# Oregon contractor insurance requirements

> What Oregon law says about workers' comp, contractor license insurance and indemnity clauses, and what to check on a contractor COI for a project there.

Reviewed Oct 28, 2026 by Forsured. Source: https://forsured.ai/coi-requirements/oregon/

## The short version

- Workers' comp required at: 1 employee
- License insurance minimum: $500K residential GC; $2M commercial L1
- Anti-indemnity statute voids: Own negligence, even in part; reaches additional insured

## Workers' comp in Oregon

Nearly every Oregon employer with one or more employees, full-time or part-time, must carry workers' comp.

Agency: [Oregon Workers' Compensation Division](https://wcd.oregon.gov/employer/Pages/index.aspx)

## Contractor licensing and insurance

Oregon's Construction Contractors Board sets liability minimums by endorsement: $500,000 per occurrence for a residential general contractor, $1,000,000 aggregate for a commercial general contractor level 2, and $2,000,000 aggregate for level 1.

## Indemnity and additional insured clauses

Oregon's anti-indemnity statute (Or. Rev. Stat. § 30.140) 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. The statute also reaches insurance: a contract can't use an additional insured requirement to get coverage for the other party's negligence that the indemnity rule forbids.

## What to check on a contractor COI for a Oregon project

1. **Workers' comp.** Nearly every contractor with employees needs it in Oregon. A contractor with a crew and no workers' comp on its COI is a gap. For an out-of-state contractor, confirm Oregon is listed on the workers' comp policy.
2. **General liability.** A Oregon license only shows the contractor met the state's floor. Compare each limit on the COI with your project requirements, which are usually higher.
3. **Additional insured.** In Oregon, the anti-indemnity statute also limits what an additional insured requirement can do. Ask your broker or attorney which wording holds up, then check that the endorsement on file matches it.
4. **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.

## Common questions

### Do contractors need workers' comp in Oregon?

Nearly every Oregon employer with one or more employees, full-time or part-time, must carry workers' comp.

### Does Oregon require contractors to carry general liability insurance?

Oregon's Construction Contractors Board sets liability minimums by endorsement: $500,000 per occurrence for a residential general contractor, $1,000,000 aggregate for a commercial general contractor level 2, and $2,000,000 aggregate for level 1.

### Can a Oregon construction contract make a contractor cover another party's negligence?

Oregon's anti-indemnity statute (Or. Rev. Stat. § 30.140) 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. The statute also reaches insurance: a contract can't use an additional insured requirement to get coverage for the other party's negligence that the indemnity rule forbids.

## Sources

1. [Oregon workers' comp requirements](https://onpay.com/insights/workers-comp-requirements-by-state/oregon/), OnPay, May 2026
2. [OAR 812-003-0221, Liability insurance requirements](https://oregon.public.law/rules/oar_812-003-0221), Oregon Construction Contractors Board (via Public.Law)
3. [Anti-Indemnity Statutes in All 50 States (2023)](https://grsm.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Anti-Indemnity-Statutes-2023.pdf), Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, 2023
4. [Another State Joins List of "Anti-Additional Insured" States](https://blogs.duanemorris.com/constructionlaw/2012/01/05/another-state-joins-list-of-anti-additional-insured/), Duane Morris Construction Law Blog, 2012
5. [State Workers' Compensation Officials](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/owcp/wc), U.S. Department of Labor

General information, not legal advice. Confirm with the state agency, your broker or your attorney.

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