Restaurant Workers' Comp in District of Columbia
What District of Columbia requires of restaurants and bars for workers' compensation — when it kicks in, who's exempt, and what it costs.
Reviewed by J. Robert Smith, Licensed Insurance Agent (NPN 10378680). Last updated .
Yes. The District of Columbia requires workers' compensation for every employer with one or more employees, including restaurants — coverage begins at the first worker. Sole proprietors, partners, and LLC members are exempt but may elect coverage. DC runs a competitive private-carrier market with no state fund, and premiums here rank among the nation's highest.
- Required?
- Yes
- Kicks in at
- Any employer with 1+ employee working in the District under the DC Workers' Compensation Act (Title 32, Chapter 15). No numeric minimum.
- Restaurant rate
- NCCI 9082 (restaurant/table service) approx. $1.20–$2.20 per $100 payroll; 9083 (fast food) approx. $1.50–$2.80. High-cost tier. Approximate, industry tier.
- Market
- Competitive private-carrier market — the District has no state fund, so employers buy coverage from private insurers, with an assigned-risk mechanism available for hard-to-place risks.
Is workers’ comp required for a restaurant in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia requires workers' compensation once you reach Any employer with 1+ employee working in the District under the DC Workers' Compensation Act (Title 32, Chapter 15). No numeric minimum.. Casual employees, and domestic workers employed fewer than 240 hours in any calendar quarter of the current or preceding year, are excluded, as are nonresident employers temporarily in DC who carry comp elsewhere. Sole proprietors, partners, and LLC members are exempt but may elect coverage; corporate officers are included but may opt out.
What restaurant workers’ comp costs in District of Columbia
The restaurant class-code rate in District of Columbia is NCCI 9082 (restaurant/table service) approx. $1.20–$2.20 per $100 payroll; 9083 (fast food) approx. $1.50–$2.80. High-cost tier. Approximate, industry tier.. Your premium is that rate applied per $100 of payroll and adjusted by your experience modifier, so it scales with how many people you employ and your claims history. Competitive private-carrier market — the District has no state fund, so employers buy coverage from private insurers, with an assigned-risk mechanism available for hard-to-place risks.
What owners in District of Columbia miss
- The DC Workers' Compensation Act reaches injuries occurring in the District and out-of-District injuries where employment is "localized principally in the District of Columbia," broadening exposure beyond the office door.
- Domestic-employer coverage is triggered only at 240-plus hours of work in a calendar quarter.
- The Office of Workers' Compensation within the Department of Employment Services (DOES) administers claims and monitors employers for coverage compliance.
- As a dense urban jurisdiction with no state fund, DC is consistently one of the higher-cost workers' comp markets in the country.
Sources
- D.C. Law Library (Council of the District of Columbia): D.C. Code § 32-1503 — Coverageprimaryretrieved 2026-07-27
- DC Department of Employment Services: Office of Workers' Compensation — DOESprimaryretrieved 2026-07-27
- Insureon: Washington, DC Workers' Compensation Insuranceindustryretrieved 2026-07-27
Cost examples are illustrative national figures gathered from public filings and industry surveys. They are not quotes. Your actual premium depends on your state, carrier, revenue, payroll, location, and coverage selections. Restaurant Insurance Authority is an insurance marketing and referral service, not an insurer or licensed agency. We connect business owners with licensed independent commercial-lines agents who specialize in food and beverage. Questions? Call (855) 480-1410.
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