For remote and out-of-state staff, workers compensation generally follows where the employee actually works, not where your business is based. If you have a worker doing their job in Utah, you generally need Utah coverage for them; if a Utah-based worker travels or works in another state, Utah law can still reach that injury within limits, and the other state may have its own requirement too.
Who this is for: Utah owners with employees working from home, workers spread across state lines, or a Utah crew that travels for jobs.
The short version
- Work location drives coverage. A worker regularly performing their job in Utah generally needs Utah coverage, remote or not.
- Remote does not remove the duty. A home-based employee in Utah still counts toward the one-worker threshold (Utah Code 34A-2-201).
- Cross-border work needs a check. An employee working in another state may trigger that state's law, so the policy has to list the right states.
- Utah reaches traveling workers for a window. A Utah-employed worker injured out of state is covered under Utah law for injuries within six months of leaving, unless the employer extends it (34A-2-405).
- Visiting employers can be exempt. An out-of-state employer briefly working in Utah may be exempt if its home coverage applies and the states recognize each other (34A-2-406).
How work location decides coverage
The practical rule is to insure each employee in the state where they regularly work. Comp is state by state, so a policy has to name the states of exposure to respond correctly. Here is how the common setups land.
| Setup | Where coverage is needed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Utah business, employee works from home in Utah | Utah | Counts toward the one-worker threshold; covered from day one |
| Utah business, employee lives and works in another state | That state, often listed on your policy | The other state's law usually governs their day-to-day work |
| Utah crew that travels to a job in another state | Utah, plus possibly the host state | Utah reaches out-of-state injuries within six months of leaving |
| Out-of-state employer working briefly in Utah | Home state, if reciprocal | May be exempt in Utah if home coverage applies and states recognize each other |
Utah workers who travel out of state
If you hire or regularly employ someone in Utah and they are hurt while working out of state, Utah law can still cover that injury, but only for injuries received within six months after the worker leaves the state, unless before that window closes you file notice with the division to extend coverage for longer. For a crew that spends real time on out-of-state jobs, that six-month limit is the reason to make sure the policy also covers the states where they actually work, rather than relying on Utah alone.
Out-of-state employers coming into Utah
The rule runs both ways. An employer that hired a worker in another state and comes into Utah temporarily can be exempt from the Utah chapter while the worker is here, but only if the home-state coverage actually covers the Utah work and the two states recognize each other's coverage, which the law calls reciprocity. The Utah Division of Industrial Accidents can issue an extraterritorial certificate to document that a Utah policy extends to a job in another state. When in doubt, the safe move is to list every state where your people work on the policy.
A Lehi example
Illustrative, not a quote. A Lehi software company employs a developer who works from home in Utah and a support rep who lives and works in Idaho. The Utah developer needs Utah coverage and counts toward the requirement from day one. The Idaho rep is covered under the other state's law, so the policy is set up to list both states rather than assuming one policy quietly covers both. When the company later sends a Utah project manager to a client site out of state, they confirm the coverage reaches that work too. See our workers comp for technology firms page.
Real questions Utah owners ask
Do I need Utah workers comp for a remote employee?
Generally yes, if that employee regularly works in Utah, even from home. Remote work does not remove the duty, and a Utah-based remote worker counts toward the one-worker threshold from day one.
Which state's workers comp applies for an out-of-state employee?
Usually the state where the employee actually works. Comp is state by state, so an employee who lives and works in another state is generally governed by that state's law, which your policy should list.
My whole team is remote across several states. What do I do?
List every state where your employees regularly work on the policy so it responds correctly in each one. Relying on a single Utah policy to quietly cover other states can leave a gap.
What happens if my Utah worker is hurt on an out-of-state job?
Utah law can cover that injury if it happens within six months of the worker leaving the state, unless you file notice to extend it. For regular out-of-state work, also cover the host state on your policy.
Does an out-of-state employer need Utah coverage to work here briefly?
Not always. An out-of-state employer can be exempt while working temporarily in Utah if its home-state coverage applies to the Utah work and the two states recognize each other's coverage.
Does a home-based Utah worker count toward the requirement?
Yes. A regular employee working from home in Utah counts the same as an in-office worker, so a single remote hire in Utah makes coverage mandatory.
How do I prove my Utah policy covers a job in another state?
Ask the Utah Division of Industrial Accidents for an extraterritorial certificate, the document that shows your Utah policy extends to a worker on a job in another state. It helps when your crew travels across state lines.
Why Utah owners choose Morrow
- We shop the right market for you. In Utah you buy workers comp on the open market, where many private insurers compete alongside the policyholder-owned state fund, WCF Insurance, which also acts as the insurer of last resort, so we can shop your rate across carriers and still have WCF as a guaranteed backstop 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 Utah guides
Every Utah 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 Utah (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?
- 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)
- Hiring your first employee: what changes
- Workers comp vs employers liability
- Utah technology firm workers comp
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Utah rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with the Utah Labor Commission, Division of Industrial Accidents or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.