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Georgia New Hire Reporting Requirements (2026)

Last updated: 2026-10-12 · Georgia's rules were checked against the state's own site and the federal OCSE reference guide on 2026-10-12

Georgia employers must report every new or rehired employee to the Georgia State Directory of New Hires within 10 days after an employee is hired, rehired or returns to work (O.C.G.A. § 19-11-9.2). That is shorter than the federal 20-day limit — Georgia is one of 9 states with a shorter deadline. Reporting independent contractors is optional. Besides the 7 federal data elements, Georgia requires 1 more item.

Deadline
10 days
shorter than federal 20
Report contractors?
Optional
Rehire rule
60+ days gone
federal rule
Extra required data
1 item
beyond the federal 7

Georgia new hire reporting rules

Georgia new hire reporting

Georgia State Directory of New Hires

10
days

Deadline: Within 10 days after an employee is hired, rehired or returns to work (O.C.G.A. § 19-11-9.2). Shorter than the federal 20 days.

Electronic filers may instead send twice-monthly transmissions 12–16 days apart. The source doesn't say business or calendar days — count calendar days to be safe.

What to report

7 federal data elements (every state)
  • Employee name
  • Employee address
  • Employee Social Security number
  • Date of hire (first day the employee performed services for pay)
  • Employer name
  • Employer address
  • Employer FEIN (same FEIN used for quarterly wage reports)

Plus Georgia requires:

  • Employer address where income withholding orders should be sent

Only in some cases:

  • State of hire (state where the employee works) — if reporting as a multistate employer

Optional (requested, not required):

  • Employee date of birth
  • Employee wages
  • Pay frequency
  • Is medical insurance an employee benefit?
  • Employer contact name and phone number

How to file

Open GA reporting site ↗

Methods: Online · File upload / SFTP · Fax · Mail · Copy of W-4

Phone
888-541-0469
Fax
888-541-0521
Email
contact@ga-newhire.com
Mail
Georgia State Directory of New Hires, P.O. Box 92364, Atlanta, GA 30314-4123

State form: Georgia New Hire Reporting Form

Official GA requirements page

Independent contractors

Contractor reports optional / encouraged

Not required, but Georgia's new hire reporting program accepts independent contractor reports if employers choose to send them.

Rehires & recalls

Report rehires separated for at least 60 consecutive days.

Penalty

No state amount published. Federal law caps any state penalty at $25 per failure; $500 if the failure results from an employer–employee conspiracy.

  • • Georgia's IRG entry lists date of birth and health insurance availability as required; the registry's own page lists them as optional. Including them avoids follow-up.

When is my Georgia report due?

Enter the first day of paid work to get the due date (with a calendar reminder), check whether a returning worker counts as a rehire, or fill in a Georgia report worksheet and download it as a PDF. Everything runs in your browser; employee details are never saved.

What goes on a Georgia new hire report

Federal data elements (every state)

  • Employee name
  • Employee address
  • Employee Social Security number
  • Date of hire (first day the employee performed services for pay)
  • Employer name
  • Employer address
  • Employer FEIN (same FEIN used for quarterly wage reports)

Added by Georgia

  • Employer address where income withholding orders should be sent

Only in some cases: State of hire (state where the employee works) — if reporting as a multistate employer.

Requested but optional: Employee date of birth; Employee wages; Pay frequency; Is medical insurance an employee benefit?; Employer contact name and phone number.

Most states accept a copy of the employee's Form W-4 with the employer name, address and FEIN filled in, as long as any extra Georgia fields are added. Use the same FEIN you put on your quarterly wage reports.

How Georgia compares

  • Deadline: Georgia's 10-day deadline is one of 9 shorter than the federal 20 days (Alabama 7, Georgia 10, Iowa 15, Maine 7, Massachusetts 14, Mississippi 15, Rhode Island 14, Vermont 10 and West Virginia 14). Same deadline as Vermont.
  • Contractors: 17 states require contractor reports (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia); Georgia makes it optional.
  • Rehires: Uses the federal rule: report a returning worker who was gone at least 60 consecutive days.
  • Multistate employers can instead report every new hire electronically to a single state where they have employees after registering with HHS (Multistate Employer Registry).

Related for Georgia employers: Georgia payroll taxes & SUTA rate · Georgia payday & final paycheck rules · Georgia minimum wage · payroll setup checklist

Georgia new hire reporting FAQ

How long do I have to report a new hire in Georgia?

Within 10 days after an employee is hired, rehired or returns to work (O.C.G.A. § 19-11-9.2). That is shorter than the federal 20-day limit. Employers that report electronically may instead send twice-monthly transmissions 12 to 16 days apart. The date of hire is the first day the employee performs services for pay. The state's source doesn't say business or calendar days, so count calendar days to be safe.

Do I have to report independent contractors in Georgia?

Not required, but Georgia's new hire reporting program accepts independent contractor reports if employers choose to send them.

Do I need to report rehired employees in Georgia?

Report rehires separated for at least 60 consecutive days.

What information goes on a Georgia new hire report?

Every report needs the seven federal data elements: the employee's name, address, Social Security number and date of hire, and the employer's name, address and FEIN. Georgia also requires: Employer address where income withholding orders should be sent. Only in some cases: State of hire (state where the employee works) — if reporting as a multistate employer.

How do I report a new hire in Georgia?

Accepted methods: Online; File upload / SFTP; Fax; Mail; Copy of W-4. The state form is Georgia New Hire Reporting Form. Reports go to the Georgia State Directory of New Hires.

What is the penalty for not reporting a new hire in Georgia?

Georgia doesn't publish its own penalty amount. Federal law caps any state penalty at $25 per failure; $500 if the failure results from an employer–employee conspiracy. A late report is still required.

I have employees in Georgia and other states. Where do I report?

Report each employee to the state where they work, following that state's rules, or register with HHS as a multistate employer and send all new hire reports electronically to one state where you have employees. Multistate employers that pick Georgia follow Georgia's rules for everyone and must include each employee's state of hire.

Official Sources

Figures checked against these sources on 2026-10-12

Related Resources on This Site

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General information, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with the Georgia State Directory of New Hires before relying on them.