Workers' Comp Insurance in Stockton, CA

Updated October 27, 2026

Workers' comp insurance in Stockton, CA is required as soon as you have one employee. California Labor Code §3700 says every employer except the state must secure the payment of compensation, either with a policy from an insurer authorized to write workers' compensation in California or with a certificate of consent to self-insure from the Director of Industrial Relations. Insurance City quotes workers' comp for San Joaquin County employers from our office at 956 W Robinhood Dr, Stockton: send the payroll and a description of the work, and we shop it with the carriers that write your class.

Call or Text (209) 670-1556 Request a Workers' Comp Quote

Who has to carry workers' comp in Stockton?

Any Stockton business that pays even one employee. The duty comes from Labor Code §3700, and the Department of Industrial Relations employer page says it plainly: California employers must have workers' compensation insurance "even if they have only one employee." Part-time help, seasonal harvest or packing-shed crews, and warehouse temps you put on your own payroll all count as people you pay; list every one of them so the policy matches the payroll the insurer will audit.

An owner who works alone with no employees is not an employer under §3700. The exception is a contractor: some CSLB license classes must carry coverage with an empty payroll, explained below.

What is the penalty for not having workers' comp in California?

Going uninsured is a crime, not just a fine. Under Labor Code §3700.5 (current text, last amended effective March 6, 2005), failing to secure compensation when you knew, or should reasonably have known, of the duty is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail, a fine of up to double the premium that would have been due while you were uninsured (never less than $10,000), or both.

What happens	Law	What the statute says
First conviction	§3700.5(a)	Up to 1 year in county jail and/or a fine up to double the unpaid premium, minimum $10,000
Second or later conviction	§3700.5(b)	Up to 1 year in county jail and/or a fine of triple the unpaid premium, minimum $50,000
Stop order	§3710.1	The Director issues a stop order barring the use of employee labor until you comply
Penalty assessment	§3722(a)	$1,500 per employee employed when the stop order is served

Source: California Labor Code §§3700.5, 3710.1 and 3722, read on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov on October 27, 2026.

How is workers' comp premium calculated?

The premium starts with three numbers: the insurer's rate for your class code, your payroll in that class, and your experience mod if the business qualifies for one. In formula form: class rate × (payroll ÷ 100) × experience mod, then the insurer's other filed rating factors. The WCIRB, California's workers' comp rating bureau, explains that rates are applied per $100 of payroll, "so a rate of $5.86 means that for every $100 of payroll, $5.86 in premium is generated."

Using that WCIRB example rate only to show the arithmetic (it is not the rate for any particular class and not a quote): $300,000 of payroll ÷ 100 × $5.86 = $17,580 before the mod. A 0.85 mod would bring that figure to $14,943; a 1.20 mod would raise it to $21,096. The real rate is whatever the insurer filed for your class code.

The experience mod is the WCIRB's comparison of your claims history with similar-size employers in the same industry. According to the WCIRB's guide to experience rating, a mod under 100% reflects better-than-average experience and usually lowers premium, a mod over 100% usually raises it, experience rating is mandatory once a business qualifies, and more than 130,000 California businesses are experience rated, representing about 80 percent of the state's workers' comp premium.

Which Stockton contractors need workers' comp with no employees?

Under SB 216 (Chapter 978, Statutes of 2022), C-8 Concrete, C-20 Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning, C-22 Asbestos Abatement and D-49 Tree Service licensees must hold workers' compensation as of January 1, 2023, whether or not they have employees; the CSLB industry bulletin #22-16 says the classification is removed if coverage was not in place by July 1, 2023. C-39 Roofing was already under that rule, and the CSLB workers' compensation page lists C-8, C-20, C-22, C-39 and C-61/D-49 as the classes that must carry it regardless of employees.

SB 216 also set January 1, 2026 for every other contractor. SB 1455 (Chapter 485, Statutes of 2024) moved that to January 1, 2028: the version of Business and Professions Code §7125 that becomes operative that day exempts only joint-venture licensees with no employees. If you build in Stockton, Lathrop, Manteca or Tracy on a no-employee exemption today, plan for a policy before 2028. If you hire before then, CSLB says proof of coverage must reach it within 90 days of the hire.

What do we need to quote workers' comp in Stockton?

Legal business name, entity type and FEIN.
What each group of employees actually does (for example: office, drivers, warehouse, field crew). Duties decide the class code, not job titles.
Estimated payroll for the next 12 months, split by those groups, and whether owners or officers are included.
Loss runs from your current or prior workers' comp policy, plus your current declarations page and renewal date.
Years in business, and your CSLB license number and classes if you are a contractor.
Certificates of insurance from any subcontractors you use; the payroll audit asks for them.

We match the work to WCIRB class codes, submit it to the carriers that write those classes, and show you each quote side by side with its rate, mod and payroll basis. When you bind, the insurer issues the policy; for contractors, B&P §7125 requires the insurer to file the Certificate of Workers' Compensation Insurance with the CSLB.

Our Stockton office

Insurance City, 956 W Robinhood Dr, Stockton, CA 95207. Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm; closed weekends. Call or text (209) 670-1556. We work in English and Spanish. If a claim turns into a dispute, the state Division of Workers' Compensation hears it at one of its 23 district offices; the one listed closest to Stockton is in Lodi.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need workers' comp in Stockton if I only have one employee?

Yes. Labor Code §3700 applies to every employer, and the Department of Industrial Relations states that the requirement holds even with only one employee.

How much does workers' comp cost in Stockton?

There is no single Stockton price. Premium is the insurer's rate for your class code times payroll divided by 100, times your experience mod if you have one. A clerical office and a roofing crew with the same payroll pay very different amounts because their class rates differ.

Can a Stockton roofer or concrete contractor skip workers' comp with no employees?

No. C-39 Roofing, C-8 Concrete, C-20, C-22 and C-61/D-49 licensees must carry workers' comp or a valid self-insurance certificate whether or not they have employees (CSLB; B&P §7125).

What happens if I get caught without workers' comp?

The state can issue a stop order on employee labor, assess $1,500 per employee, and prosecute a misdemeanor with fines of at least $10,000 on a first conviction (source: Labor Code §§3700.5, 3710.1, 3722).

Can I get a workers' comp quote in Spanish?

Yes. Our Stockton team quotes in English or Spanish; the Spanish version of this page is linked below.

Reviewed by Santo Militello, California-licensed Property & Casualty agent (CA License #1737723). Insurance City Agency, LLC · CA License #6003045 · (209) 670-1556. Last reviewed October 27, 2026.