Workplace Safety Insurance Registration

Register your workers' compensation account.

The moment you hire your first employee, most Canadian jurisdictions require you to register with the provincial or territorial workplace safety insurance board — WSIB in Ontario, WorkSafeBC in British Columbia, CNESST in Quebec, and equivalent boards everywhere else. Missing this step leaves your business exposed to unfunded liability claims and registration penalties. We register your workers’ compensation account correctly the first time, wherever in Canada you operate.

13

provinces & territories covered

$99
flat registration fee, any jurisdiction

Why register with us

§ Provincial & territorial directory
13 jurisdictions

Workers' comp registration, in every province and territory.

Workplace safety insurance is administered provincially and territorially, not federally — each board sets its own premium rates, coverage thresholds and registration deadlines. Select where you operate to see requirements and register directly.

On

Ontario WSIB Registration

Register with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board within 10 days of hiring your first employee in most Ontario industries.

board
WSIB
Register here
BC

BC WorkSafeBC Registration

Register with WorkSafeBC to cover employees against workplace injury and access clearance letters for contract work.
board
WorkSafeBC
Register here
ab

Alberta WCB Registration

Register with WCB-Alberta, mandatory for construction and several other high-risk industries even with just one worker.
board
WCB-AB
Register here
qc

Quebec CNESST Registration

Register with the CNESST, Quebec’s combined workplace safety and labour standards board, within required filing windows.

board
CNESST
Register here
NB

New Brunswick WorkSafeNB

Register with WorkSafeNB for mandatory coverage across most industries operating in the province.

board
WorkSafeNB
Register here
sk

Saskatchewan WCB Registration

Register with the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board, covering employees from your very first hire.
board
Sask. WCB
Register here
mb

Manitoba WCB Registration

Register with the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba to meet mandatory coverage requirements for employers.
board
WCB MB
Register here
ns

Nova Scotia WCB Registration

Register with the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia, required for most employers with three or more workers.

board
WCB NS
Register here
nl

Newfoundland WorkplaceNL

Register with WorkplaceNL for mandatory injury coverage across nearly all industries in the province.

board
WorkplaceNL
Register here
pe

P.E.I. WCB Registration

Register with the Workers Compensation Board of PEI, a straightforward process for the Island’s small employers.

board
WCB PEI
Register here
yt

Yukon WCB Registration

Register with the Yukon Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Board, covering employers across the territory.

board
YWCHSB
Register here
nu

Nunavut WSCC Registration

Register with the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission, serving Nunavut employers with shared NWT administration.
board
WSCC
Register here
nt

Northwest Territories WSCC

Register with the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission covering employers throughout the Northwest Territories.
board
WSCC
Register here
§ How registration works

From your first hire to a registered, compliant account.

01

Confirm your obligation

We check whether your industry and province require mandatory registration, or whether it’s optional but recommended.
02

Classify your business

Your business activity is matched to the correct classification unit or rate group to avoid overpaying premiums.

03

Account registered

We file your registration directly with the correct provincial or territorial board.

04

Confirmation & clearance

You receive your account number and guidance on requesting clearance certificates for contract work.

§ Why registration matters

Skipping workers' comp registration is one of the most common — and costly — hiring mistakes.

01 · Mandatory coverage
Required
Most industries with employees must register within days of their first hire — not once revenue starts, but from the moment payroll begins.
02 · Injury protection
Covered

Registration shields your business from being personally sued by an injured employee — claims are paid through the board’s fund instead.

03 · Clearance certificates

Win more work

Many general contractors and government tenders require a valid clearance certificate before you can even bid.

04 · Correct rate group

Fair premiums

Registering under the right industry classification avoids overpaying premiums set for higher-risk trades.

05 · Penalty avoidance

No back charges

Late or missed registration can trigger retroactive premiums and penalty interest going back to your first day of hiring.

§ Province & territory by territory

What registering your workers' comp account looks like where you operate.

ON

Ontario WSIB Registration

Ontario employers in most industries must register with the WSIB within 10 days of hiring their first employee. Coverage is compulsory for construction regardless of company size, and premiums are calculated by classification unit based on your specific business activity.

BC

BC WorkSafeBC Registration

British Columbia employers register with WorkSafeBC as soon as they hire workers, with premiums set by industry classification. A WorkSafeBC clearance letter is frequently required before general contractors or government agencies will award you work.

AB

Alberta WCB Registration

Alberta requires WCB coverage for construction, certain trucking and several other prescribed industries from the first worker hired, while coverage is optional (but recommended) for many other sectors.

QC

Quebec CNESST Registration

Quebec employers register with the CNESST, which administers both workplace injury insurance and provincial labour standards. Premiums are based on your declared payroll and industry sector, reviewed annually.

NB

New Brunswick WorkSafeNB

New Brunswick employers must register with WorkSafeNB, with mandatory coverage applying to most industries operating in the province and premium rates set by risk classification.

SK

Saskatchewan WCB Registration

Saskatchewan’s Workers’ Compensation Board requires registration for almost all employers with paid workers, with clearance letters commonly requested for construction and subcontracting work.
MB

Manitoba WCB Registration

Manitoba employers register with the WCB once they begin paying wages, with mandatory coverage applying broadly across industries and premiums assessed against reported payroll.

NS

Nova Scotia WCB Registration

Nova Scotia requires WCB coverage for employers with three or more regularly employed workers, though many smaller employers register voluntarily to access injury coverage and clearance letters.

NL

Newfoundland WorkplaceNL

Newfoundland and Labrador employers register with WorkplaceNL, which provides mandatory injury insurance across nearly all industries and issues clearance certificates for contract bidding.

PE

P.E.I. WCB Registration

Prince Edward Island’s Workers Compensation Board covers most employers on the Island, with a streamlined registration process suited to the province’s smaller employer base.

YT

Yukon WCB Registration

The Yukon Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Board registers employers across the territory, with premiums assessed by industry and reported payroll.

NU

Nunavut WSCC Registration

Nunavut employers register through the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission, which jointly administers workplace injury insurance for both Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

NT

Northwest Territories WSCC

Northwest Territories employers register with the same WSCC that serves Nunavut, with coverage mandatory for most employers operating in the territory.

§ Common questions

Workers' comp registration, explained.

When am I required to register for WSIB or WCB coverage?

In most provinces, registration is required within days to weeks of hiring your first employee, though the exact deadline and which industries are mandatory versus optional varies by jurisdiction. Construction is mandatory almost everywhere regardless of company size.

They’re the same type of program under different provincial names — each province and territory runs its own workplace safety insurance board (WSIB in Ontario, WorkSafeBC in BC, WCB in most other provinces, CNESST in Quebec), administering coverage, premiums and claims for employers in that jurisdiction.

Generally no — most boards only require registration once you have employees, though some jurisdictions mandate coverage for specific high-risk industries (like construction) even for sole proprietors and subcontractors working alone.

A clearance certificate confirms your workers’ compensation account is registered and in good standing. Many general contractors, municipalities and government tenders require a valid clearance certificate before they’ll award you a contract or subcontract.

Premiums are based on your declared payroll and the risk classification assigned to your specific business activity — higher-risk industries like construction and manufacturing pay higher rates than lower-risk office-based businesses.

Operating without required coverage can result in retroactive premiums back to your first day of hiring, penalty interest, and in serious cases personal liability for injury claims that would otherwise have been covered by the board.