Hiring · payroll compliance · 2026
New hire reporting deadline by state.
Find the number of days you have to report a new or rehired employee in each state, and see which states are stricter than the federal 20-day rule.
A reference table, not legal advice
This page summarizes the HHS Office of Child Support Services state directory as retrieved October 20, 2026. States update their entries on their own schedule, and the directory is the place to confirm contact details and formats. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
At a glance
New hire reporting deadline by state
Every employer in the United States has to tell a state agency about each new and rehired employee. The federal rule, according to the HHS Office of Child Support Services, is that employers report basic information on new and rehired employees within 20 days of hire to the state where the employee works. The same page adds that some states require it sooner. That sentence is the whole reason this table exists: 9 of the 54 jurisdictions in the directory print a shorter deadline than 20 days, so a payroll process built around 20 days is late in 9 of them.
The information goes to the state directory of new hires and is forwarded to the National Directory of New Hires, where child support agencies use it to locate a parent who owes support and issue an income withholding order. The report is not an unemployment filing and it does not replace the employee's W-4 or I-9. It is a separate, short report with its own deadline.
Which states are shorter than 20 days
- 7 days: Alabama, Maine.
- 10 days: Georgia, Vermont.
- 14 days: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, West Virginia.
- 15 days: Iowa, Mississippi.
The other 45 entries print 20 days. Alabama's entry is unusual: it reads "within seven days of hiring" and then describes a twice-a-month option with reports not less than 12 nor more than 16 days apart. Read the full Alabama wording on the directory before choosing the monthly route. Maryland's directory entry does not print a number at all; the state agency's own FAQ restates the federal 20-day rule, so the table shows 20 with that caveat.
How to read the table
- Days after hire. The number of days the directory gives. The wording column shows whether the state counts from the hire date, the start date or the first day on the job, and a few states say calendar days. None of the entries we read explains weekends or holidays, so do not assume the deadline moves.
- Date of hire. HHS defines it as the date the employee first performs services for pay, not the offer date or the signing date.
- Directory entry updated. The "updated on" date printed on each state's entry in HHS's document. A date in 2025 does not mean the rule is wrong, but it does mean the entry has not been touched since.
Worked example: one hire, five deadlines (hypothetical)
An employee first performs services for pay on Monday, November 2, 2026. Counting calendar days from that date:
- Alabama or Maine (7 days): Monday, November 9, 2026.
- Georgia or Vermont (10 days): Thursday, November 12, 2026.
- Massachusetts, Rhode Island or West Virginia (14 days): Monday, November 16, 2026.
- Iowa or Mississippi (15 days): Tuesday, November 17, 2026.
- Every other entry (20 days): Sunday, November 22, 2026.
A business that hires in Georgia on that date and reports on the 20-day schedule files ten days late. The report is quick to file online, so the practical fix is to file new hire reports the same week as payroll setup, not on the deadline.
Common mistakes
- Reporting to the employer's state instead of the employee's. HHS says to report to the state where the new employee works. A remote hire in Georgia on a Massachusetts payroll is reported to Georgia on Georgia's schedule.
- Treating a rehire as routine. Rehires are reported too. Massachusetts defines the rehire trigger as reinstatement after a lapse in pay of 30 calendar days or more.
- Missing contractors where the state requires them. The directory has a column for whether a state requires independent contractor reporting. California and Colorado answer yes; Alaska and Arkansas answer no. Check the state's entry for yours.
- Reporting too little. Federal law requires seven data elements: name, address, Social Security number, date of hire, employer name, employer address and the federal employer identification number. Some states ask for more.
Multistate employers
HHS gives an employer with employees in more than one state two choices: report each new hire to the state where the employee works, or pick one state where employees work and report all new hires to that state's designated office. The single-state route requires registration with HHS, so it is a setup decision, not something to switch on at filing time.
Who this is for, and what it does not cover
This page is for payroll administrators, small-business owners hiring their first employee, and PEOs checking a client's schedule. It does not list penalties, portal addresses or submission formats, which the directory gives per state, and it does not cover federal Form W-4 or Form I-9 timing. Use the link to the HHS document in the sources for contact details.
The full table
| State or territory | Days after hire | How the state words it | Directory entry updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 7 (shorter than federal) | Within seven days of hiring; the entry adds a twice-a-month option with reports not less than 12 nor more than 16 days apart | 07/28/2026 |
| Alaska | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 06/12/2025 |
| Arizona | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date (A.R.S. 23-722.01(D)) | 04/17/2025 |
| Arkansas | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 03/22/2025 |
| California | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 03/22/2025 |
| Colorado | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 03/22/2025 |
| Connecticut | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 06/24/2025 |
| Delaware | 20 | Within 20 days of hire (or rehire) date | 03/22/2025 |
| District of Columbia | 20 | Within 20 days of hire (or rehire) date | 03/22/2025 |
| Florida | 20 | Within 20 days of start date | 07/14/2025 |
| Georgia | 10 (shorter than federal) | Within 10 days of hire date | 03/22/2025 |
| Guam | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 03/22/2025 |
| Hawaii | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 03/22/2025 |
| Idaho | 20 | Within 20 days of start date | 03/22/2025 |
| Illinois | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 03/22/2025 |
| Indiana | 20 | Within 20 days of an employee's hire or re-hire date | 03/27/2025 |
| Iowa | 15 (shorter than federal) | Within 15 days of hiring or rehiring | 04/23/2025 |
| Kansas | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 03/22/2025 |
| Kentucky | 20 | Within 20 calendar days of hiring or re-hiring (KRS 405.435(2)) | 12/09/2025 |
| Louisiana | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 03/22/2025 |
| Maine | 7 (shorter than federal) | Within 7 days of hire date | 03/22/2025 |
| Maryland | 20 | The directory entry does not print a number; the state agency's FAQ repeats the federal rule of 20 days | 05/27/2026 |
| Massachusetts | 14 (shorter than federal) | Within 14 days of the effective date of employment or reinstatement (reinstatement means a lapse in pay of 30 calendar days or more) | 05/28/2026 |
| Michigan | 20 | Within 20 calendar days after the date of hire or re-hire | 05/28/2026 |
| Minnesota | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date or rehire date | 09/24/2026 |
| Mississippi | 15 (shorter than federal) | Within 15 days of hire date | 03/22/2025 |
| Missouri | 20 | Within 20 calendar days of the hire date | 04/23/2025 |
| Montana | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 09/24/2026 |
| Nebraska | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 09/21/2026 |
| Nevada | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 03/22/2025 |
| New Hampshire | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 03/22/2025 |
| New Jersey | 20 | Within 20 days of hire (or rehire) date | 03/22/2025 |
| New Mexico | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 05/19/2025 |
| New York | 20 | Within twenty calendar days of hiring or re-hiring (Tax Law 171-h) | 05/28/2026 |
| North Carolina | 20 | Within 20 days of start date | 03/22/2025 |
| North Dakota | 20 | No later than 20 days after the date of hire | 04/23/2025 |
| Ohio | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 04/08/2026 |
| Oklahoma | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 04/23/2025 |
| Oregon | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 04/23/2025 |
| Pennsylvania | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date (23 Pa.C.S. 4392(d)) | 12/12/2025 |
| Puerto Rico | 20 | Within 20 days of hire (or rehire) date | 03/22/2025 |
| Rhode Island | 14 (shorter than federal) | Within 14 days of start date | 03/22/2025 |
| South Carolina | 20 | Within 20 days of start date | 03/22/2025 |
| South Dakota | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 04/29/2025 |
| Tennessee | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 03/22/2025 |
| Texas | 20 | Within 20 calendar days from the date the employee starts earning wages | 03/22/2025 |
| Utah | 20 | Within 20 days of the new hire or rehire date | 09/22/2026 |
| Vermont | 10 (shorter than federal) | Within 10 days of hire date | 05/21/2025 |
| Virginia | 20 | Within 20 days of the employee's first day on the job (Code 63.2-1946) | 05/02/2025 |
| Virgin Islands | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 03/22/2025 |
| Washington | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 03/22/2025 |
| West Virginia | 14 (shorter than federal) | Within 14 days of hire date | 08/18/2025 |
| Wisconsin | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 08/04/2025 |
| Wyoming | 20 | Within 20 days of hire date | 10/12/2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the deadline for new hire reporting?
The federal rule is 20 days from the date of hire, reported to the state where the new employee works. States can set shorter deadlines. In the HHS directory, Alabama and Maine print 7 days, Georgia and Vermont 10, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and West Virginia 14, and Iowa and Mississippi 15.
Which states require new hire reporting in less than 20 days?
Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia. Alabama's 7 days is the shortest, and its entry also describes a twice-a-month reporting option.
What counts as the date of hire?
HHS defines it as the date the employee first performs services for pay. States word it as the hire date, the start date or the first day on the job, so use the date the work starts, not the offer or signing date.
What information do I have to report for a new hire?
Federal law requires seven items: the employee's name, address and Social Security number, the date of hire, and the employer's name, address and federal employer identification number. Some states ask for more.
Do I report new hires to my state or the employee's state?
To the state where the employee works. If you have employees in several states you can report to each, or choose one state and report all new hires there; the one-state option requires registering with HHS.
Do I have to report independent contractors?
It depends on the state. The HHS directory has a column for it: California and Colorado answer yes, while Alaska and Arkansas answer no. Check your state's entry.
Do rehires and returning seasonal employees have to be reported?
Yes. The federal rule covers new and rehired employees. Massachusetts defines reinstatement as a return after a lapse in pay of 30 calendar days or more; other states have their own wording, shown in the table.
How do I submit a new hire report?
HHS lists state new hire reporting websites, secured email, first-class mail, fax, interactive telephone systems and magnetic tape or other electronic media, and notes that each state offers its own options. The directory entry for your state lists the ones it accepts.
Sources
Retrieved October 20, 2026. Each link was fetched on that date. Figures on this page come from these pages and no others.
- HHS Office of Child Support Services, State Contact and Program Information: State New Hire Reporting (PDF) — the reporting timeframe and update date for each state and territory in the table
- HHS Office of Child Support Services, New Hire Reporting — the 20-day federal rule, the seven required data elements, reporting methods and the multistate employer options
- Maryland Department of Human Services, new hire FAQs — Maryland's statement of the 20-day rule