If your Wyoming corporation has employees doing extra-hazardous work, yes, it must carry workers compensation on them through the state fund at the Department of Workforce Services (DWS), from the first day they work. The surprise for many owners is the officers: in Wyoming a corporate officer is left off the policy by default, the opposite of states where officers are automatically covered. Officers who want protection file a state form to add coverage, so it pays to get the setup right.
Who this is for: Owners and officers of a Wyoming C-corp or S-corp, whether a one-person corporation or a company with a payroll of employees.
The short version
- Employees in extra-hazardous work must be covered through DWS from the first day, with no headcount minimum.
- Corporation officers are left off the policy by default and are not reported as payroll unless they elect in.
- An officer who wants their own injuries covered files a state election, and coverage is tied to the office, not the person.
- If your officers change, you must tell the state within 30 days so the coverage follows the new officer.
- The corporation pays the full premium for its employees as an employer cost, and they pay nothing toward it.
How Wyoming treats corporate officers
Wyoming does not count a corporate officer as an employee unless the officer elects coverage. That is why a small corporation whose only workers are its officer-owners may have no mandatory premium at all. An officer who wants their own on-the-job injuries paid files an election with DWS, and the state then figures that officer's premium on the statewide average wage. One Wyoming detail matters here: the elected coverage is tied to the position, not the individual, so if the person holding an officer role changes, the corporation has to notify the state within 30 days. Everyone who is not an elected officer, meaning your regular employees in covered work, must be covered from the first day.
Officers and employees at a glance
| Person | Covered by default? | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate officer | No, left off unless elected | Files a state election to add coverage; coverage is tied to the office, not the person |
| Officer after a change in who holds the role | Only if the election is kept current | Notify the state within 30 days so coverage follows the new officer |
| Regular employees in extra-hazardous work | Yes, from the first day | No headcount minimum; part-time and seasonal count |
Should your officers opt in?
Because officers are off by default, the decision is whether to opt in. An officer doing hands-on or hazardous work often elects coverage, because the state fund would then pay their medical care and lost wages after an on-the-job injury. An officer who only works at a desk and carries good health and disability insurance may choose to stay off. Whatever you decide, remember two things: an elected officer's coverage has to stay in place for at least two years before it can be dropped, and the state fund never defends a lawsuit, so a corporation with employees usually adds stop-gap employers liability to its general liability policy.
A Rock Springs example
Illustrative, not a quote. A family-run manufacturing corporation in Rock Springs has three officers, plus six production employees. Manufacturing is extra-hazardous, so the six employees are covered through DWS from the first day, and the corporation pays the whole premium. All three officers are off the policy by default; the officer who runs the shop floor files an election so his own injuries are covered, and the company notes it will tell the state within 30 days if that role changes hands. The company also carries stop-gap employers liability so a workplace-injury lawsuit would be defended. See our workers comp for manufacturers page.
Real questions Wyoming owners ask
Does my Wyoming corporation need workers comp?
If it has employees doing extra-hazardous work, yes, through the state fund at DWS, from the first day they work. There is no headcount minimum. Officers can be left off the policy, but regular employees in covered work must be covered.
Are corporate officers covered automatically in Wyoming?
No, and this is backward from most states. Wyoming leaves corporate officers off by default. An officer can file a state election to add coverage for themselves if they want it.
How does an officer get covered if they want it?
The officer files an election of coverage with DWS, and the state then figures the officer's premium on the statewide average wage. In Wyoming that coverage is tied to the office, not the individual person.
What happens if our officers change?
You must notify the state within 30 days. Because an elected officer's coverage is tied to the position rather than the person, keeping the state updated is what makes the coverage follow the new officer.
Do part-time or seasonal employees count?
Yes. Wyoming has no part-time or seasonal exception, so any employee doing extra-hazardous work is covered from the first day and their wages must be reported to the state fund.
Can we deduct the premium from an employee's pay?
No. Workers comp is an employer cost, so the corporation pays the whole premium and employees pay nothing toward their own coverage.
Does the state policy defend the corporation in a lawsuit?
No. DWS pays a hurt worker's benefits but does not provide a legal defense. Corporations with employees usually add stop-gap employers liability to their general liability policy for that.
Why Wyoming owners choose Morrow
- We shop the right market for you. In Wyoming, mandatory workers compensation is sold only through the state, by the Department of Workforce Services (DWS), with no private carrier selling that mandatory coverage, so we help you open and run your state account correctly and place the stop-gap employers liability and other business coverages the state fund does not include.
- 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 Wyoming guides
Every Wyoming 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 Wyoming (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?
- 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?
- 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)
- Workers comp vs employers liability
- What workers comp does not cover
- Wyoming manufacturer workers comp
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Wyoming rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with Wyoming Department of Workforce Services (DWS), Workers' Compensation Division or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.