secure Benefits
Covered employers may use an authorized insurance carrier, qualify as a self-insurer, or join a qualified group-funded workers’ compensation pool. Ask which route fits your business and what proof of eligibility each requires. 2
Intentional Noncompliance Can Bring Criminal and Civil Penalties
Knowingly and intentionally failing to secure benefits is a class A misdemeanor; a separate civil penalty can equal twice the annual premium or $25,000, whichever is greater. Confirm your payroll exception or coverage route before allowing a policy to lapse. 2
Which Workers’ Compensation Providers Have Kansas License Records?
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 Kansas. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.
Corgi
Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.
Corgi’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
Corgi lists workers’ compensation insurance.
ERGO NEXT Insurance
Next First Insurance Agency, Inc.
ERGO 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
ERGO NEXT offers workers’ compensation insurance for small businesses.
Hiscox
Hiscox Insurance Company Inc.
Hiscox’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
Hiscox provides access to workers’ compensation underwritten by Hartford Fire Insurance Company and requires a general liability policy.
TechInsurance
Specialty Program Group LLC
TechInsurance’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
TechInsurance arranges workers’ compensation insurance for small businesses.
Vouch
Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC
Vouch’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
Vouch lists workers’ compensation among core coverages for technology companies.
Who Regulates Insurance in Kansas?
Kansas Insurance Department
The Kansas Insurance Department regulates companies selling policies in Kansas for solvency and compliance with state law. Its consumer assistance team reviews written complaints, contacts the appropriate parties and requests corrective action when it finds a Kansas insurance-law violation. 3,4,8,5
Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office in Kansas
Reported tax rate. 3% of gross premiums less returned premiums for surplus-lines insureds whose home state is Kansas; the 3% rate applies beginning with taxable year January 1, 2024 6,7
For surplus-lines business whose insured's home state is Kansas, the licensed agent must collect and pay a 3% tax on gross premiums less returned premiums; the 3% rate applies beginning with the taxable year starting January 1, 2024. For an exempt commercial purchaser, the surplus-lines producer need not file the signed diligent-search statement after disclosing that admitted-market insurance may or may not be available and may provide greater protection and oversight, then receiving the purchaser's subsequent written request.
Questions to Ask Before You Buy Workers’ Compensation in Kansas
- Does our total Kansas payroll meet both parts of the $20,000 exception, and which family wages are excluded from the calculation?
- Are any of our employees performing agricultural work or another job type excluded by the Kansas Act?
- Would an authorized carrier, approved self-insurance, or a qualified group-funded pool be available for our business?
- What evidence will show that our chosen coverage route remains active for all Kansas employees?
Workers’ Compensation Insurance in Kansas: Frequently Asked Questions
Is workers’ compensation required for every Kansas employer?
Generally, the Act applies to Kansas employers with employees, but it excludes agricultural employment and certain employers whose total annual payroll does not exceed $20,000 under the statute’s prior-year and current-estimate test. 1
What are the workers’ compensation options for a Kansas employer?
A covered employer may insure with an authorized carrier, qualify as a self-insurer, or join a qualified group-funded workers’ compensation pool. 2
Workers’ Compensation Insurance Guides for Other States
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Other coverage in KansasEvery coverage guide for Kansas, plus the regulator and surplus-lines details.15 documents, numbered as cited. Open the sources