The Minnesota workers compensation act — formally the Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Act (Minnesota Statutes Chapter 176, titled “Workers’ Compensation”), found at Minnesota Statutes Chapter 176 (Minn. Stat. §§ 176.001–176.86) — is the statute behind every workers’ comp claim, benefit and employer mandate in the state.
This plain-English guide to the Minnesota workers compensation act gives the section numbers next to the rules people actually need: who must be covered, the deadlines, the waiting period, the pay rate, the exclusive-remedy bargain, the ban on retaliation and the penalties. Verified against the official code as of October 2026.
Minnesota at a Glance
| Official name | Workers’ Compensation Act (Minnesota Statutes Chapter 176, titled “Workers’ Compensation”) |
| Where it lives | Minnesota Statutes Chapter 176 (Minn. Stat. §§ 176.001–176.86) |
| First enacted | 1913 |
| Reporting deadline | Minn. Stat. § 176.141 — the worker should give written notice within 14 days (no benefits are due until notice is given or the employer knows of the injury). Notice within 30 days can’t be rejected for defects unless the employer shows prejudice. Notice within 180 days is allowed if the delay was due to mistake, inability, or employer fraud. With no notice or knowledge within 180 days, generally no compensation, except that the 180 days run from the end of any mental or physical incapacity |
| Filing deadline | Minn. Stat. § 176.151 — 3 years after the written report of injury is filed with the Department of Labor and Industry, but no more than 6 years from the date of injury. Dependents in death claims have 3 years after the commissioner receives written notice of death, also capped at 6 years |
| Exclusive remedy | Minn. Stat. § 176.031 — the employer’s liability under Chapter 176 replaces all other liability to the worker and the worker’s family. Main exception: if a private employer did not insure or self-insure, the injured worker or dependents may choose either a Chapter 176 claim or a damages lawsuit in court, and the employer loses the fellow-servant, assumption-of-risk and contributory-negligence defenses. Claims against third parties are kept under § 176.061 |
| Recent amendments | (1) 2024 law recommended by the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council (WCAC), signed May 8, 2024: from August 1, 2024, procedural changes, including 30 days instead of 20 to answer a claim petition; from October 1, 2024, the maximum weekly rate rose from 102 to 108 percent of the statewide average weekly wage, with changes to average-weekly-wage rules for farm workers and to attorney fees. (2) 2025 Minn. Laws Chapter 27 (H.F. 3228), signed May 22, 2025 and generally effective May 23, 2025: clarifies who counts as an employee for direct support workers, clarifies the corporate executive officer definition, updates rules on family-member nursing services, makes technical filing changes, and raises the limit before benefits can be assigned to 10000000 per claim for injuries on or after October 1, 2025; some parts take effect January 1, 2026, including zero-estimated-exposure policies. (3) 2026 Minn. Laws Chapter 103 (S.F. 3720), signed May 18, 2026 and mostly effective the day after enactment: reinsurance association changes, attorney-fee changes in § 176.081, subd. 9, and active compensation judges allowed to hear Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals cases; a diagnosis by a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner can establish “mental impairment” for injuries on or after October 1, 2026 |
In This Minnesota Guide:
What the Minnesota Workers Compensation Act Is
A workers’ compensation act is a no-fault deal written into state law: the employer pays for work injuries without the worker proving fault, and the worker gives up most lawsuits against the employer in return. The Minnesota workers compensation act dates to 1913. It lives at Minnesota Statutes Chapter 176 (Minn. Stat. §§ 176.001–176.86), and the official text is linked in the sources.
Minnesota was the second state to pass a workers’ comp law, in 1913, when DLI was created to run the system. § 176.82, subd. 2 adds a separate claim for refusing to offer continued work, beyond the usual anti-retaliation rule. Since 2025, DLI’s zero-estimated-exposure policy rules apply to some contractors. Workers and employers should confirm the details with DLI and a licensed attorney
Who the Minnesota Workers Compensation Act Covers
Minn. Stat. § 176.181, subd. 2 — every employer covered by Chapter 176 must insure its workers’ comp liability or be approved to self-insure; there is no minimum number of employees, so one employee is enough Minn. Stat. § 176.041 — lists the jobs Chapter 176 does not apply to (for example, certain family-farm workers, certain corporate officers who choose not to be covered, and other listed exclusions)
Deadlines in the Minnesota Workers Compensation Act
Waiting period: Minn. Stat. § 176.101 — 3 calendar days, starting on the first day of lost time; those days are paid back if the disability lasts 10 calendar days or longer. Wage-loss rate: Minn. Stat. § 176.101, subd. 1 — temporary total disability pays 66.67 percent (two-thirds) of the gross average weekly wage.
The yearly maximum and minimum rates are set under the same section (the maximum moved from 102 to 108 percent of the statewide average weekly wage for injuries on or after October 1, 2024), so check the current maximum with the Department of Labor and Industry.
Minnesota Workers Compensation Act: Key Sections at a Glance
The sections of the Minnesota workers compensation act that decide most cases, each with its citation:
| Coverage mandate | Minn. Stat. § 176.181, subd. 2 — every employer covered by Chapter 176 must insure its workers’ comp liability or be approved to self-insure; there is no minimum number of employees, so one employee is enough |
| Exemptions | Minn. Stat. § 176.041 — lists the jobs Chapter 176 does not apply to (for example, certain family-farm workers, certain corporate officers who choose not to be covered, and other listed exclusions) |
| Report an injury | Minn. Stat. § 176.141 — the worker should give written notice within 14 days (no benefits are due until notice is given or the employer knows of the injury). Notice within 30 days can’t be rejected for defects unless the employer shows prejudice. Notice within 180 days is allowed if the delay was due to mistake, inability, or employer fraud. With no notice or knowledge within 180 days, generally no compensation, except that the 180 days run from the end of any mental or physical incapacity |
| File a claim | Minn. Stat. § 176.151 — 3 years after the written report of injury is filed with the Department of Labor and Industry, but no more than 6 years from the date of injury. Dependents in death claims have 3 years after the commissioner receives written notice of death, also capped at 6 years |
| Waiting period | Minn. Stat. § 176.101 — 3 calendar days, starting on the first day of lost time; those days are paid back if the disability lasts 10 calendar days or longer |
| Wage-loss rate | Minn. Stat. § 176.101, subd. 1 — temporary total disability pays 66.67 percent (two-thirds) of the gross average weekly wage. The yearly maximum and minimum rates are set under the same section (the maximum moved from 102 to 108 percent of the statewide average weekly wage for injuries on or after October 1, 2024), so check the current maximum with the Department of Labor and Industry |
| Exclusive remedy | Minn. Stat. § 176.031 — the employer’s liability under Chapter 176 replaces all other liability to the worker and the worker’s family. Main exception: if a private employer did not insure or self-insure, the injured worker or dependents may choose either a Chapter 176 claim or a damages lawsuit in court, and the employer loses the fellow-servant, assumption-of-risk and contributory-negligence defenses. Claims against third parties are kept under § 176.061 |
| Retaliation | Minn. Stat. § 176.82 — subd. 1: any person who fires, threatens to fire, or intentionally obstructs a worker seeking benefits is liable in a civil suit for damages, costs and reasonable attorney fees, plus punitive damages of up to 3 times the compensation benefit the worker is entitled to; these damages are not offset by workers’ comp benefits. Subd. 2: an employer that refuses without reasonable cause to offer continued work within the worker’s physical limits is liable for up to one year’s wages, capped at 15000; subd. 2 does not apply to employers with 15 or fewer full-time-equivalent employees |
| Uninsured employer penalty | Minn. Stat. § 176.181, subd. 3 — the commissioner may order compliance plus a penalty of up to 1000 per employee per week of non-compliance; the penalty becomes a lien on the employer’s property, and willful failure to insure is a gross misdemeanor |
| Who hears disputes | Contested claims are heard by compensation judges at the Office of Administrative Hearings (Minn. Stat. § 176.305 claim petitions; § 176.371 decisions). The Department of Labor and Industry handles administrative conferences on some issues (§ 176.106). Appeals go to the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals (§ 176.421; Chapter 175A). Note: the agency’s site is now at mn.gov/cah under the name “Court of Administrative Hearings”; confirm the current name |
The Exclusive-Remedy Bargain in the Minnesota Workers Compensation Act
Minn. Stat. § 176.031 — the employer’s liability under Chapter 176 replaces all other liability to the worker and the worker’s family. Main exception: if a private employer did not insure or self-insure, the injured worker or dependents may choose either a Chapter 176 claim or a damages lawsuit in court, and the employer loses the fellow-servant, assumption-of-risk and contributory-negligence defenses. Claims against third parties are kept under § 176.061
Retaliation and Penalties Under the Minnesota Workers Compensation Act
Minn. Stat. § 176.82 — subd. 1: any person who fires, threatens to fire, or intentionally obstructs a worker seeking benefits is liable in a civil suit for damages, costs and reasonable attorney fees, plus punitive damages of up to 3 times the compensation benefit the worker is entitled to; these damages are not offset by workers’ comp benefits. Subd.
2: an employer that refuses without reasonable cause to offer continued work within the worker’s physical limits is liable for up to one year’s wages, capped at 15000; subd. 2 does not apply to employers with 15 or fewer full-time-equivalent employees Minn. Stat. § 176.181, subd.
3 — the commissioner may order compliance plus a penalty of up to 1000 per employee per week of non-compliance; the penalty becomes a lien on the employer’s property, and willful failure to insure is a gross misdemeanor Contested claims are heard by compensation judges at the Office of Administrative Hearings (Minn. Stat. § 176.305 claim petitions; § 176.371 decisions).
The Department of Labor and Industry handles administrative conferences on some issues (§ 176.106). Appeals go to the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals (§ 176.421; Chapter 175A). Note: the agency’s site is now at mn.gov/cah under the name “Court of Administrative Hearings”; confirm the current name
Recent Amendments to the Minnesota Workers Compensation Act
(1) 2024 law recommended by the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council (WCAC), signed May 8, 2024: from August 1, 2024, procedural changes, including 30 days instead of 20 to answer a claim petition; from October 1, 2024, the maximum weekly rate rose from 102 to 108 percent of the statewide average weekly wage, with changes to average-weekly-wage rules for farm workers and to attorney fees. (2) 2025 Minn.
Laws Chapter 27 (H.F.
📨 Get Free Workers Comp Guides Alerts
Free · No spam · Unsubscribe anytime
3228), signed May 22, 2025 and generally effective May 23, 2025: clarifies who counts as an employee for direct support workers, clarifies the corporate executive officer definition, updates rules on family-member nursing services, makes technical filing changes, and raises the limit before benefits can be assigned to 10000000 per claim for injuries on or after October 1, 2025; some parts take effect January 1, 2026, including zero-estimated-exposure policies.
(3) 2026 Minn. Laws Chapter 103 (S.F. 3720), signed May 18, 2026 and mostly effective the day after enactment: reinsurance association changes, attorney-fee changes in § 176.081, subd. 9, and active compensation judges allowed to hear Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals cases; a diagnosis by a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner can establish “mental impairment” for injuries on or after October 1, 2026
How to Read the Minnesota Workers Compensation Act
Statute pages are written for lawyers, so read the Minnesota workers compensation act in this order: the definitions section (who is an employee), the coverage section, then the specific section for your question, using the citations above. The official code is the source; the summaries on legal-information sites are not.
If a section of the Minnesota workers compensation act seems to conflict with what an insurer told you, the section wins — and the state agency’s information line can confirm it for free.
Applying the act: the Minnesota claim guide turns these sections into steps and dates, and the Minnesota requirements guide covers the employer side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Minnesota workers compensation act in the code?
Minnesota Statutes Chapter 176 (Minn. Stat. §§ 176.001–176.86). The sources below link to the official text.
How long do I have to report a work injury under the Minnesota act?
Minn. Stat. § 176.141 — the worker should give written notice within 14 days (no benefits are due until notice is given or the employer knows of the injury). Notice within 30 days can’t be rejected for defects unless the employer shows prejudice. Notice within 180 days is allowed if the delay was due to mistake, inability, or employer fraud.
With no notice or knowledge within 180 days, generally no compensation, except that the 180 days run from the end of any mental or physical incapacity. Report in writing as soon as possible either way.
Can I sue my employer instead of using the Minnesota workers compensation act?
Usually not — the exclusive-remedy section bars most lawsuits against a covered employer. Claims against third parties, and against an uninsured employer, are the common exceptions.
Official Minnesota Sources & Resources
- Minnesota Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), Workers’ Compensation Division: https://www.dli.mn.gov/business/workers-compensation
- Minnesota Workers’ Comp Statute: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/176
- U.S. Department of Labor — Workers’ Comp: dol.gov
- Insurance Information Institute: iii.org
This Minnesota workers compensation act guide was last verified against official Minnesota sources in October 2026. Rules change — confirm the current figure with the state agency or a licensed attorney.
You May Also Like
More Minnesota Workers’ Comp Guides
- How to File a Minnesota Workers’ Comp Claim
- Minnesota Workers’ Comp Settlements
- Minnesota Workers’ Comp Requirements (Employers)
- Workers’ Comp Guides for All 50 States
Disclaimer: This guide is informational only and is not legal, medical, or financial advice. Workers Comp Explained is an independent educational resource, not a law firm or insurer. Workers’ comp benefits, settlement values, deadlines, and requirements vary by state and by the specific facts of your injury and change over time, and any settlement figures here are illustrative only.
Confirm your rights and any deadline with your state’s workers’ compensation board and a licensed attorney before you act.