WCE-1 / State Form 45899 form (Indiana): the workers' comp owner exemption
Worker’s Compensation Clearance Certificate Application. Who can file it, where to get it, how to file, the fee, when it takes effect, and how often it renews — from Worker’s Compensation Board of Indiana.
WCE-1 / State Form 45899 filing snapshot
FormWCE-1 / State Form 45899 — Worker’s Compensation Clearance Certificate Application
Issuing bodyWorker’s Compensation Board of Indiana
Filing methodSubmit the current WCE-1 clearance application with required payment through the filing method stated on the current Board form.
Fee$20
Common mistakeThe certificate is not valid without the Board stamp. It is a clearance mechanism for listed independent contractors/sole proprietors/partners/LLC members or managers and does not replace coverage for employees.
When it takes effectWhen stamped/approved by the Worker’s Compensation Board.
Renewal1 year; annual reapplication is required.
Watch out forWCE-1 is not valid without the Board stamp and does not replace coverage for employees.
Get the WCE-1 / State Form 45899 from Worker’s Compensation Board of Indiana
Which Indiana owners can use the WCE-1 / State Form 45899
Sole proprietorA sole proprietor is among the categories listed on WCE-1 as exempt from personal workers' compensation coverage and can also use Indiana's coverage-election notice to elect personal coverage. Any employees hired by the proprietorship remain a separate coverage question.
LLC memberAn LLC member or manager is listed on the current WCE-1 as a category that may claim the statutory personal exemption. Indiana's 36097 Coverage Election Notice also provides the owner coverage-election path; employee coverage remains separate.
PartnerA partner is listed on WCE-1 as exempt from personal coverage and may use the coverage-election process to elect personal coverage. The partnership must still insure any employees who are not otherwise excluded.
Corporate officerIndiana uses the 36097 Coverage Election Notice for a corporate officer with an ownership interest who elects exclusion. The Board's online system is the current filing/search path; do not treat WCE-1, which is framed around independent-contractor/owner categories, as a substitute for the officer election.
Employee threshold: Indiana's Board states that the law requires most businesses to have workers' compensation insurance and that covered employees are protected from the first day on the job. The cited Board sources do not publish a general multi-employee threshold comparable with Tennessee's five-person rule, so owner and independent-contractor exclusions must be analyzed separately from the obligation to insure actual employees. In construction: The cited Indiana sources do not create a separate construction employee-count trigger. Contracting work frequently uses the WCE-1 Worker’s Compensation Clearance Certificate to document qualifying independent-contractor, sole-proprietor, partner, or LLC-member/manager status; the certificate does not excuse the applicant from maintaining workers' compensation or approved self-insurance for employees in the applicant's hire.
Read the full context in the Indiana workers' comp exemption guide, or run the eligibility screener to check your entity type first.
WCE-1 / State Form 45899 form (Indiana): frequently asked questions
- Where do I get the WCE-1 / State Form 45899 form in Indiana?
- The WCE-1 / State Form 45899 (Worker’s Compensation Clearance Certificate Application) is issued by Worker’s Compensation Board of Indiana. Submit the current WCE-1 clearance application with required payment through the filing method stated on the current Board form. Use the official link on this page rather than a third-party copy, which may be out of date.
- Is there a fee to file the WCE-1 / State Form 45899 in Indiana?
- $20
- How often does the WCE-1 / State Form 45899 exemption renew in Indiana?
- 1 year; annual reapplication is required. Watch out: WCE-1 is not valid without the Board stamp and does not replace coverage for employees.
Where this comes from
The WCE-1 / State Form 45899 entry is anchored to Worker’s Compensation Board of Indiana — the state agency that issues and processes the form — not a generalized summary. Source-checked 2026-09-10.