Getting workers compensation in Maryland is usually straightforward: you buy a policy from a private insurer licensed in the state, often through an agent who shops several carriers for you. Maryland is a competitive market, so carriers compete for your business, and prices vary. If your work is hard to place and no private carrier will take you, there is a guaranteed backstop: Chesapeake Employers' Insurance Company, the state fund, both competes for ordinary business and must cover eligible employers who cannot find coverage elsewhere. So you can be turned down by a carrier and still get insured.
Who this is for: Maryland owners buying their first policy, switching carriers, or worried they will be refused because of their trade or their claims history.
The short version
- Buy from any private carrier licensed in Maryland, usually through an agent who shops the market.
- Maryland is a competitive market, not a single-option state, so both price and which carriers want your business vary.
- The state fund, Chesapeake Employers, competes for regular business and is the guaranteed last resort.
- If no private carrier will take you, Chesapeake must cover eligible employers, so you are not stuck.
- Have your payroll, work categories, and any claims history ready to get an accurate quote.
Your three ways to get covered
Maryland gives employers more than one path to coverage, which is why even risky trades can get a policy. Most businesses take the first route below. The state fund exists precisely so that no eligible employer is left uninsured just because private carriers pass.
| Route | Best for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Private carrier through an agent | Most businesses | An agent shops several carriers to find the best price and a carrier that wants your business |
| Chesapeake Employers, the state fund | Any employer, including hard-to-place work | Competes for regular business and must take eligible employers others refuse |
| Approved self-insurance | Large, financially strong employers | Individual or group self-insurance under state rules, subject to approval |
What you need to get a quote
To get an accurate quote, have a few things ready: your legal business name and structure, your estimated annual payroll broken out by the kind of work each person does, a description of your operations, and any prior claims history. The kind of work matters because it sets the category your work falls into for pricing, and an accurate payroll split keeps you from overpaying. If you have been in business a while, prior claims may feed the score that adjusts your price. An agent can take this information once and shop it to several carriers plus the state fund, then bring back options. Because Maryland is competitive, the same business can see meaningfully different prices, so comparing is worth it, and the state fund backstop means a hard trade is not a dead end.
A Dundalk example
Illustrative, not a quote. A Dundalk staffing agency that places light-industrial workers has trouble finding a private carrier willing to write it because of the mix of job sites. Rather than give up or go uninsured, it applies to Chesapeake Employers, the state fund, which must cover eligible employers that can't find a private carrier willing to cover them, and gets a policy so it can keep placing workers and meet client requirements. We help agencies like this document their operations and payroll clearly so they get the best available option, private or state fund. See our workers comp for staffing agencies page.
Real questions Maryland owners ask
How do I get workers comp in Maryland?
Buy a policy from a private insurer licensed in Maryland, usually through an agent who shops several carriers for you. Maryland is a competitive market, so it pays to compare price and which carriers want your business.
What if no carrier will insure my business?
You are not stuck. Chesapeake Employers' Insurance Company, the state fund, is the guaranteed last resort and must cover eligible employers that can't find a private carrier willing to cover them, so hard-to-place work can still get insured.
Is Maryland a monopolistic state fund state?
No. Maryland has a state fund, Chesapeake Employers, but it competes with private carriers rather than being the only option. You can buy from private insurers on the open market or from the state fund.
What information do I need to get a quote?
Your business name and structure, estimated annual payroll split by the kind of work each person does, a description of your operations, and any prior claims history. That lets a carrier price you accurately.
Can an agent shop several carriers for me?
Yes. An agent takes your information once and shops it to multiple private carriers and the state fund, then brings back options. Because prices vary in a competitive market, that comparison can save real money.
Can I self-insure in Maryland?
Larger, financially strong employers can apply to self-insure individually or as an approved group under state rules. It is not a fit for most small businesses, which do better with a private carrier or the state fund.
How fast can I get covered?
Often quickly. With your payroll and operations details ready, many small businesses can be quoted and bound within a day or two, and proof of coverage can usually follow the same day for most carriers.
Why Maryland owners choose Morrow
- We shop the right market for you. In Maryland you buy workers' comp on the open market from any private insurer licensed in the state, and Maryland also runs a competitive state fund, Chesapeake Employers' Insurance Company, that both competes for ordinary business and must cover eligible employers no one else will take, so we can shop your rate widely and still have a guaranteed 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 Maryland guides
Every Maryland 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 Maryland (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?
- Glossary: ghost policy
- Maryland staffing workers comp
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Maryland rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with the Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.