Employer guideRead at source September 28, 2026
Utah New Hire Reporting: Deadline, What to Report and How to File (2026)
Utah employers must report each new hire or rehire within 20 days of the first day of paid work to the Utah New Hire Registry, online through the Department of Workforce Services employer site, by phone for up to three hires, or by fax or mail. Independent contractors are not reported. The penalty is $25 per failure, or $500 when employer and employee agree not to report (Utah Code 35A-7-106).
Utah new hire reporting at a glance
| Deadline | Not later than 20 days after the date of hire or rehire; semimonthly filing (12 to 16 days apart) only if the department approves (Utah Code 35A-7-104) |
|---|---|
| Who must report | Any employer that must issue a W-2 showing taxes withheld, including government employers and labor organizations |
| What to report | The seven federal elements; date of birth is optional |
| How to file | Online through the Department of Workforce Services employer site, by phone (up to three hires), or Form 6, W-4 or printout by fax or mail |
| Independent contractors | Not required |
| Penalty | $25 per failure; $500 if intentional and agreed between employer and employee (Utah Code 35A-7-106) |
| Agency and phone | Utah New Hire Registry, Department of Workforce Services: 801-526-9235 or 1-800-222-2857 |
Utah writes the federal rules into its Centralized New Hire Registry Act (Utah Code Title 35A, Chapter 7) almost word for word, so the federal new hire reporting framework applies with little change. What sets Utah apart is how it runs the registry: it sits inside the unemployment insurance employer account, it takes reports by phone, and it defines a rehire precisely.
What goes on a Utah report
Section 35A-7-104 requires the employee's name, address, Social Security number and date of hire or rehire, plus the employer's name, address and federal tax identification number. The Department of Workforce Services handbook calls these the seven mandatory data elements and lists date of birth as optional. Three handbook instructions are easy to miss:
- The employer address should be where you want child support orders sent.
- Do not submit a report for an employee who does not yet have a Social Security number. Wait until the number is obtained.
- Incomplete or unreadable reports are returned, and may be subject to penalty if not resubmitted properly.
Four ways to report in Utah
- Online (the department's preferred method): log in to the DWS employer site and choose manual entry for a few hires or upload a new hire file for larger volumes. You can view past reports there.
- Telephone: call 801-526-9235 or 1-800-222-2857 during business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday) to report up to three new hires.
- Form 6: the Utah New Hire Registry Reporting Form (DWS-UIC 6), printed and completed in capitals, sent by fax or mail.
- W-4 or printout: a copy of the employee's W-4 with the date of hire added, or any computer printout carrying all seven mandatory elements.
Fax paper reports to 801-526-4391. Mail goes to Utah New Hire Registry, P.O. Box 45247, Salt Lake City, UT 84145-0247.
Twenty days, counted from the first paid day
Utah defines "date of hire" in statute as "the date labor or services for compensation are first performed by the employee" (35A-7-102(3)). The handbook adds that this is also the first day the employer begins withholding income tax. The report is due not later than 20 days after that date.
The semimonthly option comes with a condition. Utah allows reports "on a semimonthly basis of not less than 12 days nor more than 16 days apart" only "if approved by the department." Federal law offers that schedule to electronic filers without an approval step. In Utah, confirm approval before a payroll vendor switches you to a twice-monthly batch.
For frontline employers the date to watch is the actual first shift. A ski resort or a distribution center that confirms a start date, then sees the new hire arrive a week late, reports from the day that person actually worked. Building the report off the offer date would misstate the date of hire.
Contractors in Utah
Utah does not require contractor reports. The federal Office of Child Support Services guide lists Utah as "No," and 35A-7-102 defines an employee by Chapter 24 of the Internal Revenue Code, the income tax withholding chapter. The DWS handbook points employers unsure of a worker's status to IRS Form SS-8 and IRS Publication 15-A.
Penalties under the New Hire Registry Act
Section 35A-7-106 sets a civil penalty of $25 for each failure to report on time, or $500 if the failure is intentional and results from an agreement between employer and employee not to supply the information, or to supply false or incomplete information. The department assesses penalties through the Utah Administrative Procedures Act and collects unpaid ones the same way as other unemployment insurance penalties.
Rehires, seasonal staff and ownership changes
Utah's "date of rehire" is the first day of paid work for someone "previously employed by the employer but has been separated from that employment for at least 60 consecutive days" (35A-7-102(4)). The handbook says plainly that this rule applies to seasonal employment, which makes it the one to build into return-to-work checklists for resorts, parks, agriculture and construction crews.
Two more situations are covered in the handbook. An employee who was previously reported through an employee leasing company must be reported as a new hire when the direct employer relationship begins. An employee kept on by a new owner in a change of ownership does not need a new report unless there was a formal termination with the predecessor and a new hire action by the new owner.
What happens after you file
Utah's statute spells out the timeline on the state's side, which explains why a withholding order can land on a new hire's paperwork so quickly. Under 35A-7-105, the department must enter your report into the registry within five business days and compare the Social Security number against the records of the Office of Recovery Services. When there is a match, the Office of Recovery Services is to send the employer a notice to withhold the employee's support obligation within two business days after the match is reported. The information also goes to the National Directory of New Hires within three business days of entry. Payroll teams hiring in volume should expect some of those notices in the first pay periods of a new hire's employment and have a process ready to act on them.
Multistate employers
Section 35A-7-104(4) exempts employers with staff in two or more states that report to another state and comply with the federal multistate rules. The handbook still strongly encourages multistate employers to report newly hired Utah employees to the Utah registry. Our new hire reporting requirements page covers HHS registration.
Hiring in Utah
Related pages: Utah labor laws, the Utah minimum wage, Form I-9 requirements and E-Verify requirements by state. Boostpoint runs social job ads for frontline roles on Facebook and Instagram. Our 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark (891 Boostpoint-managed campaigns on Meta) found a median of $13.88 in advertising per applicant nationally; it is not split by state.
Frequently asked questions
How long do employers have to report new hires in Utah?
Not later than 20 days after the date of hire or rehire, under Utah Code 35A-7-104. The date of hire is the first day the employee performs work for pay. Reporting twice a month, 12 to 16 days apart, is allowed only if the Department of Workforce Services approves it, an approval step that federal law does not require.
Does Utah require reporting independent contractors?
No. Utah defines a reportable employee by the federal income tax withholding rules, and the federal Office of Child Support Services guide lists Utah as not requiring contractor reports. If you are unsure whether a worker is a contractor, the state handbook points to IRS Form SS-8 and IRS Publication 15-A.
Where do I report new hires in Utah?
Online through the Department of Workforce Services employer site, which takes manual entries and file uploads. You can also call 801-526-9235 or 1-800-222-2857 to report up to three hires, or send Form 6, a W-4 with the hire date or a payroll printout by fax to 801-526-4391 or mail to P.O. Box 45247, Salt Lake City, UT 84145-0247.
What is the penalty for not reporting a new hire in Utah?
Utah Code 35A-7-106 sets a civil penalty of $25 for each failure to report on time. If the failure is intentional and results from an agreement between the employer and the employee to withhold or falsify information, the penalty is $500. The department assesses it under the Utah Administrative Procedures Act.
Do I have to report rehired seasonal employees in Utah?
Yes, if they were separated for at least 60 consecutive days. Utah defines the date of rehire as the first paid day for someone previously employed who has been separated for at least 60 consecutive days, and the state handbook says the rule applies to seasonal employment. Report within 20 days of that first day back.
From first shift to filed report
Every Utah report begins with someone who applied, accepted and worked a first shift. If your seasonal or year-round hiring needs more applicants than your current channels deliver, Boostpoint runs social job ads for frontline roles. Book a demo to talk it through.
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