Arkansas employers must submit the Arkansas new hire reporting form to the Arkansas New Hire Reporting Center within 20 calendar days of a new or rehired employee’s first day of paid work. The form collects basic identifying information about the worker and the business, and the state uses it to start income withholding quickly for employees who owe child support.
What Information You Need Before You Start
The form has two blocks: one about the employee, one about you as the employer.
For the employee, gather:
- Full legal name (first, middle, last) exactly as it appears on the Social Security card.
- Social Security number. This is the key identifier the state matches against active child support cases.1Justia. Arkansas Code 11-10-902 – Reporting Requirements – Enforcement of Child Support Obligations – Confidentiality – Definitions
- Current residential address (home, not work site).
- Date of hire, meaning the actual date the employee first performed services for pay, not the offer date or the date onboarding paperwork was signed.
For the employer side, you provide:
- Legal business name, as used on payroll tax filings.
- Business address where payroll or tax documents are handled.
- Federal Employer Identification Number. A transposed digit here is one of the most common reasons a record fails validation.
How to Submit the Form
Arkansas accepts new hire reports three ways: online, by mail, or by fax.2Office of Child Support Services. State New Hire Reporting The online option is fastest and gives you immediate confirmation of receipt, which is useful if you ever need to prove you met the deadline. The state links to the reporting system from its service page at portal.arkansas.gov.3Arkansas.gov. Report New Hire or Re-hire
Mail paper forms to:
Arkansas New Hire Reporting Center
P.O. Box 8007
Little Rock, AR 722032Office of Child Support Services. State New Hire Reporting
Fax is accepted, but the state’s portal page does not publish a single centralized fax number. If you intend to fax, contact the New Hire Reporting Center to confirm the current number before you send.
The 20-Day Deadline
You have 20 calendar days from the employee’s first day of paid work to submit the report.1Justia. Arkansas Code 11-10-902 – Reporting Requirements – Enforcement of Child Support Obligations – Confidentiality – Definitions The clock starts on the actual work date, not the background-check date or the date you extended an offer.
Employers who file electronically or magnetically have an alternative. Instead of reporting each hire within 20 days, they may send two monthly transmissions spaced not fewer than 12 days and not more than 16 days apart.1Justia. Arkansas Code 11-10-902 – Reporting Requirements – Enforcement of Child Support Obligations – Confidentiality – Definitions This schedule is designed for high-volume employers and payroll processors transmitting batch files. If a payroll service handles reporting for you, confirm which schedule they use. The legal obligation still falls on the employer if a report is late.
Who You Have to Report
Two categories of workers trigger a report: anyone hired for the first time at your company, and any former employee returning after a gap of at least 60 consecutive days.1Justia. Arkansas Code 11-10-902 – Reporting Requirements – Enforcement of Child Support Obligations – Confidentiality – Definitions A separation of 59 days or fewer does not require a new report. The reporting requirement applies to every employer in the state, regardless of size.
Independent contractors are also reportable in Arkansas. According to the federal Office of Child Support Services directory for Arkansas, independent contractor information must be reported within 20 calendar days of making payments totaling $600.2Office of Child Support Services. State New Hire Reporting That threshold lines up with the amount that triggers a 1099-NEC filing obligation. Not every state imposes contractor reporting, so if you operate across state lines, do not assume the Arkansas rule carries over.
If You Have Employees in More Than One State
Federal law lets multistate employers report all new hires to a single designated state instead of filing with each state separately. To use the option, you must transmit reports electronically and register your choice with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.4Administration for Children & Families. Multistate Employer Registration Form for New Hire Reporting
Register one of two ways:
- Online, through the OCSE Child Support Portal at ocsp.acf.hhs.gov, by selecting the Multistate Employer Registration option.
- By email, by completing the Multistate Employer Registration Form (available as a PDF from the Administration for Children and Families) and sending it to msedb@acf.hhs.gov.
You must have at least one employee working in the state you designate. If a merger, acquisition, or other structural change affects your reporting, update your registration through the portal or submit a revised form.4Administration for Children & Families. Multistate Employer Registration Form for New Hire Reporting Choosing Arkansas as your reporting state means every new hire company-wide goes to the Little Rock address or portal, no matter where that employee actually works.
Penalties for Late or Missing Reports
Federal law lets each state impose civil fines for new hire reporting failures. The maximum is $25 for each employee you fail to report on time. If the state determines that the employer and employee conspired to avoid reporting or to submit a false report, the fine rises to up to $500 per violation.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 653a – State Directory of New Hires For employers who hire in volume, missed reports accumulate quickly.