New Hire Paperwork Checklist for the US: Federal and State Forms
Before a new employee's first paycheck, you need a few forms from them and they need a few notices from you. Some of it is federal and the same everywhere. The rest depends on the state they work in.
Here is the list, split into what you collect and what you hand over. It covers employees, not independent contractors: a contractor fills in a Form W-9 instead of a W-4.
Collect from them
Form W-4
Form W-4 tells you how much federal income tax to withhold. The IRS asks employers to have each new employee complete the current year's form, which is the 2026 version as of this writing.
If a new employee doesn't give you a completed W-4, IRS Publication 15 says to withhold as if they had checked Single or Married filing separately and made no other entries. A W-4 carries their Social Security number, so treat it as sensitive.
Form I-9, Section 1
Every employer completes Form I-9 for each new hire to confirm their identity and that they can work in the US. The timing is fixed by the USCIS instructions:
| Step | Who | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Section 1 | Employee | No later than the first day of employment, and not before they accept the job offer |
| Section 2 | Employer | Within 3 business days after the first day of employment (by the first day if the job lasts less than 3 business days) |
For Section 2 you physically examine their original documents. Employers enrolled in E-Verify can use an alternative procedure to examine them remotely. The employee chooses which documents to present from the Lists of Acceptable Documents, and you can't ask for specific ones.
Keep each I-9 for 3 years after the date of hire or 1 year after employment ends, whichever is later. More in our Form I-9 guide.
E-Verify, in some states
E-Verify checks I-9 information against government records. It is voluntary for most employers, but federal contractors with the FAR E-Verify clause must use it, and some states require it too. Arizona, for example, requires every employer to verify new employees through E-Verify. Thresholds and rules differ by state and change often, so check yours.
A state withholding certificate
Most states with an income tax have their own form, because the federal W-4 doesn't cover state tax. Two examples:
| State | Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| California | DE 4 | The W-4 has been for federal withholding only since 2020. Without a DE 4, you withhold as if they are single with zero allowances. |
| New York | IT-2104 | Revised for 2026. The instructions ask employees who used its worksheet or charts on an earlier version to complete a new one. |
Some states have no personal income tax, so there is no state certificate to collect. Florida is one.
Direct deposit authorization
To pay into their account you need the bank name, the 9-digit routing number, the account number, and whether it is checking or savings.
Not every state lets you make direct deposit mandatory. In New York, Labor Law section 192 bars paying wages by direct deposit without the employee's advance written consent. The state's direct deposit guidance says the consent must be voluntary and revocable at will, and anyone who declines is paid by cash or check. Check your state's rule before you make it a condition of the job.
Emergency contact
Who to call if something happens at work: a name, how they are related, and a phone number.
Signed policies and handbook acknowledgment
No federal form covers this, but most employers have new hires confirm they received the handbook and key policies (conduct, harassment, IT use, safety). A dated, signed acknowledgment of the exact version is the useful part.
Role-specific items
Some jobs need a license, certification or background check before day one. Ask only for what the role needs, and note the expiry date on anything that has one.
A background check from a screening company is a consumer report under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The FTC says you must tell the person in writing, in a stand-alone document, that you may use the report, and get their written permission first. Many states and cities add their own rules.
Give to them
State wage notices
Some states require a written notice of pay at hiring. Two well-known ones:
- New York. The Wage Theft Prevention Act requires a pay notice at the time of hire: pay rate, how they are paid, regular payday, your legal and DBA names, and your address and phone number. Use the right form for the pay type (LS 54 for hourly employees, for example), in English and in their primary language if the state has a translation. The state's FAQ says to keep notices for six years, and to note a refusal to sign on your copy.
- California. Labor Code section 2810.5 requires a Notice to Employee at the time of hiring, no later than the first day of work. It lists pay rates, payday, your details and your workers' comp carrier. Employees exempt from overtime are not covered. The Labor Commissioner publishes a template.
Notice of health coverage options
Employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act give each new employee a notice of coverage options about the Health Insurance Marketplace, whether or not you offer a health plan. The Department of Labor publishes model notices for both cases.
Your handbook and policies
Give them the documents you are asking them to acknowledge, so the signature means something.
Report the hire
Federal law requires you to report each new hire to the State Directory of New Hires, no later than 20 days after the hire date. The report includes their name, address, Social Security number and first day of paid work, plus your name, address and federal EIN.
States set their own deadline within that limit. California's is 20 calendar days. Maine's is 7 days. Your payroll provider may file this for you, so check before doing it twice.
Keep SSNs and bank details secure
The W-4, the I-9 and the direct deposit details together hold everything someone needs to steal an identity or redirect a paycheck. Limit who can see them, don't pass them around by email, and delete them once you are no longer required to keep them.
Not legal advice
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. State and local rules vary and change, so check with your state labor and tax departments, or an employment lawyer, for your situation.
What WorkZerk does, and doesn't
WorkZerk gets the paperwork to you. Each new hire opens one private link on their phone, with no account or password, and fills in what you ask for.
The Staff onboarding (United States) starter pack asks for:
- Form W-4, uploaded, with a link to the IRS form.
- Form I-9, Section 1, uploaded, with a link to the USCIS form.
- State withholding form, optional, for states that have one.
- Direct deposit: bank name, routing number, account number, and checking or savings.
- Emergency contact, saved to their contact record.
The tax forms, the I-9 and the account number arrive marked sensitive: stored encrypted, masked for your team, viewable only by admins, and every view is logged. You can add your own items, such as a handbook acknowledgment or a license, to the same pack.
What it does not do: WorkZerk doesn't run payroll, withhold tax, file new hire reports, or run E-Verify or background checks. It doesn't complete Section 2 of the I-9 either. You still examine the employee's original documents within 3 business days of their start date.
Setting it up in WorkZerk
1. Turn on two-factor authentication
Asking people to upload documents needs two-factor authentication on your account. Set it up under Account, then Two-factor authentication (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab).
2. Add the US staff pack
Open Requests (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab), click Request packs, and open Start from a template. Pick United States and click Add this pack on Staff onboarding (United States). It becomes an ordinary pack of your own that you can edit.
If none of your hires work in a state with its own withholding form, delete the optional state form ask.
3. Add your policies
Under Terms (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab), add your handbook acknowledgment and any policy a new hire has to accept. Each acceptance records the exact version, the time, and a typed name or drawn signature if you ask for one. See Terms and conditions. If the document is already a PDF, use a Sign PDF request instead.
Then add a Terms request for each one to your pack.
4. Add role-specific items
For a license or certification, add an Upload ask and tick Require expiry. Put asks that only some roles need in a section limited to those people, so everyone else never sees them. The staff onboarding walkthrough shows how.
Don't add an upload for the identity documents behind the I-9. The employee chooses which documents to show you, and you examine the originals.
5. Create a portal and add your hires
Open Portals (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab), click New portal, and add your pack to its Requests panel. Add each new hire and send them their link. Put their start date in the invite, since Section 1 is due by then.
6. Review and approve
Uploads wait under Needs review on Requests (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab). Check each form, approve it, and copy what payroll needs into your payroll system.
7. Set a retention period
Sensitive answers are kept until you delete them. In Profile (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab), the Sensitive information card can delete them automatically 30 days to 7 years after a portal closes. Keep the I-9 retention rule and your payroll records rules in mind before you choose.
8. Switch on the expiry reminders
If you collect licenses, open Automations (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab) and switch on Document expiring reminder and Document expired reminder. Both start switched off. The Document compliance report then shows who is current and who is not.
Getting started
Start a free WorkZerk trial at workzerk.com, then work through the steps above. The getting started guide walks through a first portal end to end, or email us at [email protected].