Article
9 min read
Your Top Questions About New Hire Reporting Answered
PEO
US payroll
Author
Dr Kristine Lennie
Last Update
June 18, 2025
Published
May 14, 2025
Table of Contents
What is new hire reporting?
Who does new hire reporting apply to?
Who needs to file a new hire report?
Informational checklist: What do you need to include in a new hire report?
What happens if you don’t comply?
How soon do you have to report?
How do you report new hires?
How do you handle new hire reporting for remote workers or as a multistate employer?
Streamline your new hire reporting with Deel
- All employers are required by federal law to submit a new hire report when they employ a new employee.
- Multistate employers can either separately report each new hire to the state they physically work in, or register as a multistate employer, and report to a single designated state.
- Deel PEO streamlines all new hire processes, including reporting, onboarding, and training, empowering US employers to focus their resources on growth and development.
Welcoming a new employee is always an exciting step for an organization. Unfortunately, for employers and hiring teams, it also includes a mountain of compliance paperwork—including new hire reports.
In the US, employers have to submit a new hire report for every new employee. Failure to do so in a timely manner can lead to fines and audits, meaning HR teams have to be careful to comply with deadlines and evolving legislation. This is especially true for employers that have multi-state and remote teams spread out across the country and governed by different laws.
Deel PEO is a comprehensive solution for such US-based companies, taking on the administrative burden of processing new hires and managing onboarding, training, and benefits, among other services. By entering into a co-employment contract with Deel, you can offload risk, save valuable time and resources, and prioritize your business while we handle your HR operations.
By the end of this article, you'll have a clear understanding of what new hire reporting is, your responsibilities as an employer, and how to report new hires if your team spans multiple states.
What is new hire reporting?
New hire reports are a legal requirement established by the US federal government to ensure states are informed of any individuals added to an employer's payroll. This mandate was first introduced in 1996 with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), known as the ‘welfare reform’. The purpose of this reform—and new hire reporting—is to enforce court-mandated child support and prevent benefit fraud.
New hire reporting is the employer's responsibility, not the employee's. It involves providing basic information about any new workers to a designated agency in the state. We cover the details of how and when to submit this information below.
Who does new hire reporting apply to?
Typically, new hire reporting applies to all employees who need to fill out a W-4, the Employee's Withholding Certificate, which allows the employer to withhold tax on behalf of employees.
In general, employers need to submit a new hire report for the following types of employees:
- Full-time employees
- Part-time employees
- Temporary or seasonal employees
- Rehires, who have not worked for the employer for 60+ days (or a state-specific period) and need to fill out a new W-4
In certain states, independent contractors also require a new hire report (for example, California and Texas), even though the federal law does not mandate it.
Learn more about the different worker types with our articles on the distinction between part-time vs. full-time employees and contract vs. full-time employees.
Developing an onboarding strategy can be challenging, especially for distributed teams. Simplify your planning with our ultimate onboarding resource.
Who needs to file a new hire report?
In general, all individuals or entities who employ someone need to file new hire reports with the state and collect W-4 forms to withhold taxes. This includes all employers, labor organizations, and governmental bodies. In most states, even household employers (people who hire someone, such as a nanny, cook, or gardener, to work in their home) need to file a new hire report and obtain W-4 forms, even if they are not a business.
Informational checklist: What do you need to include in a new hire report?
To complete your new hire report, you will need to provide the following information to the state:
- Employee name
- Address of employee
- Employee’s Social Security number (SSN)
- Date of hire or rehire (the first day of work for pay)
- Name of the employer
- Address of the employer
- Employer’s federal employer identification number (FEIN)
Some states may require additional information. To find out your state's specific requirements, visit the government website.
What happens if you don’t comply?
Failure to provide a new hire report can result in federal penalties ranging between $25 USD (for basic failure to report) and $500 (for inaccurate filing or conspiracy with the employee). Individual states can impose their own fines or legal sanctions on top of the federal ones. For example, Maine charges up to $200 for each new hire reporting violation, while for the District of Columbia, the sum ranges between $25 to $500, depending on the case.
Moreover, employers who don't report their new hire information might face broader consequences, such as being disqualified from certain government contracts due to federal/state law compliance requirements.
With Deel, state-specific compliance is one less thing you have to worry about. Our Compliance Monitor, Worker Insights, and AI-based Worker Classifier do the heavy lifting for you.
We’ve built compliance into the product. We guide you with guardrails—so your team gets it right, without needing to be experts.
—Kate Welsh,
General Manager, US Payroll & PEO
How soon do you have to report?
According to the federal government, employers must submit their new hire report within 20 days of the hire date (the employee's first day of paid work). However, different states might have their own stricter rules.
The table below summarises reporting frequency by state, as well as the penalties applied to employers for not adhering to those timeframes.
| State | New hire reporting deadline | Late reporting penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 7 days | $25 per violation |
| Alaska | 20 days | $10 per violation |
| Arizona | 20 days | No penalty |
| Arkansas | 20 days | No penalty |
| California | 20 days | $24 per violation (max penalty: $490 for false reports) |
| Colorado | 20 days | No penalty |
| Connecticut | 14 days (or 20 by mail) | No penalty |
| Delaware | 20 days | $25 per violation |
| District of Columbia | 20 days | $25 per violation (max penalty: $500 for false reports) |
| Florida | 20 days | No penalty |
| Georgia | 10 days | $25 per violation (max penalty: $500 for false reports) |
| Hawaii | 20 days | No penalty |
| Idaho | 20 days | No penalty |
| Illinois | 20 days | No penalty |
| Indiana | 20 days | $25 per violation (max penalty: $500 for false reports) |
| Iowa | 15 days | Can be held in contempt of court |
| Kansas | 20 days | No penalty |
| Kentucky | 20 days | $250 per violation |
| Louisiana | 20 days | $25 per violation |
| Maine | 7 days | $200 after warning |
| Maryland | 20 days | $20 per violation (max penalty: $500 for false reports) |
| Massachusetts | 14 days | $25 per violation (max penalty: $500 for false reports) |
| Michigan | 20 days | No penalty |
| Minnesota | 20 days | $25 per violation (max penalty: $500 for false reports) |
| Mississippi | 15 days | $25 per violation (max penalty: $500 for false reports) |
| Missouri | 20 days | $25 per violation (max penalty: $350 for false reports) |
| Montana | 20 days | No penalty |
| Nebraska | 20 days | $25 per violation |
| Nevada | 20 days | $25 per violation |
| New Hampshire | 20 days | $25 per violation (max penalty: $500 for false reports) |
| New Jersey | 20 days | $25 per violation |
| New Mexico | 20 days | $20 per violation (max penalty: $500 for false reports) |
| New York | 20 days | $20 per violation |
| North Carolina | 20 days | $25 per violation (max penalty: $500 for false reports) |
| North Dakota | 20 days | $20 per violation |
| Ohio | 20 days | $25 per violation (max penalty: $500 for false reports) |
| Oklahoma | 20 days | No penalty |
| Oregon | 20 days | No penalty |
| Pennsylvania | 20 days | $25 after warning |
| Rhode Island | 14 days | $25 per violation |
| South Carolina | 20 days | $25 per violation |
| South Dakota | 20 days | Petty offense; civil proceedings possible |
| Tennessee | 20 days | $20 per violation |
| Texas | 20 days | $25 per violation (max penalty: $500 for false reports) |
| Utah | 20 days | $25 per violation |
| Vermont | 10 days | No penalty |
| Virginia | 20 days | No published penalty |
| Washington | 20 days | $25 per violation (max penalty: $500 for false reports) |
| West Virginia | 14 days | $25 per violation (max penalty: $500 for false reports) |
| Wisconsin | 20 days | $25 per violation (max penalty: $500 for false reports) |
| Wyoming | 20 days | No penalty |
How do you report new hires?
Designated state agencies allow multiple channels for submitting a new hire report. Those include:
- Online portals
- Phone
- Electronic File Transfers (EFT/FTP)
- Fax
The government website provides specific information about your state's relevant ways to submit a new hire report.
How do you handle new hire reporting for remote workers or as a multistate employer?
With the rise of remote work, hiring across state lines is becoming increasingly common. Such multistate employers have two reporting options:
- Report each employee separately in the state where they physically work
- Select one state to report all new hires to (electronically)
To do the latter, you will need to register as a Multistate Employer with the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) by submitting a Multistate Employer Notification Form. In this form, you specify your designated state to report to and the states where you have employees. From then on, you will only follow the reporting rules and regulations for that designated state, and submit information about new hires no more than twice a month (and at least 12 days apart).
See also: Our Guide to HR Outsourcing.
Streamline your new hire reporting with Deel
The federal government requires employers to inform their state of any newly hired or rehired individuals. This is essential to help the government enforce court-mandated child support and avoid benefit fraud—but can become complicated for employers managing workers in multiple states.
Deel PEO ensures every aspect of the onboarding process, including new hire reporting, is handled seamlessly and compliantly, for your entire team (even if distributed across different states).
Beyond handling your new joiners, Deel PEO offers:
- Federal, state, and local tax and benefits compliance, done entirely in-house with our powerful tax calculator engine
- Full payroll management and administration
- Access to Aetna International benefit plans for US W-2 employees living abroad
- Take advantage of our Fortune 500-caliber competitive benefit plans from leading providers
- HRIS with IT, Finance, and PTO management
- State-specific training, HR policies, and on-demand HR support
Book a demo today to find out how you can outsource your admin and compliance risks with Deel.
Disclaimer: This article is not a substitute for legal advice. Please check official websites or seek legal advice before taking action.
FAQs
Is new hire reporting mandatory?
Yes, new hire reporting is compulsory for all employers, although each state might have its own specific requirements on reporting frequency, types of employees to report, and noncompliance penalties.
Do I have to report new hires to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)?
No, new hire reports are not submitted to the IRS. Instead, you submit this information to your state’s designated new hire reporting agency.
Which forms are required for new hire reporting?
There is no specific federal form. Most states will require some basic employee information such as full name, address, social security number (SSN), and date of hire.
Can I hire an employee without a social security number?
No, you cannot hire someone without a social security number, as this is necessary for tax purposes.
About the author
Dr Kristine Lennie holds a PhD in Mathematical Biology and loves learning, research and content creation. She had written academic, creative and industry-related content and enjoys exploring new topics and ideas. She is passionate about helping create a truly global workforce, where employers and employees are not limited by borders to achieve success.
