In Louisiana, new hire reporting means sending the Louisiana Directory of New Hires a short set of details about every employee you hire or rehire within 20 days of that person’s first day of paid work.1Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services. New Hire Registry The state uses the data to locate parents who owe child support, enforce existing support orders, and catch people drawing unemployment or workers’ compensation while earning unreported wages.
Which Employers Have to Report
Every employer operating in the state is covered. That includes private businesses of any size, government agencies, and labor organizations that directly employ and pay workers. The federal definition tracks Internal Revenue Code Section 3401(d), which reaches anyone paying wages subject to income tax withholding.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 653a – State Directory of New Hires Full-time and part-time workers both trigger the obligation, and households that hire nannies, in-home nurses, or gardeners report those workers the same way any other employer would.3Louisiana Directory of New Hires. Frequently Asked Questions
Rehires count. If someone previously worked for you but has been off your payroll for at least 60 consecutive days, file a fresh report when they come back.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 653a – State Directory of New Hires Temporary staffing agencies report a worker once per assignment; if that worker later returns after a gap in service or pay, the agency reports them again as a rehire.3Louisiana Directory of New Hires. Frequently Asked Questions
Independent contractors paid on a 1099 are outside the requirement.3Louisiana Directory of New Hires. Frequently Asked Questions Only workers who qualify as employees under federal tax withholding rules must be reported. Calling an employee a contractor to sidestep the requirement carries its own consequences under Louisiana law, including fines of up to $2,500 per misclassified worker.
If your company has employees in multiple states and files electronically, you may register with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a multistate employer and send all of your new hire reports to a single state instead of filing separately in each one.4Administration for Children and Families. New Hire Reporting – Section: Multistate Employers
What the Report Must Include
For each employee, the report needs the full legal name, home address, Social Security number, occupation, and the date the employee first performed services for pay.1Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services. New Hire Registry For your business, you need the business name, business address, and Federal Employer Identification Number, the nine-digit number the IRS uses to identify your business.5Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number
You can use the Louisiana New Hire Reporting Form from the Department of Children and Family Services, or send a completed IRS Form W-4 as long as it shows the hire date and your FEIN.1Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services. New Hire Registry The W-4 route can simplify onboarding, since you already collect that form for withholding.
How to File
Reports must reach the Louisiana Directory of New Hires within 20 days of the employee’s first day of work.1Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services. New Hire Registry Three methods are available:
- Online at www.la-newhire.com. The portal is open around the clock, accepts manual entry or FTP uploads from payroll software, and is the only method that gives you a confirmation of receipt.1Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services. New Hire Registry
- Fax: 1-888-223-1462.
- Mail: Louisiana Directory of New Hires, PO Box 138078, Sacramento, CA 95813-8078.
The Sacramento mailing address catches some employers off guard, but the state’s processing center is located there. If you fax or mail, keep the fax confirmation or postal tracking receipt as proof of timely filing.
What Happens After You File
Filing is not always the end of the process. If the new employee owes child support, the state may send you an income withholding order directing you to deduct a specified amount from the employee’s pay, and Louisiana law requires employers to honor those orders.6Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services. Child Support Employers Resource Guide You must start withholding no later than the first pay period after you receive the order and remit the funds within seven days. Ignoring a withholding order exposes the employer to separate penalties.
Penalties for Missing the Deadline
Louisiana can impose a civil penalty of up to $25 for each new hire you fail to report within the 20-day window.7Louisiana Division of Administration. New Hire Reporting The fine is per employee, so a company that hires 40 workers and reports none of them faces up to $1,000 from that single hiring cycle.
The penalty rises to as much as $500 per unreported employee if the failure results from a deliberate arrangement between the employer and the employee to avoid reporting or to submit a false or incomplete report.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 653a – State Directory of New Hires That elevated fine targets intentional evasion and applies on top of any other consequences for the underlying fraud.