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Louisiana New Hire Reporting Requirements (2026)

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

Louisiana employers must report every new or rehired employee to the Louisiana Directory of New Hires (Department of Children & Family Services) within 20 days of the employee's first day on the job. That matches the federal 20-day limit. Independent contractors are not reported. Besides the 7 federal data elements, Louisiana requires 7 more items.

Deadline
20 days
same as federal
Report contractors?
No
Rehire rule
60+ days gone
federal rule
Extra required data
7 items
beyond the federal 7

Louisiana new hire reporting rules

Louisiana new hire reporting

Louisiana Directory of New Hires (Department of Children & Family Services)

20
days

Deadline: Within 20 days of the employee's first day on the job.

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 Louisiana requires:

  • Salary / wage rate
  • Pay frequency
  • State of hire (state where the employee works)
  • Dependent health insurance available? (yes/no)
  • Federal EIN and state employer ID number
  • Employer payroll address (if different)
  • Employer contact name and phone number

Optional (requested, not required):

  • Employee date of birth
  • Occupation / job title

How to file

Open LA reporting site ↗

Methods: Online · File upload / SFTP · Fax · Mail

Phone
888-223-1461
Fax
888-223-1462

Official LA requirements page

Independent contractors

Contractors not reported

Not required.

Rehires & recalls

Report a rehired employee who returns after at least 60 consecutive days of separation. The statute (La. R.S. 46:236.14) itself covers any rehire or return to work with no minimum gap, so reporting every return is the cautious choice.

Penalty

Up to $25 per failure to report; up to $500 for an employer–employee conspiracy (La. R.S. 46:236.14(F))

  • • DCFS lists salary, pay frequency, state of hire, health insurance, state EIN and contact as information to include; the new la-newhire.com site marks some as optional. We list DCFS's version.

When is my Louisiana 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 Louisiana report worksheet and download it as a PDF. Everything runs in your browser; employee details are never saved.

What goes on a Louisiana 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 Louisiana

  • Salary / wage rate
  • Pay frequency
  • State of hire (state where the employee works)
  • Dependent health insurance available? (yes/no)
  • Federal EIN and state employer ID number
  • Employer payroll address (if different)
  • Employer contact name and phone number

Requested but optional: Employee date of birth; Occupation / job title.

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 Louisiana fields are added. Use the same FEIN you put on your quarterly wage reports.

How Louisiana compares

  • Deadline: Louisiana uses the federal 20-day limit, like 41 other states and DC. 9 states are stricter, with 7, 10, 14 and 15-day deadlines.
  • 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); Louisiana does not.
  • 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 Louisiana employers: Louisiana payroll taxes & SUTA rate · Louisiana payday & final paycheck rules · Louisiana minimum wage · payroll setup checklist

Louisiana new hire reporting FAQ

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

Within 20 days of the employee's first day on the job. That matches 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 Louisiana?

Not required.

Do I need to report rehired employees in Louisiana?

Report a rehired employee who returns after at least 60 consecutive days of separation. The statute (La. R.S. 46:236.14) itself covers any rehire or return to work with no minimum gap, so reporting every return is the cautious choice.

What information goes on a Louisiana 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. Louisiana also requires: Salary / wage rate; Pay frequency; State of hire (state where the employee works); Dependent health insurance available? (yes/no); Federal EIN and state employer ID number; Employer payroll address (if different); Employer contact name and phone number.

How do I report a new hire in Louisiana?

Accepted methods: Online; File upload / SFTP; Fax; Mail. Reports go to the Louisiana Directory of New Hires (Department of Children & Family Services).

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

Up to $25 per failure to report; up to $500 for an employer–employee conspiracy (La. R.S. 46:236.14(F)). Federal law caps state penalties at $25 per unreported employee, or $500 when the employer and employee conspire not to report or to file a false report. A late report is still required.

I have employees in Louisiana 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 Louisiana follow Louisiana'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 Louisiana Directory of New Hires (Department of Children & Family Services) before relying on them.