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Restaurant Workers' Comp in Idaho

What Idaho 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. Idaho law requires every employer with one or more full-time, part-time, seasonal, or occasional employees to secure workers' compensation before hiring, so restaurants must comply. Coverage is available through private carriers, the quasi-governmental Idaho State Insurance Fund, the assigned-risk pool, or self-insurance. Sole proprietors, partners, LLC members, and corporate officers owning ten-percent-plus stock may exempt themselves.

Required?
Yes
Kicks in at
1+ employees (full-time, part-time, seasonal, or occasional); coverage must be in place before the first employee is hired.
Restaurant rate
NCCI class 9082 (table/waiter service) approx. $0.80–$1.30 per $100 payroll; 9083 (fast food/limited service) approx. $0.90–$1.50. Low-to-moderate hazard tier; Idaho is an NCCI loss-cost state. Approximate, industry tier.
Market
Competitive market: the Idaho State Insurance Fund is a competitive (non-monopolistic) quasi-governmental fund that competes alongside 300+ private carriers, an NCCI-administered assigned-risk pool, and self-insurance.

Is workers’ comp required for a restaurant in Idaho?

Idaho requires workers' compensation once you reach 1+ employees (full-time, part-time, seasonal, or occasional); coverage must be in place before the first employee is hired.. Exempt classes include household domestic workers, sole proprietors, partners, LLC members and corporate officers owning 10% or more of stock, real estate agents paid solely by commission, certain agricultural pilots, casual/occasional work unrelated to the business, outworkers, and select non-resident family members of sole proprietors who file an exemption election.

What restaurant workers’ comp costs in Idaho

The restaurant class-code rate in Idaho is NCCI class 9082 (table/waiter service) approx. $0.80–$1.30 per $100 payroll; 9083 (fast food/limited service) approx. $0.90–$1.50. Low-to-moderate hazard tier; Idaho is an NCCI loss-cost state. 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 market: the Idaho State Insurance Fund is a competitive (non-monopolistic) quasi-governmental fund that competes alongside 300+ private carriers, an NCCI-administered assigned-risk pool, and self-insurance.

What owners in Idaho miss

  • The Idaho State Insurance Fund, created by the Legislature in 1917, is a quasi-governmental competitive carrier — not a state agency — that is not tax-supported, and the State of Idaho bears no liability for its debts.
  • Coverage must be secured before the first employee is hired.
  • The employer must pay the entire premium; employee contributions are prohibited.
  • Corporate officers and LLC members are covered by default but may opt out only if they own 10% or more of the entity; the Idaho Industrial Commission enforces compliance.

Sources

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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