COI requirements by state / District of Columbia
State guideDistrict of Columbia contractor insurance requirements
What District of Columbia law says about workers' comp, contractor license insurance and indemnity clauses, and what to check on a contractor COI for a project there.
Workers' comp required at
1 employee
License insurance minimum
No statewide minimum
Anti-indemnity statute voids
No general statute
Workers' comp in District of Columbia
Employers with one or more employees in the District of Columbia must carry workers' comp. Employers with staff working outside DC need a policy that covers those workers under the other states' laws too.
The agency in charge is the DC Office of Workers' Compensation. It can tell you whether a specific business needs coverage, and most states let you look up an employer's policy online.
Contractor licensing and insurance
We found no statewide general liability minimum tied to a general contractor license. Cities and counties can set their own licensing and insurance rules, so check where the project is.
Indemnity and additional insured clauses
District of Columbia has no general construction anti-indemnity statute. Courts there generally enforce a clause that covers a party's own negligence only when the clause says so clearly (see Parker v. John Moriarty & Assocs., 189 F. Supp. 3d 38 (D.D.C. 2016)).
What to check on a contractor COI for a District of Columbia project
- Workers' comp. Nearly every contractor with employees needs it in District of Columbia. A contractor with a crew and no workers' comp on its COI is a gap. For an out-of-state contractor, confirm District of Columbia is listed on the workers' comp policy.
- General liability. District of Columbia doesn't set a statewide floor for a general contractor license, so your project requirements set the bar. Compare each limit on the COI with what the contract asks for.
- Additional insured. The endorsement is a separate promise from the indemnity clause, so check both. Ask for the endorsement itself, not just a box ticked on the certificate.
- Dates. Every policy should run through the end of the job. A COI only shows coverage on the day it was issued, so check again at each renewal.
Forsured checks every contractor COI against your project requirements, then keeps checking for the life of the project. Send us one project's requirements and a contractor COI or two for a free COI risk check.
Common questions
Do contractors need workers' comp in District of Columbia?
Employers with one or more employees in the District of Columbia must carry workers' comp. Employers with staff working outside DC need a policy that covers those workers under the other states' laws too.
Does District of Columbia require contractors to carry general liability insurance?
We found no statewide general liability minimum tied to a general contractor license. Cities and counties can set their own licensing and insurance rules, so check where the project is.
Can a District of Columbia construction contract make a contractor cover another party's negligence?
District of Columbia has no general construction anti-indemnity statute. Courts there generally enforce a clause that covers a party's own negligence only when the clause says so clearly (see Parker v. John Moriarty & Assocs., 189 F. Supp. 3d 38 (D.D.C. 2016)).
Sources
- Office of Workers' Compensation employer brochure, DC Department of Employment Services
- Anti-Indemnity Statutes in All 50 States (2023), Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, 2023
- State Workers' Compensation Officials, U.S. Department of Labor
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and every contract is different, so confirm with the state agency, your broker or your attorney before you rely on it. Last reviewed Oct 28, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Write to hello@forsured.ai and we'll fix it.