Employer guideRead at source September 28, 2026
Idaho New Hire Reporting: Deadline, What to Report and How to File (2026)
Idaho employers must report each new hire, and each rehire after a separation of 60 days or more, to the Idaho Department of Labor within 20 calendar days of the first day the employee works for wages. Report through the department’s Employer Portal, or fax or mail the New Hire Reporting Form, and include your Idaho unemployment insurance account number. Independent contractors are not reportable, and Idaho currently imposes no penalty.
Idaho gives new hire reporting to the Idaho Department of Labor, the same agency that collects unemployment insurance tax, and the design follows from that: the report asks for your UI account number, and new hire data is used to stop unemployment benefits going to people who are back at work. Idaho’s rules are in chapter 16 of title 72 of the Idaho Code. Our new hire reporting requirements by state guide has the federal baseline and the rest of the country.
Idaho new hire reporting at a glance
| Deadline | Not later than 20 calendar days after the date of hire or rehire; electronic filers may send two transmissions a month, 12 to 16 days apart (Idaho Code 72-1604(3)) |
|---|---|
| Who must report | Every employer doing business in Idaho, for each employee hired or rehired who works in the state |
| What to report | The seven federal elements plus the employer’s Idaho unemployment insurance account number, unless exempt or non-covered |
| How to file | Idaho Department of Labor Employer Portal (manual entry or upload), or the New Hire Reporting Form by fax or mail |
| Independent contractors | Not required |
| Penalty | None; the department says Idaho does not currently impose one |
| Agency and phone | Idaho Department of Labor, New Hire Reporting: 208-332-8941 or toll-free 800-627-3880 |
What an Idaho report contains
The Idaho Department of Labor new hire page lists eight items:
- Employee name, address and Social Security number
- Start date, meaning the first day the employee worked for wages
- Employer name, address and Federal Employer Identification Number
- The employer’s state unemployment insurance account number, unless the employer is exempt or non-covered
The UI account number is Idaho’s addition to the federal list and comes from Idaho Code 72-1604(1)(c). If you do not know it, the department says it is printed on your quarterly form, or Employer Accounts can give it to you at 208-332-3576 or 800-448-2977. A multistate employer that designates Idaho as its single reporting state must also say whether each employee will be included in its Idaho quarterly wage report.
How to send it
The department’s preferred route is the Employer Portal, where records can be keyed in or uploaded in either the single-employer or the multiple and unregistered employer file format. The portal also offers secure messaging, which the state accepts for the paper form.
Paper filers use the Idaho New Hire Reporting Form, which must be signed by someone authorized to submit the request. Fax it to 208-332-7411 or mail it to Idaho Department of Labor, New Hire Reporting, 317 W. Main St., Boise, ID 83735-0760. The statute also lets an employer send a copy of the federal W-4 with the UI account number noted on it. Do not email new hire information: the department says email is not a secure means of transmission, and the newhire@labor.idaho.gov address is for questions only.
Idaho sets a clear rule on timing of paper reports: under 72-1604(2), a mailed report is submitted on its postmark date, while anything sent another way counts on the date the department receives it.
When the 20 days begin in Idaho
Idaho Code 72-1603 defines the date of hire or rehire as the actual commencement of employment for wages. The department’s FAQ puts it plainly: it wants the start date, the first day the employee works for wages, and employers should not report a new hire who has not started working yet.
That last instruction is useful for employers who run large orientation classes. Build the report after the first paid shift, not when the offer is accepted, and nobody who drops out before day one will end up in the directory. One exception: for a newly hired employee on a work visa who does not yet have a Social Security number, the 20 days begin when the Social Security Administration issues the number.
Independent contractors in Idaho
Not reportable. The FAQ says that if the work is based on a contract rather than an employer-employee relationship, no new hire report is required, and the contractor is responsible for reporting his or her own new employees. The federal state contact guide also marks Idaho as not requiring contractor reports.
Penalties: none on the books
Idaho’s new hire chapter (Idaho Code 72-1601 through 72-1607) sets out the duty, the data and the uses of the information, but no employer fine; the only misdemeanor in it, in 72-1605, is for state staff who disclose the data unlawfully. The department’s FAQ confirms that federal guidelines allow penalties but Idaho does not currently impose one, and it asks employers who have never reported to start with employees hired since the last quarterly wage report and report every new hire from there.
Rehires and seasonal returns: the 60-day line
Idaho Code 72-1603(7) defines a rehire as reemploying someone who was laid off, separated, furloughed, granted leave without pay or terminated at least 60 consecutive days before coming back. The department applies it the same way: a return after less than 60 days is not reported; a return after 60 days or more is reported, with the day the employee came back as the new date of hire.
For Idaho’s seasonal employers, from food processors to ski areas, that means checking each returning worker’s last day. A worker who left in March and returns in November is a new report; one on a three-week layoff is not. A new hire who earned wages and quit before you reported them must still be reported.
Where an Idaho report goes next
Idaho Code 72-1605 limits how the data can be used. The Department of Health and Welfare uses it for child support enforcement and public assistance programs. The Department of Labor sends it to the National Directory of New Hires, uses it to run unemployment insurance, and may share it with the State Tax Commission for income tax withholding. The State Insurance Fund and the Industrial Commission may use it for workers’ compensation. Idaho does not ask for a report when someone leaves; the department says employers only need to respond when a former employee files an unemployment claim.
Multistate reporting
Employees are reported to the state where they work, regardless of where they live. The exception is a multistate employer registered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that reports all new hires electronically to one state. The trade-offs are covered in the state-by-state reporting guide.
Hiring in Idaho
Our Idaho labor laws page covers breaks, overtime and final pay, and the Idaho minimum wage page covers the wage floor. Pair this page with Form I-9 requirements for the first-week federal paperwork. Boostpoint runs social job ads for frontline employers; the median campaign in our 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark (891 Boostpoint-managed campaigns on Meta) cost $13.88 per applicant, measured nationally, not by state.
Frequently asked questions
How long do employers have to report new hires in Idaho?
Not later than 20 calendar days after the date of hire or rehire under Idaho Code 72-1604. Employers that report electronically may send two transmissions a month, 12 to 16 days apart. The date of hire is the first day the employee works for wages; for a visa employee without a Social Security number, the 20 days start when the number is issued.
Where do I report new hires in Idaho?
To the Idaho Department of Labor. The preferred method is the Employer Portal, where records can be entered or uploaded. You can also fax the New Hire Reporting Form to 208-332-7411 or mail it to Idaho Department of Labor, New Hire Reporting, 317 W. Main St., Boise, ID 83735-0760. Do not send reports by email.
Does Idaho require reporting independent contractors?
No. The Idaho Department of Labor says that if the work is based on a contract rather than an employer-employee relationship, no new hire report is needed, and the contractor reports his or her own new employees. The federal Office of Child Support Services state contact guide also lists Idaho as not requiring contractor reports.
What is the penalty for not reporting a new hire in Idaho?
Idaho has none at present. The department's FAQ says federal guidelines allow states to impose penalties but Idaho does not, and the new hire chapter of the Idaho Code contains no employer fine. Employers who have never reported should start with people hired since their last quarterly wage report and report every new hire after that.
Do I have to report rehired employees in Idaho?
Only if they were away at least 60 consecutive days. Idaho Code 72-1603 defines a rehire as reemploying someone laid off, separated, furloughed, on leave without pay or terminated for at least 60 consecutive days. Report the rehire with the day they came back as the new date of hire. Returns within 60 days are not reported.
What extra information does Idaho require on a new hire report?
The employer's Idaho unemployment insurance account number, unless the employer is exempt or non-covered, on top of the seven federal items. The number is printed on your quarterly unemployment insurance form, or Employer Accounts can provide it at 208-332-3576 or 800-448-2977. Multistate employers reporting everything to Idaho also indicate whether each employee is in their Idaho wage report.
Idaho hiring runs on seasons
Processing lines, resorts and construction crews all refill on a calendar, and every return after 60 days is another report. If you need a steadier flow of applicants for those Idaho roles, talk to Boostpoint about social job ads for frontline hiring.
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