Connecticut Form 7A is a one-page document you file with your local building official to show that workers’ compensation insurance is not required for your project. It applies in a narrow situation: you are either the property owner or a sole proprietor, and you will not act as the general contractor or principal employer on the job. Under Connecticut General Statutes § 31-286b, every building-permit applicant has to prove workers’ compensation coverage for workers on site, and Form 7A is how qualifying owners and sole proprietors document that the requirement does not apply to them.1FindLaw. Connecticut Code 31-286b – Building Permit Requirements for Workers Compensation The form goes to the building official in your city or town, not to the Workers’ Compensation Commission.
Does Form 7A Fit Your Project
Form 7A has two eligible categories, and you check one box, not both:
- Property owner: you own the land where construction will happen and will not serve as the general contractor or principal employer.
- Sole proprietor: you run a sole proprietorship that will perform work at the property and will not serve as the general contractor or principal employer.
The line between an owner who qualifies and one who doesn’t turns on who is running the job. If you hire a licensed general contractor to manage the project and oversee subcontractors, the GC is the principal employer and you can file Form 7A. If you start hiring subcontractors directly, setting their schedules, and directing work on site, you are acting as the principal employer and Form 7A no longer fits your situation.2Workers’ Compensation Commission. Connecticut Form 7A – Proof of Workers Compensation Coverage When Applying for a Building Permit
The form itself only offers “owner” and “sole proprietor” as choices. A partner in a partnership acting as GC or principal employer will need a different form.
How to Fill Out Form 7A
Download the PDF from the Workers’ Compensation Commission’s building permit forms page. You can type into it on screen and print, or print it blank and complete it by hand in ink.3Workers’ Compensation Commission. Workers Compensation Forms There is no electronic submission; the completed form has to be delivered physically to your local building official. There is no filing fee.
The whole form is one page in three parts:
- Applicant information at the bottom: your name as permit applicant, the street address where construction will occur, and the city or town.
- The checkbox: mark either OWNER (you own the property and will not act as GC or principal employer) or SOLE PROPRIETOR (your sole proprietorship will perform work at the property and will not act as GC or principal employer). Check one only.
- Signature and business details: if you checked owner, sign on the owner signature line. If you checked sole proprietor, enter your business name and Federal Employer Identification Number, then sign on the sole proprietor signature line.2Workers’ Compensation Commission. Connecticut Form 7A – Proof of Workers Compensation Coverage When Applying for a Building Permit
No Social Security number is asked for. The sole proprietor section requests an FEIN. If your sole proprietorship does not have one and you use your SSN for tax purposes, you may need to get an FEIN from the IRS first, or ask your local building department whether they will accept an SSN in that field.
Where to Submit It
Hand or mail the completed form to the building official in the city or town where the project is located. It is reviewed as part of your building permit application, and once it is on file you have met the workers’ compensation proof requirement for that permit.4Workers’ Compensation Commission. Building Permit Forms
Keep a copy. If you pull permits in more than one town, each building department can require its own Form 7A. A copy filed with one municipality does not automatically carry over to another.
When You Need Form 7B or 7C Instead
If you will act as the general contractor or principal employer, Form 7A is the wrong form. The Workers’ Compensation Commission publishes two companion forms for those situations:
- Form 7B: for the sole proprietor or property owner who will act as general contractor or principal employer. It requires a sworn, notarized affidavit that you will require proof of workers’ compensation insurance from everyone you hire for the job site.1FindLaw. Connecticut Code 31-286b – Building Permit Requirements for Workers Compensation
- Form 7C: for a general contractor or principal employer who has already elected to be excluded from workers’ compensation coverage by filing Form 6B or 6B-1 with the Commission.4Workers’ Compensation Commission. Building Permit Forms
If you bring a 7A to the counter but you are actually directing subcontractors on your own job, the building official will send you back for a 7B. Filing the wrong form just delays the permit.
What Happens If You File Form 7A When You Shouldn’t
Filing Form 7A while actually operating as a principal employer with workers on site means you are operating without insurance the statute requires.
An administrative law judge who finds an employer out of compliance can impose a civil penalty of at least $500 per uncovered employee (or $5,000, whichever is less), up to a maximum of $50,000. Each day of continued noncompliance after the finding adds another $100, capped at an additional $50,000.5FindLaw. Connecticut Code 31-288 – Additional Liability and Penalty for Noncompliance With Insurance Requirements The state can also issue a stop-work order that shuts down operations until you come into compliance.6Connecticut General Assembly. Public Act 07-89 – An Act Concerning Penalties for Concealing Employment or Other Information Related to Workers Compensation Premiums
Deliberately misrepresenting employee status can rise to a Class D felony, which carries one to five years of imprisonment.7Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice. What Is Workers Compensation Fraud
Beyond the fines, an uninsured employer loses the liability shield workers’ compensation normally provides. An injured worker on the site can sue directly for damages instead of being limited to workers’ compensation benefits.8Justia. Connecticut Code 31-284 – Workers Compensation Insurance Requirements If you have any doubt about whether you qualify to file Form 7A, confirm with your building official before you sign it.