Nevada Workers’ Compensation insurance

Jump ahead to learn: 

• Is Nevada Workers’ Compensation insurance required?
• How does Workers’ Compensation in Nevada work?
• What can Nevada Workers’ Compensation coverage include?
• Who is exempt from Nevada Workers’ Compensation insurance?
• How much does Nevada Workers’ Comp cost?
• Nevada Workers’ Compensation FAQ 
• How ERGO NEXT helps protect Nevada business owners

Is Nevada Workers’ Compensation insurance required?

Nevada workers’ compensation is required for all employers with one or more employees — full-time, part-time or seasonal — under Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) Chapters 616A–616D. Coverage must be in place from the very first day you bring on any employee. 

Nevada has special rules for licensed contractors. A sole proprietor licensed as a contractor may be required to carry workers’ compensation coverage even if they have no employees.

Even if workers’ comp isn’t a requirement for your business, many clients ask for proof of coverage before they’ll sign a contract with you.

Even if your situation falls into an exempt category, workers’ compensation in Nevada is worth considering. One workplace accident without coverage could make you personally responsible for all the costs.

How does Workers’ Compensation in Nevada work?

If one of your employees suffers a work-related injury or illness, Nevada workers’ compensation could help get them the care and benefits they need, and help protect your business from the financial consequences of a workplace accident.

Here’s how the process works in Nevada, per the Nevada Division of Industrial Relations (DIR): 

1. Report the injury. Employees should report workplace injuries to their employer immediately. Nevada law imposes specific notice and claim-filing deadlines that can affect eligibility for benefits. Once notified, employers must file a C-3 form (Employer’s Report of Industrial Injury) with their insurance carrier within six working days of receiving the C-4 form from the treating physician. Failing to file the C-3 on time can result in an administrative fine of up to $1,000 per violation.
2. Get medical care. In Nevada, treatment must be obtained through providers authorized by the workers’ compensation insurer, subject to Nevada’s provider-selection rules. For serious injuries, injured employees can go to the nearest emergency room first. Employees shouldn’t seek non-emergency treatment outside the approved network without authorization, as this could affect their benefits. After 90 days, your employee may change to a different authorized physician of their own choosing.
3. File the C-4 claim form. Your employee fills out the C-4 form (Employee’s Claim for Compensation/Report of Initial Treatment) at their first medical appointment. This is the official claim form that triggers the workers’ comp process.
4. The insurer reviews the claim. Your insurance carrier generally has 30 days to accept or deny the claim after receiving proper notice. 
5. Benefits are paid. Depending on the outcome, the insurer coordinates payment for authorized medical treatment — including doctor’s visits, hospitalization, surgery, prescription drugs and mileage reimbursement — as well as a portion of lost wages if the employee can’t work.
6. The employee returns to work or receives ongoing benefits. When medically cleared, your employee returns to their role. If the injury results in a permanent impairment or prevents them from returning to work, ongoing disability or vocational rehabilitation benefits may apply.

Nevada workers’ compensation operates under a no-fault system. This means that an employee doesn’t need to prove their employer is at fault to receive benefits. And when an employee accepts workers’ comp benefits, they generally waive the right to sue their employer for negligence related to that workplace injury, which is an important legal safeguard for business owners. 

Let’s say you own a small catering company in Las Vegas.** One of your kitchen staff slips and sprains their ankle badly enough to miss two weeks of work. Workers’ compensation could help cover their emergency care, follow-up appointments and a portion of their lost wages while they recover.

Employers in Nevada are responsible for filing the C-3 form with their insurance carrier within six working days of receiving the C-4 from the treating physician.

Employees generally have 90 days from the date of the accident — or from the date they discovered the injury was work-related — to file the C-4 claim form. Missing this deadline can result in the claim being denied.

Learn how to file a workers’ comp claim with ERGO NEXT.

What can Nevada Workers’ Compensation coverage include?

Nevada workers’ comp insurance could help pay for expenses related to work-related illnesses and injuries for employees. Business owners also have the option to add themselves with additional business owners coverage.

In Nevada, workers’ compensation could help pay for:

• Emergency treatment and medical expenses.
• Lost wages income benefits.
• Death and survivor benefits.

• Retraining if the employee can no longer do their job.
• Permanent injury or disability benefits.

Workers’ compensation doesn’t usually cover some forms of misconduct, intoxication or other statutory exclusions.

For example: If you own a business fixing slot machines and one of your employees breaks a finger at work, workers’ compensation insurance could help pay for the emergency care, x-rays and casting up to the policy limit.

Nevada Workers’ Compensation income benefits

Nevada workers’ compensation benefit payments are set by the state government and depend on the nature and severity of the employee’s injury.

The four benefit types include:

1. Temporary total disability (TTD), which is paid to workers who need to take more than five days off due to a work-related injury, and a doctor confirms they can’t work at all.  Benefits are up to two-thirds of their average monthly wage and capped annually (for example, for 2026, the maximum TTD benefit in Nevada is $5,468.53 per month).
2. Temporary partial disability (TPD) can cover employees who are able to work in a lesser capacity due to injury. Benefits are calculated by the difference between post-injury wages and the temporary total disability rate.
3. Permanent partial disability (PPD) is assessed when the injured worker can work with permanent limitations. Employees are given an impairment rating based on the American Medical Association’s Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment. Permanent partial disability benefits are based on the worker’s impairment rating and Nevada’s statutory benefit formulas.
4. Permanent total disability (PTD) means the injured person can no longer work. Payments of up to two-thirds of their monthly salary are made for life.

Nevada Workers’ Comp death and survivor benefits

In the unfortunate event that an employee dies as a result of a covered workplace injury or illness, their spouse, children or other dependents are eligible for death benefits paid at the TTD rate. Nevada workers’ comp death benefits can also cover funeral and burial expenses up to $10,000.

Who is exempt from Nevada Workers’ Compensation insurance?

Nevada workers’ comp exemptions are narrower than in many states, but there are some exemptions for Nevada workers’ comp requirements.

Here’s who may qualify:

• Sole proprietors and partners without employees aren’t generally required to carry workers’ comp coverage for themselves (with the exception of sole proprietors who are licensed as contractors under NRS 624.020 — even if you don’t have any employees). But the moment you hire one employee, coverage becomes mandatory immediately. If you’re a sole proprietor who wants coverage, you can elect to add yourself to a policy.
• Corporate officers and LLC managers may apply to reject coverage for themselves, but only under specific conditions. If you take this step, you’re removing yourself from your company’s coverage, meaning any on-the-job injury becomes your personal financial responsibility.

Limited exemptions also exist for:

• Employees brought into Nevada temporarily who are covered by insurance from another state.
• Jobs that aren’t subject to Nevada’s laws, such as interstate commerce.
• Employment that lasts no more than 20 days with a total labor cost under $500 (if the work isn’t in the course of an employer’s regular trade or business).

Even if your business qualifies for an exemption, Nevada workers’ comp is still worth considering. One workplace injury could create costs that exceed the cost of a policy.

Learn more about workers’ comp exemptions.

How much does Nevada Workers’ Comp cost?

Workers’ compensation costs vary across industries. Some factors that could influence your monthly or annual price (also called a premium) include:

• Your number of employees.
• The type of work your employees do and their assigned class codes.
• Your total payroll.
• Your insurance claims history and workplace safety record.
• The locations in Nevada where you do business.

The best way to determine the exact cost for your business to get Nevada workers’ comp coverage is to get a free quote from ERGO NEXT.

How ERGO NEXT helps protect Nevada business owners

ERGO NEXT has Nevada workers’ comp insurance that’s fast and flexible – and you can buy it 100% online in about 10 minutes.

Share unlimited certificates of insurance at no extra cost, and manage your policy 24/7 via web or mobile app.

If you have questions, our licensed, U.S.-based insurance professionals are available to help.

Start a free quote with ERGO NEXT.

• What to do when an employee is injured at work
• Does a sole proprietor need Workers’ Compensation insurance?
• How to file a Workers’ Comp claim
• What is a Workers’ Compensation audit?
• How does a Workers’ Comp claim affect the employer?
• What is a monopolistic state for Workers’ Comp?
• What is a Workers’ Comp exemption?