To get workers compensation in Alaska, you buy a policy from a private insurer authorized by the Alaska Division of Insurance, because Alaska has no state fund and no government monopoly on coverage. If no carrier will take you on the open market, an assigned risk pool run by the national rating bureau NCCI is the guaranteed backstop, so every employer can get covered one way or another. Larger, financially strong employers can also apply to the Workers' Compensation Board to self-insure.
Who this is for: Alaska owners buying workers comp for the first time, switching carriers, or worried they are too small or too risky to get a policy.
The short version
- You buy from a private insurer authorized in Alaska; there is no state fund.
- The policy must be bound in Alaska and pay Alaska benefits; an out-of-state policy will not do.
- If no carrier will write you, a guaranteed-issue pool of last resort is the backstop.
- Established employers can apply to the Workers' Compensation Board to self-insure.
- Put coverage in force before your first employee starts, and get your certificate for clients.
Your three routes to coverage
Alaska gives employers more than one way to secure coverage, and most small businesses use the first.
| Route | Who it fits | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Private insurer | Almost every small and midsize business | Buy a policy on the open market from a carrier authorized in Alaska |
| Guaranteed-issue pool (the assigned risk pool) | Businesses turned down by regular carriers | Guaranteed-issue coverage through the pool run by the rating bureau NCCI |
| Self-insurance | Larger, financially strong employers | Pay claims directly with a certificate of self-insurance from the Workers' Compensation Board |
The steps to get covered
Getting a policy is straightforward when you have the right information ready. First, gather your details: the kind of work your people do, your payroll by role, your headcount, and any past claims. Second, get quotes from carriers that write your kind of work, since each insurer marks up the same approved base prices differently and shopping pays off. Third, bind the policy before your first employee starts, because Alaska requires coverage from day one, and make sure it is bound in Alaska so it actually pays Alaska benefits. Fourth, get your proof of coverage, a certificate, so you can show clients and general contractors you are insured. An agent can run several carriers for you at once and steer hard-to-place work to the right market.
If you have been turned down
Being declined by a regular carrier does not leave you stuck. Alaska's assigned risk pool is a guaranteed-issue backstop, so a new business, a risky trade, or a company with a rough claims history can still get covered. It is often priced higher than the open market, so the goal is to get insured now and work back toward the voluntary market as your record improves. Separately, a solo owner with no employees who only needs a certificate for a client can look at a low-payroll policy, sometimes called a ghost policy, built around the owner.
A Fairbanks plumbing example
Illustrative, not a quote. A Fairbanks plumber is about to hire his first two apprentices and needs coverage before they start. He gathers his payroll and the kind of work, and we quote several carriers that write plumbing in Alaska. One regular carrier declines because the business is brand new, so we place him through the assigned risk pool to get him covered on time, then plan to move him to the open market once he has a clean year. He gets his certificate the same week and lands a builder contract that required it. See our workers comp for plumbers page.
Real questions Alaska owners ask
How do I get workers comp in Alaska?
You buy a policy from a private insurer authorized in Alaska, usually through an agent who can shop several carriers. There is no state fund, and if you are turned down a guaranteed-issue pool is the backstop.
Does Alaska have a state fund I buy from?
No. Alaska has a private, competitive market, so you buy from any authorized carrier. The only state-tied option is the assigned risk pool, a guaranteed-issue backstop for businesses that cannot get covered otherwise.
What if no insurance company will take my business?
You use the assigned risk pool, a guaranteed-issue plan run by the rating bureau NCCI. It exists so every Alaska employer can get covered, though it usually costs more than a policy on the open market.
Does the policy have to be an Alaska policy?
Yes. Because Alaska has no reciprocity, the policy must be bound in Alaska with an authorized carrier and pay Alaska benefits. An out-of-state policy or an all states endorsement does not satisfy the law.
When do I need the policy in place?
Before your first employee starts work. Alaska requires coverage from day one with no waiting period, so bind the policy first and get your certificate so you can show clients you are insured.
I am solo and just need a certificate for a client. What are my options?
A solo owner with no employees can look at a low-payroll policy built around the owner, sometimes called a ghost policy, which produces the certificate a client or general contractor asks for.
Can I self-insure my workers comp in Alaska?
Larger, financially strong employers can, with a certificate of self-insurance from the Workers' Compensation Board. Most small businesses buy a normal policy from an authorized carrier instead.
Why Alaska owners choose Morrow
- We shop the right market for you. In Alaska you buy workers' comp on the open, competitive market from a private insurer authorized by the state, because Alaska has no state fund and no opt out, and if no carrier will take you the NCCI-run assigned risk pool is the guaranteed backstop, so we can shop your rate freely and still have a fallback for hard-to-place work.
- We catch pricing mistakes. Your price depends heavily on the category your work falls into for pricing (the class code). Put people in the wrong category and you overpay for years. We review your payroll and classifications before you buy.
- Proof of coverage, fast. Need a certificate (proof of coverage) for a general contractor or a landlord before Monday? We turn those around the same business day for most carriers.
- We help lower the score that drives your price. Insurers give you a score based on your past claims that raises or lowers your cost (the experience modification rate). We review it each year, flag errors, and connect you with return-to-work and safety resources that bring it down.
- Real people when a claim happens. When someone gets hurt, we stay involved through the life of the claim, not just at renewal.
Related Alaska guides
Every Alaska business is set up a little differently. These companion guides answer the same question for other situations, plus the national explainers behind the terms used here.
- Business insurance in Alaska (start here)
- Workers comp: the owner's overview
- I own an LLC: do I need workers comp?
- I'm a sole proprietor: do I need workers comp?
- I own a corporation (C-corp or S-corp): do I need it?
- We're a partnership: do we need workers comp?
- We're a nonprofit: do we need workers comp?
- My workers are 1099: do I still need it?
- Only part-time or seasonal staff: do I need it?
- I only employ family: do I need workers comp?
- Remote or out-of-state staff: do I need coverage?
- What happens if I don't carry workers comp?
- How much does workers comp cost?
- What insurance do I need for a contractor license?
- Workers compensation insurance, explained
- What workers comp costs (national guide)
- What is a ghost workers comp policy?
- Hiring your first employee: what changes
- Alaska plumber workers comp
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Alaska rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with the Alaska Division of Workers' Compensation or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.