Restaurant Workers' Comp in Ohio

Q: How much is restaurant workers' comp in Ohio?

In Ohio, the restaurant class-code rate is Ohio administers its own manual classifications and base rates through the BWC (which maps to NCCI manual codes but sets its own rates). Restaurants fall under manual codes such as 9082 (restaurant NOC) and 9083 (fast food). BWC base rates are quoted per $100 of payroll and are relatively low — restaurant codes run roughly $1.00 per $100 before experience and group-rating adjustments. Approximate, industry tier.. Premium is that rate times your payroll (per $100), adjusted by your experience modifier. Ohio is a monopolistic state-fund state: private workers' compensation insurance is not sold, and employers must purchase coverage exclusively through the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC).

What Ohio 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 July 26, 2026.

Yes. Ohio requires workers' compensation for any restaurant with one or more employees, and it is a monopolistic state fund: private workers' comp cannot be purchased, so you must buy coverage through the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC). Sole proprietors, partners, and LLC members may elect coverage but are not required to.

Required?: Yes
Kicks in at: Coverage is required for any employer with one or more employees, full-time or part-time. There is effectively no numeric threshold — hiring the first employee triggers the obligation to obtain a BWC policy.
Restaurant rate: Ohio administers its own manual classifications and base rates through the BWC (which maps to NCCI manual codes but sets its own rates). Restaurants fall under manual codes such as 9082 (restaurant NOC) and 9083 (fast food). BWC base rates are quoted per $100 of payroll and are relatively low — restaurant codes run roughly $1.00 per $100 before experience and group-rating adjustments. Approximate, industry tier.
Market: Ohio is a monopolistic state-fund state: private workers' compensation insurance is not sold, and employers must purchase coverage exclusively through the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC).

Is workers’ comp required for a restaurant in Ohio?

Ohio requires workers' compensation once you reach Coverage is required for any employer with one or more employees, full-time or part-time. There is effectively no numeric threshold — hiring the first employee triggers the obligation to obtain a BWC policy.. Sole proprietors, partners, LLC members, family-farm corporate officers, and sole-owner corporations are not required to cover themselves, and coverage for them is elective (they may opt in). Corporate officers are automatically included but may elect to be excluded using BWC's exclusion form.

What restaurant workers’ comp costs in Ohio

The restaurant class-code rate in Ohio is Ohio administers its own manual classifications and base rates through the BWC (which maps to NCCI manual codes but sets its own rates). Restaurants fall under manual codes such as 9082 (restaurant NOC) and 9083 (fast food). BWC base rates are quoted per $100 of payroll and are relatively low — restaurant codes run roughly $1.00 per $100 before experience and group-rating adjustments. 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. Ohio is a monopolistic state-fund state: private workers' compensation insurance is not sold, and employers must purchase coverage exclusively through the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC).

What owners in Ohio miss

Premiums are calculated as manual base rate × experience modifier (EM) × (payroll ÷ $100), so a restaurant's actual cost depends heavily on its claims-driven experience modifier, not just the base rate.
BWC offers group-rating and group-retrospective-rating programs (often through trade associations or third-party administrators) that can substantially cut a qualifying restaurant's premium — an option unique to the state-fund structure.
Because the BWC state-fund policy excludes employers-liability coverage, a standard commercial workers' comp policy from a national carrier will not cover an Ohio restaurant — you buy the BWC policy and add stop-gap employers liability as an endorsement to your commercial general liability (CGL) policy.
Corporate officers are covered by default in Ohio (the opposite of the opt-in treatment for sole proprietors and partners), so a restaurant incorporated as a corporation is paying premium on its officers unless it files a formal exclusion.

Sources

Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation: OhioBWC — Basics: Elective Coverageprimaryretrieved 2026-07-27
Ohio Laws / Ohio Administrative Code: Rule 4123-17-08 — Ohio Administrative Code (BWC classification/rates)primaryretrieved 2026-07-27
Insureon: Monopolistic Workers' Compensation States 2026industryretrieved 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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