Hiring complianceRead at source, 30 September 2026
Wage Notice Requirements by State: What to Give New Hires at Hire
Federal law requires no general wage notice at hire (farm employers recruiting migrant workers aside), but 23 states and DC do. The most detailed are New York (Labor Law 195(1), the Wage Theft Prevention Act notice), California (Labor Code 2810.5), Minnesota, Rhode Island and DC. Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia require a shorter notice of rate and payday. Iowa, Kansas, Montana and Oregon have narrower rules.
What a wage notice is and who needs one
A wage notice is a written statement, given when someone is hired, of what they will be paid and when: the rate, how it is calculated, the payday and who the employer is. It is not the offer letter or the pay stub.
Federal law does not require one, except that farm employers recruiting migrant workers must disclose wage rates in writing ( 29 U.S.C. 1821(a)). Otherwise the obligation is state law, and the states split three ways. A short group requires a notice of rate, payday and place of payment, sometimes satisfied by a posting. A detailed group — New York, California, Minnesota, Rhode Island and DC — prescribes a long itemized notice; all but California require an acknowledgment. Iowa, Kansas, Montana and Oregon have narrower versions.
The rate in the notice should match the ad. For pay ranges in postings, see pay transparency laws by state; for how often you must then pay, pay frequency laws by state.
Wage notice requirements by state
Twenty-four jurisdictions have an at-hire pay notice rule; 27 do not.
| State | Required? | Contents | When pay changes | Language, penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Written, at hire; may be met by a posted statement | Day and place of payment, rate of pay | On the payday before the change | Not specified | AS 23.05.160 |
| California | Written, at hire, non-exempt employees | Rate and basis incl. overtime, allowances, payday, employer details, workers’ comp carrier, sick leave rights, disaster declarations | In writing within 7 calendar days, unless on the wage statement | Language the employer normally uses; H-2A notice in Spanish | Lab. Code 2810.5 |
| Connecticut | Written, at hire | Rate of pay, hours of employment, pay dates | Policy changes in writing or posted | Not specified; penalties in C.G.S. 31-71g | C.G.S. 31-71f |
| Delaware | Written, at hire; employers of more than 3 | Rate of pay; day, hour and place of payment | Before any reduction | Not specified | 19 Del. C. 1108 |
| District of Columbia | Written, at hire | Employer details; rate and basis incl. allowances, overtime and exemptions; tip-sharing policy; payday | Updated notice within 30 days; keep an acknowledgment | English, plus primary language where a DC template exists | D.C. Code 32-1008(c)-(d) |
| Hawaii | Written, at hire | Rate of pay or commission agreement; day, hour and place of payment | Before the change, in writing or posted | Not specified | HRS 388-7(1)-(2), DLIR |
| Idaho | At hire; in writing if the employee asks | Rate of pay, usual payday | Before any reduction | Not specified | Idaho Code 45-610 |
| Illinois | At hire; in writing and acknowledged whenever possible | Rate of pay, time and place of payment | Before the change | Not specified | 820 ILCS 115/10 |
| Iowa | Written, at hire, only after the state orders it following a wage claim or penalty | Wages and regular paydays | One pay period before a cut in wages or payday change | Not specified | Iowa Code 91A.6 |
| Kansas | On the employee’s request only | Rate of pay, day and place of payment | Before the change, on request | Not specified | K.S.A. 44-320 |
| Louisiana | At hire, non-exempt employees; form not specified | Wages, how and how often paid | Changes must also be disclosed | $25 to $250 a day | La. R.S. 23:633(A), (E) |
| Maryland | Written, at hire | Rate of pay, regular paydays, leave benefits | At least one pay period before; raises need no notice | Not specified | Lab. & Empl. 3-504 |
| Minnesota | Written, at the start of employment; keep a signed copy | Nine items: rate and basis, allowances, paid leave, exempt status, deductions, pay period and first payday, employer details | In writing before the change takes effect | English, plus the language requested | Minn. Stat. 181.032(d)-(f) |
| Montana | On the employee’s written demand, before work starts; in writing or posted | Rate and basis of wages, paydays | Not stated | Not specified | MCA 39-3-203 |
| New Hampshire | At hire | Rate of pay, day and place of payment | Before the change | Not specified | RSA 275:49 |
| New Jersey | At hire | Rate of pay and regular payday | Before the change | Not specified | N.J.S.A. 34:11-4.6 |
| New York | Written, at hire; signed acknowledgment kept six years | Rate and basis, overtime rate, allowances, payday, employer details | In writing 7 calendar days before, unless on the wage statement | English and the employee’s primary language; $50 a workday up to $5,000 | Labor Law 195, 198(1-b) |
| North Carolina | Written, at hire | Promised wages, day and place of payment | In writing at least one pay period before; raises may be retroactive | Not specified | N.C.G.S. 95-25.13 |
| Oregon | Written explanation of pay statement codes, at hire; a link or posting can satisfy it | Pay period, pay rate types, deductions, allowances, benefits, codes | Reviewed and updated by 1 January each year | Not specified | ORS 652.610(5) |
| Pennsylvania | At hire, or by posting | Time and place of payment, rate of pay, fringe benefits | Before the change | Not specified | 43 P.S. 260.4 |
| Rhode Island | Written, at the start of employment, since 1 January 2026; keep a signed copy | Nine items, closely tracking Minnesota’s | Not stated | English; $400 fine for a first or second violation | R.I. Gen. Laws 28-14-12 |
| South Carolina | Written, at hire, or by posting | Normal hours, agreed wages, time and place of payment, deductions | In writing 7 calendar days before; not for raises | Not specified | S.C. Code 41-10-30 |
| Utah | At hire, or by posting | Day and place of payment, rate of pay | Before the change | Class B misdemeanor | Utah Code 34-28-4 |
| West Virginia | Written, at hire | Rate of pay; day, hour and place of payment | Before the change, in writing or posted | Not specified | W. Va. Code 21-5-9 |
| No at-hire notice (A–M) | Alabama (no wage payment statute in Ala. Code title 25); Arizona (paydays only, A.R.S. 23-351); Arkansas (Ark. Code 11-4-401); Colorado (C.R.S. title 8); Florida (labor pools only: payment-method notice, Fla. Stat. 448.24); Georgia (O.C.G.A. 34-7-2); Indiana (IC 22-2-5-1); Kentucky (KRS 337.020); Maine (26 M.R.S. ch. 7); Massachusetts (pay slip each payday, c. 149 § 148); Michigan (earnings statement each payday, MCL 408.479); Mississippi (Miss. Code 71-1-35); Missouri (deduction statements; 30 days’ notice of wage cuts, RSMo 290.080, 290.100). | Linked in each entry | |||
| No at-hire notice (N–W) | Nebraska (Neb. Rev. Stat. 48-1228 to 48-1236); Nevada (NRS 608); New Mexico (NMSA 50-4-2); North Dakota (N.D.C.C. 34-14); Ohio (R.C. 4113.15); Oklahoma (paydays set in advance, 40 O.S. 165.2); South Dakota (paydays set in advance, SDCL 60-11-9); Tennessee (payday posting, T.C.A. 50-2-103(d)); Texas (payday posting, Lab. Code 61.012); Vermont (notice before moving off weekly pay, 21 V.S.A. 342(a)); Virginia (pay stub each payday, Va. Code 40.1-29); Washington (L&I); Wisconsin (Wis. Stat. ch. 109); Wyoming (W.S. title 27). | Linked in each entry | |||
New York Wage Theft Prevention Act notice (LS 54 to LS 59)
Labor Law 195(1), as amended by the Wage Theft Prevention Act, requires a written notice at hire: the rate or rates of pay and their basis, the overtime rate for non-exempt staff, any tip, meal or lodging allowance, the regular payday, and the employer’s name, DBA, address and phone.
It goes in English and in the employee’s primary language where the Department of Labor has a template: currently Spanish, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Korean, Polish and Russian. Keep a signed, dated acknowledgment for six years. An employee not given it can recover $50 per workday, up to $5,000, under Labor Law 198(1-b).
The Department of Labor’s templates follow pay type: LS 54 hourly, LS 55 multiple hourly rates, LS 56 weekly rate or salary for fixed hours (40 or fewer), LS 57 salary for varying hours, day, piece or flat rate, LS 58 prevailing rate, LS 59 exempt. LS 51 covers temporary help firms and LS 309 farm workers; your own form is fine if it has every item. More New York rules are on New York labor laws.
California Labor Code 2810.5 notice
Labor Code 2810.5 requires a written notice at hire, in the language you normally use with that employee: the rates and their basis, including overtime; meal or lodging allowances; the payday; the employer’s name, DBA, addresses and phone; the workers’ compensation carrier; paid sick leave rights; and any emergency or disaster declaration for the county issued within 30 days before the start date. Temporary services employers also name the client; H-2A workers get a Spanish section.
It excludes public employees, overtime-exempt staff and qualifying union contracts. Changes go in writing within seven calendar days unless shown on the wage statement or another required writing.
California also requires a second, separate notice at hire. Labor Code 1553 requires a stand-alone Workplace Know Your Rights notice to each employee by 1 February each year, and it “shall also be provided to each new employee upon hire.”
Tipped, piece-rate and hourly notices
- Hourly. The rate and, in New York, California and DC, the overtime rate.
- Tipped. New York requires any tip allowance claimed against the minimum wage; DC requires tip, meal and lodging allowances and the employer’s tip-sharing policy.
- Piece-rate and day-rate. California, New York, Minnesota and Rhode Island require the basis of pay, which names piece work. Oregon’s explanation must list piece-rate pay.
- Multiple rates. Minnesota and Rhode Island require “the specific application of any additional rates,” such as shift differentials; New York uses LS 55.
Add the wage notice to your new-hire packet
Build the wage notice from the same fields as the offer, give it by day one, collect the acknowledgment where required, and send updates with the payroll change. The other forms are on our new hire forms checklist, and the wider rulebook is on hiring compliance.
This is general information, not legal advice — confirm with counsel or your state agency.
Frequently asked questions
Which states require a wage notice at hire?
Twenty-three states and DC in the statutes we read: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia generally, plus narrower rules in Iowa, Kansas, Montana and Oregon. New York, California, Minnesota, Rhode Island and DC require the most detailed notices. Federal law requires none for most employers.
What must a wage notice include?
At minimum, the rate of pay and the payday. The detailed states add the basis of pay, overtime rate, allowances, deductions and employer name, address and phone. California adds the workers’ compensation carrier and paid sick leave rights; Minnesota and Rhode Island add paid leave, exempt status and the first payday.
What is the New York Wage Theft Prevention Act notice?
The written pay notice required at hire by Labor Law 195(1): rate and basis of pay, overtime rate, allowances, payday and employer details, in English and the employee’s primary language. You keep a signed acknowledgment for six years. The Department of Labor publishes templates LS 54 to LS 59 by pay type.
Does California require a written pay notice for new hires?
Yes, for non-exempt employees. Labor Code 2810.5 requires a written notice at hire of pay rates, payday, employer details, the workers’ comp carrier and paid sick leave rights. Separately, Labor Code 1553 requires the Workplace Know Your Rights notice at hire as well as annually.
Does the wage notice have to be in Spanish?
Not under federal law. New York requires English plus the employee’s primary language where the state has a template, Spanish included; DC is similar. California requires the language you normally use with that employee, and Spanish for H-2A workers. Minnesota adds the language the employee requests. Rhode Island’s notice is in English.
What is the penalty for not giving a wage notice?
It depends on the state. In New York an employee can recover $50 per workday, up to $5,000, under Labor Law 198(1-b). Rhode Island fines $400 for a first or second violation, and Louisiana $25 to $250 a day. Utah makes it a class B misdemeanor, and Connecticut’s wage-law penalties apply to its notice section. Most others set no separate amount.
Do I need a new wage notice when pay changes?
In most notice states, yes. New York requires written notice 7 calendar days before unless the change is on the wage statement; South Carolina 7 calendar days before (not for raises); North Carolina and Maryland one pay period before (raises excepted); Minnesota before the change; DC within 30 days; and California within 7 days after unless it is on the wage statement.
Put the pay rate in the ad, not just the notice
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Book a DemoSources: N.Y. Labor Law 195, 198 and NYSDOL templates; Cal. Labor Code 2810.5, 1553; Minn. Stat. 181.032; R.I. Gen. Laws 28-14-12; D.C. Code 32-1008; the state statutes cited in the table. General information, not legal advice. Last verified 30 September 2026. Read at source 30 September 2026.