To run a workers compensation coverage lookup in NY, use the Workers’ Compensation Board’s free online search at wcb.ny.gov/icpocinq/. Type the employer’s legal name (or the first part of it) and submit the query. No account or login is required. The tool pulls from daily insurer filings and shows the employer’s workers’ compensation policy, disability benefits coverage, and Paid Family Leave coverage, along with the carrier name and effective dates.1New York Workers’ Compensation Board. Does Employer Have Coverage
How to Run the Search
The search matches on the beginning of a legal name, so accuracy matters. Use the name as it appears on tax documents, pay stubs, or payroll records rather than a storefront name or logo. If the business operates under a “doing business as” name, try both the trade name and the registered legal name; either may be the one on file with the insurer.
Common names return long result lists. Have the worksite address ready so you can pick the right entry. If you know the employer’s Federal Employer Identification Number, that produces the cleanest match. When a first attempt returns nothing, shorten the search term to just the first distinctive word of the name and scan the list that comes back.
Reading the Results
A result page shows the policy type, the carrier, the effective dates, and whether the employer participates in a wrap-up insurance program. Because insurers file updates daily, the record reflects current status.1New York Workers’ Compensation Board. Does Employer Have Coverage
Focus on the status line and the dates. An active policy with current effective dates means the employer is compliant right now. A cancellation date means coverage ends on that date regardless of when the policy was originally written; insurers can file notice of a future cancellation while a policy is still active, so a record that looks in force today may already have a termination date scheduled. Read the dates in full before drawing a conclusion.
If the search returns no results, two things could be true. The employer may have no coverage on file, or the entity may be registered under a different legal name than the one you searched. Try a variant spelling, the parent company’s name, or a DBA before concluding there is no policy.
When You Need Documented Proof
A screen from the lookup tool is enough to confirm status for your own purposes, but government agencies, general contractors, and permit offices usually require an official form.
The C-105.2 is the Certificate of NYS Workers’ Compensation Insurance. A business applying for a New York government permit, license, or contract uses this form as proof of coverage. The insurance carrier or a licensed agent issues it directly to the entity that requires it, and the certificate triggers a notification to that entity if the policy is later canceled.2New York Workers’ Compensation Board. Obtaining a C-105.2 Certificate of NYS Workers’ Compensation Insurance
The CE-200 is the Certificate of Attestation of Exemption. It is used by businesses that fall outside the coverage requirement altogether. Only two categories qualify: businesses operating in New York with zero employees, and out-of-state businesses whose contract work is performed entirely outside New York.3New York Workers’ Compensation Board. Request Certificate of Attestation of Exemption (CE-200) Government offices generally accept either the C-105.2 or the CE-200; which one applies depends on whether the business has employees.
Which Employers Should Appear in the Search
Nearly every New York employer must carry workers’ compensation for its employees, including full-time, part-time, and family members on payroll.4New York Workers’ Compensation Board. Workers’ Compensation Coverage Requirements Coverage is satisfied by a policy from an authorized carrier, a policy through the New York State Insurance Fund, or approved self-insurance.5New York State Senate. New York Workers Compensation Law 50 – Security for Payment of Compensation
A few gaps in the search results are not violations. Sole proprietors and partners with no employees are not required to carry a policy, though they can elect coverage by filing a notice with the Board. Household employers only need coverage when a domestic worker (a nanny, housekeeper, home health aide, or personal cook) works 40 or more hours per week for the same household; on-premises hours, including sleeping and eating time, plus off-site errands, all count toward that threshold.6New York Workers’ Compensation Board. Is Workers’ Compensation Coverage Required? A missing record for a solo operator or a part-time housekeeper does not necessarily mean noncompliance.
Maritime and Federal Employers
Some workers in New York are covered under federal law rather than the state system, and their employers may legitimately show no state policy in the Board’s tool. The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act covers employees injured on navigable U.S. waters or in adjacent areas used for loading, unloading, building, or repairing vessels, including longshore workers, ship repairers, shipbuilders, and harbor construction workers. Extensions of the same law cover civilian employees on overseas military bases, workers on offshore oil rigs on the Outer Continental Shelf, and civilian employees of military base exchanges and recreational facilities.7U.S. Department of Labor. Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act Frequently Asked Questions Ship crew members are excluded and fall under the Jones Act instead. Office workers, restaurant employees, and marina staff at waterfront locations are typically covered by state law unless they perform traditional maritime work.
If the Search Shows No Coverage
Once you have ruled out a name mismatch and confirmed the employer should carry a policy, you can report the situation to the Workers’ Compensation Board’s Bureau of Compliance. The Board contacts the employer, and if the employer cannot produce proof of coverage, enforcement begins with a penalty notice.8New York Workers’ Compensation Board. Employers Violations of Workers’ Compensation Law (Liability and Penalties) Collected penalties fund the Uninsured Employers’ Fund, which pays claims filed by workers whose employers had no policy.
If you are already injured and the lookup shows your employer had no coverage, you have two paths under New York law. You can file a workers’ compensation claim through the Uninsured Employers’ Fund, which pays wage and medical benefits while the Board pursues the employer for reimbursement. Or you can sue the employer directly in court.9New York State Senate. New York Workers Compensation Code 11 – Alternative Remedy
The lawsuit route is unusually strong. Workers’ compensation is normally the exclusive remedy against an employer, but an employer who failed to carry required coverage loses that shield. In the resulting suit, the employer cannot argue that your own negligence contributed to the injury, that a coworker caused it, or that you assumed the risk of the job.9New York State Senate. New York Workers Compensation Code 11 – Alternative Remedy Those are the three defenses employers rely on most in personal injury cases, and the statute removes all of them when coverage was missing. The uninsured employer also remains liable for administrative penalties assessed by the Board on top of the injured worker’s claim.8New York Workers’ Compensation Board. Employers Violations of Workers’ Compensation Law (Liability and Penalties)
Before taking either step, save a copy or screenshot of the lookup result showing no active policy, including the date you ran the search. A dated record of what the Board’s database showed at the time of the injury supports both a Fund claim and a lawsuit.