{
  "url": "https://scopeofcover.com/requirements/oh/workers-comp-state-fund-and-self-insurance",
  "title": "Ohio Workers' Comp: State Fund & Self-Insurance Rules",
  "template": "requirements",
  "published": "2026-10-05",
  "updated": "2026-10-05",
  "last_verified": "2026-10-05",
  "answer": "Ohio employers can get workers' compensation coverage by paying premiums to the state insurance fund or by becoming a self-insuring employer. Scope of Cover found that under Ohio law, a person is considered an employee on a construction project if they meet at least ten specific criteria. Self-insuring employers must demonstrate sufficient financial and administrative ability and secure a surety bond. Compliance grants employers immunity from most lawsuits over employee injuries.",
  "editor": {
    "name": "Eric Dawson",
    "title": "Editor"
  },
  "publisher": "scopeofcover.com",
  "claims": [
    {
      "claim_id": "oh-employer-immunity-from-lawsuits",
      "statement": "Employers who comply with section 4123.35 of the Revised Code are not liable for damages at common law or by statute for employee injuries, occupational diseases, bodily conditions, or deaths occurring during the period covered by premiums or while self-insuring.",
      "value": "Employers who comply with section 4123.35 of the Revised Code shall not be liable to respond in damages at common law or by statute for any injury, or occupational disease, or bodily condition, received or contracted by any employee in the course of or arising out of his employment, or for any death resulting from such injury, occupational disease, or bodily condition occurring during the period covered by such premium so paid into the state insurance fund, or during the interval the employer is a self-insuring employer, whether or not such injury, occupational disease, bodily condition, or death is compensable under this chapter.",
      "unit": "immunity",
      "as_of": "1993-10-20",
      "jurisdiction": "OH",
      "source_url": "https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4123.74",
      "quote": "Employers who comply with section 4123.35 of the Revised Code shall not be liable to respond in damages at common law or by statute for any injury, or occupational disease, or bodily condition, received or contracted by any employee in the course of or arising out of his employment, or for any death",
      "retrieved": "2026-10-02"
    },
    {
      "claim_id": "oh-employee-construction-contract-criteria",
      "statement": "A person performing labor or services under a construction contract is an \"employee\" if at least ten specific criteria related to control, integration, and compensation apply.",
      "value": "at least ten",
      "unit": "criteria",
      "as_of": "2022-09-23",
      "jurisdiction": "OH",
      "source_url": "https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4123.01",
      "quote": "Every person who performs labor or provides services pursuant to a construction contract, as defined in section 4123.79 of the Revised Code, if at least ten of the following criteria apply",
      "retrieved": "2026-10-02"
    },
    {
      "claim_id": "oh-employee-household-casual-threshold",
      "statement": "Household workers and casual workers earning one hundred sixty dollars or more in cash in any calendar quarter from a single household or employer are considered employees.",
      "value": "one hundred sixty dollars",
      "unit": "USD",
      "as_of": "2022-09-23",
      "jurisdiction": "OH",
      "source_url": "https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4123.01",
      "quote": "including aliens and minors, household workers who earn one hundred sixty dollars or more in cash in any calendar quarter from a single household and casual workers who earn one hundred sixty dollars or more in cash in any calendar quarter from a single employer",
      "retrieved": "2026-10-02"
    },
    {
      "claim_id": "oh-self-insuring-employer-application-fee",
      "statement": "The administrator may charge a reasonable application fee to employers applying for self-insuring employer status to cover the bureau's processing and determination costs.",
      "value": "reasonable application fee",
      "unit": "USD",
      "as_of": "2021-03-24",
      "jurisdiction": "OH",
      "source_url": "https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4123.35",
      "quote": "The administrator may charge employers who apply for the status as a self-insuring employer a reasonable application fee to cover the bureau's costs in connection with processing and making a determination with respect to an application.",
      "retrieved": "2026-10-02"
    },
    {
      "claim_id": "oh-self-insuring-employer-financial-administrative-ability",
      "statement": "All employers granted self-insuring status must demonstrate sufficient financial and administrative ability to ensure that all obligations under this section are promptly met.",
      "value": "sufficient financial and administrative ability",
      "unit": "requirement",
      "as_of": "2021-03-24",
      "jurisdiction": "OH",
      "source_url": "https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4123.35",
      "quote": "All employers granted status as self-insuring employers shall demonstrate sufficient financial and administrative ability to assure that all obligations under this section are promptly met.",
      "retrieved": "2026-10-02"
    },
    {
      "claim_id": "oh-self-insuring-employer-financial-records-history",
      "statement": "Required financial records include balance sheets and profit and loss history for the current year and previous four years.",
      "value": "current year and previous four years",
      "unit": "years",
      "as_of": "2021-03-24",
      "jurisdiction": "OH",
      "source_url": "https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4123.35",
      "quote": "The records, documents, and data include, but are not limited to, balance sheets and profit and loss history for the current year and previous four years.",
      "retrieved": "2026-10-02"
    },
    {
      "claim_id": "oh-self-insuring-employer-surety-bond-requirement",
      "statement": "The administrator requires a surety bond from all self-insuring employers, issued under section 4123.351 of the Revised Code, sufficient to secure compensation and expenses, which must not be less than what the state insurance fund provides in similar cases.",
      "value": "surety bond",
      "unit": "requirement",
      "as_of": "2021-03-24",
      "jurisdiction": "OH",
      "source_url": "https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4123.35",
      "quote": "The administrator shall require a surety bond from all self-insuring employers, issued pursuant to section 4123.351 of the Revised Code, that is sufficient to compel, or secure to injured employees, or to the dependents of employees killed, the payment of compensation and expenses, which shall in no",
      "retrieved": "2026-10-02"
    },
    {
      "claim_id": "oh-public-employer-self-insuring-debt-rating",
      "statement": "On the application date, a public employer must hold a debt rating of Aa3 or higher according to Moody's Investors Service, Inc., or a comparable rating from a similar independent rating agency.",
      "value": "Aa3 or higher",
      "unit": "rating",
      "as_of": "2021-03-24",
      "jurisdiction": "OH",
      "source_url": "https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4123.35",
      "quote": "On the date of application, the public employer holds a debt rating of Aa3 or higher according to Moody's investors service, inc., or a comparable rating by an independent rating agency similar to Moody's investors service, inc.",
      "retrieved": "2026-10-02"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Ohio Revised Code section 4123.74",
      "url": "https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4123.74",
      "publisher": "Ohio Legislative Service Commission",
      "retrieved": "2026-10-02"
    },
    {
      "title": "Ohio Revised Code section 4123.01",
      "url": "https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4123.01",
      "publisher": "Ohio Legislative Service Commission",
      "retrieved": "2026-10-02"
    },
    {
      "title": "Ohio Revised Code section 4123.35",
      "url": "https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4123.35",
      "publisher": "Ohio Legislative Service Commission",
      "retrieved": "2026-10-02"
    }
  ],
  "license": "CC BY 4.0. Attribute to Scope of Cover (https://scopeofcover.com/)."
}