Workers' Comp for Agricultural & Farm Workers
Agriculture is the most exempted industry in workers' compensation — most states limit or exclude farm labor. Which tier your state falls in matters more than the general employee threshold.
Full coverage required — Agricultural workers must be covered like any other employee — no farm exemption.
| State | General threshold | Agricultural rule |
|---|---|---|
 Arizona | 1+ | no exemption |
 California | 1+ | no exemption |
 Colorado | 1+ | no exemption |
 Connecticut | 1+ | no exemption |
 Hawaii | 1+ | no exemption |
 Idaho | 1+ | no exemption |
 Massachusetts | 1+ | no exemption |
 New Hampshire | 1+ | no exemption |
 New Jersey | 1+ | no exemption |
 New Mexico | 3+ | no exemption |
 New York | 1+ | no exemption |
 Ohio | 1+ | no exemption |
 Oregon | 1+ | no exemption |
 Washington | 1+ | no exemption |
Limited / conditional — Coverage required only above certain payroll, day-count, or equipment thresholds.
| State | General threshold | Agricultural rule |
|---|---|---|
 Alaska | 1+ | conditional — verify with state agency |
 Florida | 4+ | 6+ regular employees OR 12+ seasonal workers (>30 days/year) |
 Illinois | 1+ | 400+ total ag working days per quarter (prior year) |
 Iowa | 1+ | conditional — verify with state agency |
 Louisiana | 1+ | conditional — verify with state agency |
 Maine | 1+ | conditional — verify with state agency |
 Maryland | 1+ | conditional — verify with state agency |
 Michigan | 1+ | Piecework agricultural workers exempt |
 Minnesota | 1+ | conditional — verify with state agency |
 Montana | 1+ | conditional — verify with state agency |
 Nebraska | 1+ | conditional — verify with state agency |
 North Carolina | 3+ | conditional — verify with state agency |
 Oklahoma | 1+ | conditional — verify with state agency |
 Pennsylvania | 1+ | conditional — verify with state agency |
 Rhode Island | 1+ | conditional — verify with state agency |
 South Dakota | Elective | Required when using hazardous equipment (combines, shredders, cornhuskers) |
 Utah | 1+ | conditional — verify with state agency |
 Vermont | 1+ | conditional — verify with state agency |
 Virginia | 3+ | conditional — verify with state agency |
 West Virginia | 1+ | conditional — verify with state agency |
 Wisconsin | 3+ | conditional — verify with state agency |
No requirement — Agricultural employers are fully exempt — coverage is optional.
| State | General threshold | Agricultural rule |
|---|---|---|
 Alabama | 5+ | exempt — optional |
 Arkansas | 3+ | exempt — optional |
 Delaware | 1+ | exempt — optional |
 Georgia | 3+ | exempt — optional |
 Indiana | 1+ | exempt — optional |
 Kansas | $ payroll | exempt — optional |
 Kentucky | 1+ | exempt — optional |
 Mississippi | 5+ | exempt — optional |
 Missouri | 5+ | exempt — optional |
 Nevada | 1+ | exempt — optional |
 North Dakota | 1+ | exempt — optional |
 South Carolina | 4+ | exempt — optional |
 Tennessee | 5+ | exempt — optional |
 Texas | Elective | exempt — optional |
 Wyoming | 1+ | exempt — optional |
Don't skip coverage just because you can
Even in exempt states, an injured farm worker can sue for negligence — and ag work has high injury rates with heavy machinery. Many exempt-state farmers carry coverage voluntarily. In California, going without required coverage is a misdemeanor: up to 1 year in jail and $10,000+ fines, with stop-orders shutting down work.
Source: National Agricultural Law Center (University of Arkansas) synthesis, cross-checked with our state-by-state dataset. Fetched 2026-09. DC not categorized by source — verify separately. See each state page for general thresholds.