Employer guideRead at source September 28, 2026
Washington New Hire Reporting: Deadline, Required Fields and How to File (2026)
Washington employers must report each new, rehired or returning employee within 20 days to the DSHS Division of Child Support, online through DCS Online or by fax, phone or mail. The report must include the employee's date of birth. Independent contractors are not required, and the penalty is $25 per month per employee ($500 for conspiracy) under RCW 26.23.040.
Washington new hire reporting at a glance
| Item | What the state requires |
|---|---|
| Deadline | Within 20 days of the hiring, rehiring or return to work of the employee (RCW 26.23.040(3)) |
| Who must report | All employers doing business in Washington, for anyone who lives or works in the state and is expected to be paid |
| What to report | The seven federal elements plus the employee's date of birth, which Washington makes mandatory |
| How to file | DCS Online through Secure Access Washington, or by fax, mail or phone to the Division of Child Support |
| Independent contractors | Not required (federal OCSS state guide) |
| Penalty | $25 per month per employee, or $500 where employer and employee conspire; all violations in one month count as one (RCW 26.23.040(5)) |
| Agency and phone | DSHS Division of Child Support (DCS), Employer Relations: 800-562-0479 |
Washington's rules match the federal model on timing, but it asks for one extra field, lets you report by phone, and treats a change of FEIN as a new hire. Those three details are the ones to build into your onboarding process. The new hire reporting requirements by state page has the national picture.
Washington's required fields, including date of birth
RCW 26.23.040(3) sets out the report's contents. On the employee side: name, address, Social Security number and date of birth. On the employer side: name, address and the federal employer identification number. The report also carries the date the employee first performed services for pay, or for a returning employee, the date they returned to perform services for pay.
Federal law does not require date of birth on a new hire report; Washington's statute does, and the DCS page and its Introduction to New Hire Reporting (DSHS 18-464) both list it among the items reports must include. If your applicant tracking system collects date of birth only after hire, make sure it flows into whatever feeds the report.
No Social Security number yet?
DCS says an employee without an SSN should apply for a card using federal Form SS-5, and the employer should report the employee as a new hire promptly once the card arrives.
Four ways to file with DCS
DCS prefers online reporting but accepts four channels:
- Online: add the DCS Online service to a Secure Access Washington account and report there. DCS says you will receive an email confirming receipt.
- Fax: 800-782-0624. You may fax W-4 forms, computer printouts or other lists, or DSHS form 18-463, the New Hire Reporting Form. DCS says not to send I-9 forms.
- Phone: 800-562-0479. The line is toll-free at any time, but staff take reports only 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- Mail: New Hire Program, P.O. Box 9023, Olympia, WA 98507-9023.
Two system limits are worth knowing. DCS Online accepts only reports with a date of hire no more than one year in the past and 90 days in the future. And DCS tells first-time reporters to report only employees hired since their last quarterly report to the Employment Security Department (ESD).
The 20-day window and the first paid day
The statute says reports are due "within twenty days of the hiring, rehiring, or return to work of the employee." DSHS phrases it as 20 days of the employee's start date, regardless of age or hours worked. Electronic and magnetic filers may instead report in two monthly transmissions, if necessary, not less than 12 nor more than 16 days apart.
For frontline employers, the start date that matters is the first day the person performs services for pay, not the date they were entered into payroll. If a new cook, CNA or warehouse picker starts on a Saturday and payroll keys them in the following Thursday, the 20 days began on Saturday.
Contractors are not part of Washington's report
Washington does not require reporting of independent contractors. The federal OCSS state contact guide (Washington entry updated March 22, 2025) answers "No," and RCW 26.23.040 is written around employees and earnings. Workers you pay through payroll, including part-time and very short-term staff, still count.
What happens if you file late
Washington sets its penalty in statute. Under RCW 26.23.040(5), an employer that fails to report is subject to a civil penalty of:
- $25 per month per employee, or
- $500 if the failure results from a conspiracy between employer and employee not to supply the report, or to supply a false report.
The statute adds that all violations within a single month are considered a single violation for purposes of assessing the penalty, and that the Division of Child Support may impose and collect it under RCW 74.20A.350. That last sentence matters for high-volume employers: a month with many missed reports is treated as one violation, not dozens. The larger cost is usually the delay to child support withholding and to ESD's unemployment fraud checks, which rely on the same data.
Rehires, FEIN changes and employees moving in
Washington defines a reportable rehire in statute: someone previously employed but separated for at least 60 consecutive days. DCS adds two FEIN rules that catch employers by surprise:
- New FEIN, new hire: an employee who starts working for you under a new Federal Employer Identification Number is a new hire, even if they never left. Reorganizations and acquisitions that change the FEIN trigger reports.
- Employees transferred into Washington: an out-of-state employer moving an existing employee into the state does not report them if they stay under the same FEIN, but does if they move to a new FEIN.
Seasonal returners, such as harvest, orchard and packing crews or school-year staff, will usually clear the 60-day mark. Our rehire policy guide covers the HR side of bringing them back.
Multistate reporting
Employers doing business in two or more states may register with the federal Office of Child Support Services and report all new hires and rehires to one state. DCS points to the federal Child Support Portal or the Multistate Employer Registration Form. The parent page explains how that choice works.
Hiring in Washington
Washington has its own hiring rules, from ban-the-box limits to minor work permit endorsements. Our Washington labor laws guide covers them, and the Washington minimum wage page has the current state rate. Every hire needs a Form I-9, and Washington does not require private employers to use E-Verify (E-Verify requirements by state).
Boostpoint runs Facebook and Instagram job ads for hourly roles in healthcare, food processing, warehousing and the trades. Our 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark (891 Boostpoint-managed campaigns on Meta) found a median of $13.88 per applicant across campaigns. That is advertising cost, not cost per hire, and it is not split by state.
Frequently asked questions
How long do employers have to report new hires in Washington?
Twenty days. RCW 26.23.040 requires reports within 20 days of the hiring, rehiring or return to work of the employee, and DSHS counts from the start date. Electronic filers may instead send two monthly transmissions, if necessary, 12 to 16 days apart. The date to report is the first day the employee performed services for pay.
Where do I report new hires in Washington?
To the DSHS Division of Child Support. Report online by adding DCS Online to a Secure Access Washington account, fax 800-782-0624, call 800-562-0479 during business hours, or mail to New Hire Program, P.O. Box 9023, Olympia, WA 98507-9023. The Employment Security Department receives the data from DSHS.
Does Washington require the employee's date of birth on a new hire report?
Yes. RCW 26.23.040(3) lists the employee's name, address, Social Security number and date of birth, together with the employer's name, address and federal employer identification number. DSHS and the Employment Security Department both list date of birth as required, even though federal law does not require it.
What is the penalty for not reporting a new hire in Washington?
RCW 26.23.040(5) sets a civil penalty of $25 per month per employee, or $500 if employer and employee conspired to withhold or falsify the report. All violations within a single month count as a single violation, and the Division of Child Support may impose and collect the penalty.
Do I have to report rehired employees in Washington?
Yes, if they were separated from your company for at least 60 consecutive days. DCS also treats anyone who starts working for you under a new Federal Employer Identification Number as a new hire, which catches reorganizations, acquisitions and transfers into Washington under a different FEIN.
Does Washington require reporting independent contractors?
No. The federal Office of Child Support Services state guide lists Washington as not requiring independent contractor reporting, and RCW 26.23.040 covers employees. Part-time, very short-term and seasonal employees on your payroll must still be reported, regardless of age or hours worked.
More Washington hires means more reports
Every report to DCS is a position you filled. If filling them is the slow part, talk to us about social job ads for Washington's hourly roles, from care facilities to packing sheds.
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