A Florida new hire checklist covers seven things: two federal forms on or near the first day, an E-Verify check if you have 25 or more employees, a new-hire report to the state within 20 days, registration for reemployment tax, workers’ compensation coverage if your industry threshold applies, required workplace posters, and pay practices that meet federal wage and overtime rules. Florida has no state income tax, which removes one form from the stack, but the state adds obligations of its own that catch employers who assume federal compliance is enough.
Forms to Complete on Day One
Two federal forms apply to every hire in every state.
The employee fills out Section 1 of Form I-9 on or before the first day of work. You examine their original identity and work authorization documents and complete Section 2 within three business days of the hire date.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification Keep the completed I-9 on file for three years after the date of hire or one year after the employee leaves, whichever is later. Missing or incomplete I-9s are one of the easiest ways to fail an audit.
Form W-4 tells you how much federal income tax to withhold from each paycheck.2Internal Revenue Service. About Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate If an employee doesn’t submit one, withhold at the single filing status rate with no other adjustments.3Internal Revenue Service. FAQs on the 2020 Form W-4 Because Florida has no state income tax, there is no equivalent state withholding form.
E-Verify for Employers With 25 or More Employees
Florida requires private employers with 25 or more employees to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm the work eligibility of every new hire. Public employers must use it regardless of size. Smaller private employers are not currently required to enroll but may do so voluntarily.4Official Internet Site of the Florida Legislature. Florida Code 448.095 – Employment Eligibility
If the Florida Department of Commerce finds a violation, it gives you 30 days to fix it. Three violations in any 24-month period trigger a $1,000-per-day fine until you demonstrate compliance, and the state can suspend your business licenses.4Official Internet Site of the Florida Legislature. Florida Code 448.095 – Employment Eligibility Members of the public can report suspected noncompliance to the Department, which reviews those reports.5Florida Department of Commerce. E-Verify Compliance
HB 197, which would extend the E-Verify requirement to all private employers, passed the Florida House in January 2026 and was received by the Senate. If it becomes law, the 25-employee threshold goes away.
Report the Hire to Florida Within 20 Days
Florida law requires you to report every newly hired and rehired employee to the Florida Department of Revenue within 20 days of the hire date.6Official Internet Site of the Florida Legislature. Florida Code 409.2576 – State Directory of New Hires Employers who report electronically can instead send two monthly transmissions, spaced 12 to 16 days apart. The state uses the data for child support enforcement and to catch fraudulent unemployment claims.7FloridaJobs.org. Report New Hires
Each report includes the employee’s name, address, Social Security number, and date of hire, along with your business name, address, and Federal Employer Identification Number. You can submit online through the Department of Revenue’s employer services portal, by fax, or by mail.8Florida Department of Revenue. Child Support Services for Employers Home
Since October 2021, the reporting rule also covers independent contractors paid $600 or more in a calendar year. The deadline is 20 days from the contract start date or the first payment, whichever comes first.9Florida Department of Revenue. Florida New Hire Reporting Form
If you have employees in more than one state, you can report to each state separately or pick one state to receive all your reports. The single-state option requires registration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and electronic submission.10Florida Department of Revenue. Multistate Reporting Requirements
Register for Reemployment Tax
Florida calls its unemployment insurance reemployment tax. You must register with the Florida Department of Revenue if any of the following applies:
- You pay $1,500 or more in wages in any calendar quarter.
- You employ at least one person for any part of a day during 20 or more weeks in a calendar year.
- You are a domestic employer (nannies, housekeepers, and similar household workers) paying $1,000 or more in cash wages in any quarter.11Florida Department of Revenue. Florida Reemployment Tax
New employers start at 2.7%, applied to the first $7,000 in wages paid to each employee during the calendar year. Wages above $7,000 per employee are not taxable.12Florida Department of Revenue. Reemployment Tax Rate Information Once you build a history in the system, the rate adjusts based on your experience, including whether former employees have filed claims, and can move well above or below the starting rate.13Florida Department of Revenue. What Employers Need to Know About Reemployment Tax
Workers’ Compensation Coverage
Whether you must carry workers’ compensation insurance depends on your industry:
- Construction: required with one or more employees, including corporate officers and LLC members.14Florida Department of Financial Services. Coverage Requirements
- Non-construction: required at four or more employees, including officers and LLC members.
- Agriculture: required at six regular employees, or 12 seasonal workers who work more than 30 days in a season or more than 45 total days in the same calendar year.
Corporate officers and LLC members can apply to the Department of Financial Services for an exemption. The exemption is issued to the individual, not the business, and it does not reduce your employee count for the coverage threshold.15Florida Department of Financial Services. Exemptions
Employers who set up a qualifying drug-free workplace program under Florida Statutes sections 440.101 and 440.102 can get a 5% discount on their workers’ compensation premium.16Florida Department of Financial Services. Drug-Free Workplace The program requires a written policy, employee education, and testing procedures that meet the statutory criteria.
Pay Rules to Set Before the First Paycheck
Minimum Wage
Florida’s minimum wage rises by $1.00 each September 30 under a scheduled increase that reaches its final step in 2026. Through September 29, 2026, the standard minimum wage is $14.00 per hour, and the tipped cash wage is $10.98 per hour. On September 30, 2026, those rates climb to $15.00 and $11.98.17U.S. Department of Labor. Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees Cash wages plus tips must always meet or exceed the standard minimum wage.
Pay Frequency and Final Paychecks
Florida has no state law dictating how often private employers must pay employees.18U.S. Department of Labor. State Payday Requirements You choose the schedule, whether weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly, and communicate it during onboarding. There is also no statute requiring immediate payment of final wages when someone separates. A departing employee’s last check, including all earned wages and any accrued overtime, is due on your next regularly scheduled payday.
Direct Deposit
Direct deposit is allowed, but only with the employee’s written authorization, and the employee picks the financial institution. You cannot fire someone solely for refusing direct deposit.19Official Internet Site of the Florida Legislature. Florida Code Chapter 532 – Devices Issued in Payment for Labor If a worker wants a paper check, you accommodate.
Overtime
Florida has no overtime law of its own. Federal Fair Labor Standards Act rules apply. Non-exempt employees earn 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. To classify an employee as exempt, they must earn at least $684 per week ($35,568 annually) on a salary basis and meet the executive, administrative, or professional duties tests.20U.S. Department of Labor. Earnings Thresholds for the Executive, Administrative, and Professional Exemptions A higher DOL threshold was struck down by a federal court in late 2024, so the $684 figure remains in effect.
Posters and Required Notices
Florida employers must display both federal and state employment law posters where employees can see them.21FloridaJobs.org. Display Posters and Required Notices Common federal requirements include the Fair Labor Standards Act minimum wage poster, the OSHA workplace safety poster, the Family and Medical Leave Act notice (for employers with 50 or more employees), and the Equal Employment Opportunity poster.22U.S. Department of Labor. Workplace Posters Florida adds the current minimum wage poster, which the state updates each September 30, and the Florida anti-discrimination poster. Both federal and state agencies provide free electronic copies. Not every poster applies to every employer, so check the Department of Labor’s online Poster Advisor to see which set matches your business.