Most Ontario businesses that have employees (including family members and sub-contractors) must register with us. We provide workplace insurance to 16 diverse industries and cover 324,000 businesses.
You have 10 calendar days to register from the day you hire your first employee. If you’re not registered with us, and should be, you can voluntarily register your business. Your WSIB account will be active within three to five business days of registering for WSIB coverage.
Not sure if you need to register?
You can complete our registration check form if you run any of the following businesses to help you determine if you need to register your business for WSIB coverage:
- construction business
- restaurant or bar
- sales and services, agriculture or manufacturing business
- trucking or transportation business
- homeowner or private resident hiring a domestic employee, such as a babysitter, nanny, cook, gardener, handy person, housekeeper, etc.
You don’t have to register with us if you run any of the following businesses, but you can still choose to insure your employees through the WSIB:
- bank, trust and insurance company
- trade unions
- private day care
- travel agency
- photography business
- barber shop and many hair salons
- funeral or embalming establishment
If your business or type of work is not listed, please check our employer classification manual to see further details on registration requirements.
Your registration obligation may differ if you own or operate a business in construction. Read about expanded compulsory coverage in the construction industry for more details on your obligations.
If you’re not required to register with us or are a business owner (whether you’re a sole proprietor, partner, or executive officer) of your business, you can still choose to have WSIB insurance.
How to register
Once you’ve hired at least one employee and are ready to register your business, please gather your business information, sign up for our online services and then use the registration service to register for WSIB coverage.
Signing up for our online services does not mean you have registered your business. After creating an online services account, you must use the registration service to complete your registration. Not registering may result in penalties, investigation and provincial offences charge or having to repay retroactive premiums.
Your WSIB account will be active within three to five business days of registering for WSIB coverage. Once your registration is complete, we’ll email you the details and send you a welcome package with your account information.