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Montana New Hire Reporting Requirements (2026)

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

Montana employers must report every new or rehired employee to the Montana DPHHS Child Support Services Division — New Hire Reporting Program within 20 days from the date of hire or rehire (MCA § 40-5-922). That matches the federal 20-day limit. Independent contractors are not reported. Besides the 7 federal data elements, Montana requires 2 more items.

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

Montana new hire reporting rules

Montana new hire reporting

Montana DPHHS Child Support Services Division — New Hire Reporting Program

20
days

Deadline: Within 20 days from the date of hire or rehire (MCA § 40-5-922).

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 Montana requires:

  • Employer phone and fax number
  • Employee home (residential) address in addition to mailing address

Optional (requested, not required):

  • Employee date of birth
  • State of hire (state where the employee works)
  • Health insurance available? and date available

How to file

Open MT reporting site ↗

Methods: Online · File transfer (ASCII / Excel template) · Fax · Mail · Phone

Phone
888-866-0327 or 406-444-9290
Fax
888-272-1990 or 406-444-0745
Mail
Montana New Hire Reporting, PO Box 8013, Helena, MT 59604-8013

State form: Montana New Hire Reporting Form

Official MT requirements page

Independent contractors

Contractors not reported

Not required.

Rehires & recalls

Report a rehire only if separated more than 60 consecutive days. The statute (MCA 40-5-922) itself covers any rehire or return to work with no minimum gap, so reporting every return is the cautious choice.

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.

  • • Montana's form says to report online if your company address is outside the U.S. or the employee doesn't have a Montana address.

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

What goes on a Montana 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 Montana

  • Employer phone and fax number
  • Employee home (residential) address in addition to mailing address

Requested but optional: Employee date of birth; State of hire (state where the employee works); Health insurance available? and date available.

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

How Montana compares

  • Deadline: Montana 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); Montana 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 Montana employers: Montana payroll taxes & SUTA rate · Montana payday & final paycheck rules · Montana minimum wage · payroll setup checklist

Montana new hire reporting FAQ

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

Within 20 days from the date of hire or rehire (MCA § 40-5-922). 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 Montana?

Not required.

Do I need to report rehired employees in Montana?

Report a rehire only if separated more than 60 consecutive days. The statute (MCA 40-5-922) 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 Montana 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. Montana also requires: Employer phone and fax number; Employee home (residential) address in addition to mailing address.

How do I report a new hire in Montana?

Accepted methods: Online; File transfer (ASCII / Excel template); Fax; Mail; Phone. The state form is Montana New Hire Reporting Form. Reports go to the Montana DPHHS Child Support Services Division — New Hire Reporting Program.

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

Montana 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 Montana 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 Montana follow Montana's rules for everyone.

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 Montana DPHHS Child Support Services Division — New Hire Reporting Program before relying on them.