COI requirements by state / Ohio
State guideOhio contractor insurance requirements
What Ohio 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 (state fund)
License insurance minimum
No statewide minimum
Anti-indemnity statute voids
Own negligence, even in part
Workers' comp in Ohio
Ohio employers with employees must carry workers' comp through the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) or be approved to self-insure. Private carriers can't write it.
The agency in charge is the Ohio Bureau 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. Ohio has no statewide 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
Ohio's anti-indemnity statute (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2305.31) voids construction contract clauses that make a contractor indemnify another party for that party's own negligence, even in part. Clauses limited to the contractor's own share of fault generally hold up.
What to check on a contractor COI for a Ohio project
- Workers' comp. Ohio workers' comp comes only from the state fund, so a private carrier's workers' comp line on the COI doesn't cover work there. Ask for the state fund certificate, and look for stop gap employers liability, which is usually added to the general liability policy.
- General liability. Ohio 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 Ohio?
Ohio employers with employees must carry workers' comp through the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) or be approved to self-insure. Private carriers can't write it.
Does Ohio require contractors to carry general liability insurance?
We found no statewide general liability minimum tied to a general contractor license. Ohio has no statewide general contractor license. Cities and counties can set their own licensing and insurance rules, so check where the project is.
Can a Ohio construction contract make a contractor cover another party's negligence?
Ohio's anti-indemnity statute (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2305.31) voids construction contract clauses that make a contractor indemnify another party for that party's own negligence, even in part. Clauses limited to the contractor's own share of fault generally hold up.
Sources
- Ohio workers' comp requirements, OnPay, Dec 2025
- What is stop gap coverage?, HUB International
- 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.