If your Nevada partnership has any employees, yes, it must carry workers compensation insurance, because Nevada requires coverage once you have one or more employees. The partners themselves are a different story: like sole proprietors, partners are not automatically employees in Nevada, so they are left off coverage by default and can choose to opt in. That is the reverse of how the state treats corporate officers and LLC managers.
Who this is for: Partners in a Nevada general or limited partnership, whether it is just the partners or a partnership with a payroll of employees.
The short version
- A partnership with any employee must carry workers comp; there is no headcount minimum.
- Partners are treated like sole proprietors, left off by default rather than covered.
- The partnership can elect to bring an otherwise-excluded partner onto the policy.
- Employees are always covered from day one, no matter what the partners choose.
- This is the opposite of a corporation or LLC, where working owners are on by default.
How Nevada treats partners
Nevada groups partners with sole proprietors: a partner is not automatically an employee, so a partner-only firm with no staff is generally not forced to carry, and no partner is covered for their own injuries unless the partnership elects to include them. Nevada handles owner inclusion through an election the partnership files to bring an excluded person onto the policy, rather than by covering partners automatically. So the default is off, and getting a partner covered takes an affirmative step. The instant the partnership pays anyone who is not a partner, that employee must be covered.
What applies to your partnership
| Your setup | Is comp required? | What partners and staff should know |
|---|---|---|
| Partners only, no employees | Generally no | Partners are off by default; the firm can elect to include a partner |
| Partners plus any employee | Yes | Employees covered from day one; partners still off unless elected in |
| Partners who want their own coverage | Optional | File an election to bring the partner onto the policy |
Should partners elect in?
Because partners start off the policy, covering yourself is a choice, not a default. Partners who do heavy or hands-on work often elect in so a work injury has a source of wage replacement instead of coming out of the partners' own pockets. Partners in a low-risk office setting more often skip it for themselves and rely on health and disability coverage. Either way, once you employ non-partners, you need a policy for them, and that policy is what stops an injured employee from suing the partnership directly. We can quote a staff-only policy and add partners if you want the protection.
A Carson City example
Illustrative, not a quote. Two partners run an accounting firm in Carson City with three W-2 employees. The three employees must be covered from day one. The partners work at desks, judge their own injury risk as low, and decide not to elect themselves onto the policy, relying instead on their own health and disability coverage. Because the staff is clerical, the policy is priced at a low office rate. See our workers comp for accounting firms page.
Real questions Nevada owners ask
Does our Nevada partnership need workers comp?
If it has any non-partner employees, yes, from the first one. If it is only partners, generally no, because partners are not automatically employees in Nevada.
Are partners covered for their own injuries?
Not by default. Partners are treated like sole proprietors, left off the policy, unless the partnership files an election to bring a partner onto coverage.
How do we cover a partner who wants protection?
The partnership files an election to include that otherwise-excluded partner on the policy. Until then, a partner has no workers comp for their own on-the-job injuries.
Is this the same as how Nevada treats an LLC?
No, it is the opposite. LLC managing members and corporate officers are covered by default and opt out, while partners are off by default and must elect in.
Do our employees have to be covered if the partners are not?
Yes. Employee coverage does not depend on the partners' choices. Every non-partner employee must be covered from day one, and that policy protects the firm from direct lawsuits.
We are a two-partner firm with no staff. Are we required to carry?
Generally no, because neither partner is automatically an employee. You can still elect coverage for the partners if you want workers comp for your own injuries.
What if a client asks our partnership for proof of coverage?
If you have employees you will have a policy and can hand over a certificate. If it is partners only, you may need to elect coverage or arrange other proof to satisfy the client.
Why Nevada owners choose Morrow
- We shop the right market for you. In Nevada you buy from private insurers on the open market; the state sold off its old fund in 2000, so there is no government fund to buy from. If no carrier will take you, a state-backed pool (the assigned-risk plan) still has to cover you, so we can shop your rate freely and always 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 Nevada guides
Every Nevada 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 Nevada (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 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?
- How do I get workers comp (even if turned down)?
- What insurance do I need for a contractor license?
- Workers compensation insurance, explained
- What workers comp costs (national guide)
- Do sole proprietors need workers comp?
- What workers comp does not cover
- Nevada accounting firm workers comp
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Nevada rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with the Nevada Division of Industrial Relations or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.