If your Wyoming LLC has employees doing extra-hazardous work, yes, it must carry workers compensation on them, and it buys that coverage only from the state fund at the Department of Workforce Services (DWS). The part that trips owners up is how the members themselves are treated: Wyoming leaves LLC members off the policy by default and lets them opt in, rather than covering them automatically. So a member's own coverage is a choice, but the moment the LLC pays a non-owner worker in covered work, that worker must be covered.
Who this is for: Owners of a Wyoming LLC, whether a single-member LLC with no staff, a multi-member LLC, or an LLC running a payroll of employees.
The short version
- An LLC with any employee in extra-hazardous work must open a DWS account and cover that worker from day one.
- Members are left off the policy by default; there is no automatic owner coverage in Wyoming.
- DWS treats LLC members like other owners, so their pay is not reported as employee payroll unless they elect in.
- A member who wants their own injuries covered files a state form to add coverage, which then stays in place for at least two years.
- You buy from the state fund only; no private carrier sells the mandatory coverage in Wyoming, so there is nothing to shop and no assigned-risk pool.
How Wyoming treats LLC members
Wyoming does not count LLC members as employees. They are treated the same way a sole proprietor, partner, or corporation officer is: left off by default, not reported as payroll, and free to add coverage for themselves by filing an election with the state. When a member elects in, the state figures the member's premium on the statewide average wage rather than the member's actual pay, and that coverage must stay in place for at least eight calendar quarters, which is two years, before it can be dropped. The instant the LLC has a non-owner worker in covered work, though, that worker must be covered from day one, and the LLC pays the full premium as an employer cost, so the worker pays nothing toward it.
What applies to your LLC
| Your LLC setup | Is comp required? | What owners and staff should know |
|---|---|---|
| Single-member, no workers | No mandatory premium | The member is left off by default and can elect coverage for themselves |
| Multi-member, no other staff | No mandatory premium | Members are off by default; each can elect coverage individually |
| Any LLC with employees in extra-hazardous work | Yes | Workers covered from day one through DWS; members still opt in separately for themselves |
Opting in, or staying off
Because a Wyoming LLC member starts out off the policy, the choice is whether to opt in. If you want your own on-the-job injuries paid, you file the state election and report under the state's owner rate; if you would rather rely on your own health and disability cover, you do nothing and stay off. Keep in mind that once you elect in, you are committing to keep that coverage for two years, so it is not a switch to flip on and off. Remember too that the limited liability in an LLC shields your personal assets from many business debts, but it does not answer an injured worker, which is exactly what the state fund is built to handle. And because the state fund does not defend lawsuits, adding stop-gap employers liability to your general liability policy is worth a look.
A Cheyenne example
Illustrative, not a quote. A two-member electrical contracting LLC in Cheyenne runs the business with one apprentice on payroll. Electrical work is extra-hazardous, so the LLC opens a DWS account and the apprentice is covered from day one, with the LLC paying the full premium. Both members work in the field and want their own injuries covered, so each files a state election and accepts the two-year commitment. When a builder asks for proof the business carries workers comp, the LLC can show its DWS account the same day. See our workers comp for electricians page.
Real questions Wyoming owners ask
Does my Wyoming LLC have to carry workers comp?
If it has any employee doing extra-hazardous work, yes, from day one, bought through the state fund at DWS. If it is only members, there is no mandatory premium, though members can elect coverage for themselves.
Am I covered as an LLC member in Wyoming?
Not by default. Wyoming leaves LLC members off the policy and lets them opt in, the opposite of many states. You file a state election if you want your own injuries paid by the state fund.
Do I need coverage for a single-member LLC with no workers?
There is no mandatory premium if you have no employees. The member is left off by default. You can elect coverage for yourself if you want the state fund to pay your on-the-job injuries.
How do I get coverage for myself as a member?
You file an election of coverage with DWS. The state then figures your premium on the statewide average wage, and once elected the coverage must stay in place for at least two years before you can drop it.
Does having employees change things for my LLC?
Yes. Even one employee in extra-hazardous work makes coverage mandatory from day one. You open a DWS account and report that worker's wages, while members still decide separately whether to opt in for themselves.
Can I deduct part of the premium from my workers pay?
No. Workers comp is an employer cost, so the LLC pays the whole premium and your workers pay nothing toward their own coverage.
Does the state policy defend my LLC if a worker sues?
No. DWS pays a hurt worker's benefits but does not provide a legal defense. LLCs 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'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?
- 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
- Wyoming electrician 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.