To get workers compensation in Kansas, you buy a policy from a private insurer licensed in the state, because Kansas has no state fund and no government monopoly on coverage. If no carrier will take you on the open market, a guaranteed-issue pool called the assigned risk plan is the backstop, so every employer can get covered one way or another. The Act also lets qualified employers self-insure or join a group-funded pool, though most small businesses simply buy a policy.
Who this is for: Kansas 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 licensed in Kansas; there is no state fund.
- If no carrier will write you, the guaranteed-issue assigned risk plan is the backstop.
- Qualified employers can self-insure with the director's approval, or join a group-funded pool.
- Have your payroll, the kind of work, and any claims history ready for an accurate quote.
- Put coverage in force before your payroll passes the line, and get your certificate for clients.
Your routes to coverage
Kansas 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 licensed in Kansas |
| Assigned risk plan | Businesses turned down by regular carriers | Guaranteed-issue coverage through the assigned risk plan, the state's insurance-of-last-resort pool |
| Qualified self-insurance | Larger, financially strong employers | Pay claims directly with the director's approval |
| Group-funded pool | Members of a qualified pool | Join an approved group-funded workers comp pool |
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, because in Kansas carriers apply different multipliers to the same state base loss costs, so shopping pays off. Third, bind the policy before your payroll passes the 20,000 dollar line, so you are never operating over the threshold uninsured. 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. Kansas has a guaranteed-issue assigned risk plan, run through the national rating bureau, 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 regular 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 Shawnee plumbing example
Illustrative, not a quote. A Shawnee plumber is about to hire two apprentices at wages that will put his payroll over the line, and he needs coverage before that happens. He gathers his payroll and the kind of work, and we quote several carriers that write plumbing. One regular carrier declines because the business is brand new, so we place him through the assigned risk plan to get him covered on time, then plan to move him to the regular 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 Kansas owners ask
How do I get workers comp in Kansas?
You buy a policy from a private insurer licensed in Kansas, 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 Kansas have a state fund I buy from?
No. Kansas has a private, competitive market, so you buy from any licensed carrier. The only state-connected option is the assigned risk plan, 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 plan, a guaranteed-issue pool that exists so every employer can get covered. It usually costs more than a policy on the open market, so the aim is to move back to a regular carrier over time.
Can I self-insure my workers comp in Kansas?
Qualified, financially strong employers can, with the director's approval, and some businesses join an approved group-funded pool instead. Most small businesses simply buy a normal policy from a licensed carrier.
What information do I need to get a quote?
Have the kind of work your people do, your payroll by role, your headcount, and any past claims ready. The more accurate that is, the closer your quote will be to the final price after the year-end audit.
When do I need the policy in place?
Before your payroll passes 20,000 dollars a year, so you are never over the line uninsured. Bind the policy first and get your certificate so you can show clients and contractors you are covered.
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.
Why Kansas owners choose Morrow
- We shop the right market for you. In Kansas you buy workers comp on the open, competitive market from any private insurer licensed in the state, because there is no state fund, and if no carrier will take you the state's assigned risk plan, run by the national rating bureau, 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 Kansas guides
Every Kansas 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 Kansas (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
- Kansas plumber workers comp
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Kansas rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with the Kansas Department of Labor, Division of Workers Compensation or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.