Restaurant Workers' Comp in Oklahoma
What Oklahoma 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. Oklahoma requires nearly every employer with one or more employees—including restaurants—to secure workers'-compensation coverage from the first worker, whether full-time or part-time. Sole proprietors and LLC members owning at least ten-percent are non-employees. Notable exemptions include family businesses of five-or-fewer related workers and agricultural employers with under one-hundred-thousand-dollar prior-year payroll.
- Required?
- Yes
- Kicks in at
- 1+ employees (any employee, full- or part-time, unless a specific statutory exemption applies).
- Restaurant rate
- NCCI 9082 (full-service restaurant) approx. $1.50–$1.90 per $100 payroll; 9083 (fast-food/limited-service) approx. $1.30–$1.60 per $100. Moderate hazard tier. Approximate, industry tier.
- Market
- Competitive private market; CompSource Mutual Insurance Company (formerly the state-owned CompSource Oklahoma, mutualized in 2015) competes with private carriers and administers the assigned-risk "market of last resort," so the state is non-monopolistic.
Is workers’ comp required for a restaurant in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma requires workers' compensation once you reach 1+ employees (any employee, full- or part-time, unless a specific statutory exemption applies).. Sole proprietors and LLC members owning at least 10% are treated as non-employees; independent contractors are excluded. A family business with five or fewer total employees all related by blood or marriage is exempt, as are agricultural/horticultural employers with under $100,000 prior-year payroll and certain DHS-directed care providers.
What restaurant workers’ comp costs in Oklahoma
The restaurant class-code rate in Oklahoma is NCCI 9082 (full-service restaurant) approx. $1.50–$1.90 per $100 payroll; 9083 (fast-food/limited-service) approx. $1.30–$1.60 per $100. Moderate hazard 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 market; CompSource Mutual Insurance Company (formerly the state-owned CompSource Oklahoma, mutualized in 2015) competes with private carriers and administers the assigned-risk "market of last resort," so the state is non-monopolistic.
What owners in Oklahoma miss
- Oklahoma overhauled its system with the Administrative Workers' Compensation Act (Title 85A), replacing courts with the administrative Workers' Compensation Commission in 2014.
- Employers may "secure compensation" by insuring, qualifying as self-insured, or becoming an approved qualified employer.
- Failure to carry coverage is a misdemeanor and can draw penalties up to $1,000 per day.
Sources
- Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission (Oklahoma.gov): Workers' Compensation Commission — Agency Overviewprimaryretrieved 2026-07-27
- Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission: Employer's Frequently Asked Questionsprimaryretrieved 2026-07-27
- CompSource Mutual Insurance Company: Who Needs Workers' Compensation Insurance?industryretrieved 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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