Florida

Workers comp and exemptions in Florida

Construction is the industry Florida treats hardest on workers compensation, and an officer exemption covers fewer people than most contractors assume. These guides cover who has to be covered, how an exemption is filed, and what a general contractor checks before you are allowed on the site.

4 ways to move forward

Practical guidesFlorida workers comp exemptionTake the exemption in the order Florida checks it: entity active on Sunbiz, member recorded at 10% ownership, then the $50 DWC-250 filed electronically. Includes the 3-officer cap, the two-year midnight expiry, and the missed annual report that silently kills the certificate.Practical guidesStart a Florida contracting businessPick LLC or sole proprietor knowing that in Florida construction the entity choice decides whether a workers' comp exemption is available to you at all, file at Sunbiz for the real $125, and get 1 May on a clock before the non-waivable $400 late fee exists.Practical guidesLLC or sole proprietor in FloridaEverywhere else this is a tax question you can leave open. In Florida construction it is a workers compensation question, it is settled the day you file, and one of the two answers cannot be bought back later.Practical guidesFlorida insurance certificatesThe certificate of insurance and the workers compensation position are the two documents that actually get checked, and in Florida they are also a condition of holding the license at all under s.489.115(5).

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