No, not for themselves. Rhode Island exempts sole proprietors and partners from workers’ compensation and does not allow them to purchase personal coverage voluntarily. That rule is unusual among states. The moment you hire your first employee, however, coverage for that employee becomes mandatory.
FAQ_category: (HIDDEN) Industry FAQs
Partly, yes. Rhode Island requires workers’ compensation insurance once you have one employee and commercial auto insurance for business vehicles. Registered contractors must carry at least $500,000 in general liability coverage. Other policies are optional but often required by landlords, lenders, and client contracts before you can operate.
Standard commercial property coverage generally includes fire, including wildfire, up to your policy limits and subject to your deductible. Flood damage is excluded and requires separate coverage. Review your property limits before fire season, especially in southern, central, and eastern Oregon.
Oregon fines uninsured employers twice the premium they should have paid, with a $1,000 minimum, plus $250 per day for continued violations. Owners, officers, and LLC members are personally liable for an injured worker’s benefit costs, and bankruptcy may not erase that debt.
Yes. Every CCB-licensed contractor in Oregon must carry general liability insurance and name the Construction Contractors Board as certificate holder. Minimums range from $100,000 per occurrence for residential endorsements to $2 million aggregate for commercial general contractors. The CCB can fine or suspend contractors without coverage.