New Hire Checklist with I-9, W-4 and State New-Hire Reporting
An editable new hire checklist in four phases: before day one, day one, the first week and the first 90 days. Enter the first day of work and every legal item gets its date and its cite, from Form I-9 Section 2 to the state new hire report, next to your own welcome tasks. Tick items off, add your own lines, then print it or copy it into your HR file. For the I-9 dates alone, use the I-9 deadline calculator.
Use the tool
New Hire Checklist with I-9 and W-4, vettedpad.com
First day of work: Monday, November 9, 2026
Form I-9 Section 2 is due by
November 12, 2026
8 CFR 274a.2(b)(1)(ii); M-274 § 4.0
- Form I-9 Section 1
- Mon, Nov 9, 2026
- E-Verify case
- Thu, Nov 12, 2026
- State new hire report, at the latest
- Sun, Nov 29, 2026
- COBRA general notice
- Mon, Mar 1, 2027
0 of 16 legal items done. Business days are Monday to Friday; federal holidays counted.
Before day one
0 of 5 legal items done
To do
The employee may fill in Section 1 once they accept the offer, never before. Section 2 may also be done any time from acceptance up to its deadline.
M-274 § 3.0
To do
Before you order the report: a written disclosure with nothing else on the page, and the person's signed authorization (the signature line may sit on that page).
15 U.S.C. § 1681b(b)(2)(A)
To do
Send a pre-adverse notice with a copy of the report and the CFPB Summary of Rights, wait a reasonable period (five business days is common practice, not a rule in the statute), then send the adverse action notice.
15 U.S.C. §§ 1681b(b)(3)(A), 1681m(a)
To do
E-Verify cases run only after the hire and the Form I-9. Using it to pre-screen an applicant is not allowed.
E-Verify User Manual § 1.5
To do
The Notice of E-Verify Participation and the Right to Work poster, shown where applicants and staff see them, including online for remote staff.
E-Verify User Manual § 1.5
Your onboarding tasks
- 01
- 02
- 03
Day one
0 of 4 legal items done
To doDue by Mon, Nov 9, 2026
No later than the first day of work for pay. The employee chooses which acceptable documents to show you for Section 2.
8 CFR 274a.2(b)(1)(i)(A); M-274 § 3.0
To do
The IRS says that when you hire an employee, you must have them complete a Form W-4. If none comes back, withhold as single or married filing separately with no entries in Steps 2, 3 or 4.
IRS Tax Topic 753
To do
Some states with an income tax have their own withholding form. Check your state tax agency before the first payroll.
State tax agency
To do
Give it to each new employee at the time of hiring, full-time or part-time, whether or not they join your plan. The Department of Labor publishes model notices for employers with and without a health plan, and says the law sets no fine for missing it.
FLSA § 18B; DOL Technical Release 2013-02
Your onboarding tasks
- 01
- 02
- 03
- 04
First week
0 of 3 legal items done
To doDue by Thu, Nov 12, 2026
Examine the documents and complete Section 2 within three business days after the first day of work: a Monday start is due Thursday.
8 CFR 274a.2(b)(1)(ii)–(iii); M-274 § 4.0
To doDue by Thu, Nov 12, 2026
No later than the third business day after the employee starts work for pay, once the Form I-9 is complete.
E-Verify User Manual § 1.5
To do
Keep it at least four years, ready for IRS inspection. It is not sent to the IRS unless the IRS directs you to in writing.
IRS Tax Topic 753
Your onboarding tasks
- 01
- 02
- 03
First 90 days
0 of 4 legal items done
To doFederal outer limit Sun, Nov 29, 2026
The employee's name, address and Social Security number, the date they first worked for pay, and your name, address and federal employer identification number, on a W-4 or an equivalent form. Federal law sets 20 days after hire as the outer limit; your state may require it sooner.
42 U.S.C. § 653a(b)–(c)
To doDue by Mon, Mar 1, 2027
The plan administrator sends it no later than 90 days after their coverage under the plan begins.
29 CFR 2590.606-1(b)(1)
To do
Never send it to USCIS. Keep it until three years after the hire date or one year after employment ends, whichever is later.
8 CFR 274a.2(b)(2)(i)(A)
To do
Reverify on Supplement B by the date it expires. U.S. passports, Permanent Resident Cards and List B documents never trigger reverification.
8 CFR 274a.2(b)(1)(vii); M-274 § 6.0
Your onboarding tasks
- 01
- 02
- 03
This checklist applies the federal rules as written. It is not legal advice, and state law may add steps or shorter deadlines.
8 CFR 274a.2(b)(1); 42 U.S.C. § 653a(b)(2)
What it computes
Most new hire checklists stop at “collect the W-4 and I-9”. This one puts a date and a cite on every item the law fixes, beside the welcome tasks you already run. Enter the first day of work for pay and say which rules apply to you (E-Verify, a background check, a group health plan); the list drops what does not apply and dates what does.
- Form I-9 Section 1 is due on the first day of work, and only after the offer is accepted.
- Section 2 is due on the third business day after the first day (the first day itself does not count), so a Monday start is due Thursday. A job shorter than three business days moves it to the first day.
- An E-Verify case is due by the third business day after the employee starts work for pay.
- The state new hire report is dated 20 days after the first day: the federal outer limit. Your state can be stricter.
- The COBRA general notice is dated 90 days after the employee's health coverage begins.
Complete Section 2 within three business days after the first day of work. Start Monday, finish by Thursday.
8 CFR 274a.2(b)(1)(ii); M-274 § 4.0
Business days are counted Monday to Friday. Neither USCIS nor the E-Verify manual says whether a federal holiday counts, so this list counts them, which gives the earlier date. The I-9 and E-Verify deadline calculator can skip holidays if you prefer the later reading.
The new hire report
Federal law sends every new hire report to the state directory of new hires where the employee works. It carries the employee's name, address and Social Security number, the date they first worked for pay, and your name, address and federal employer identification number. It may be made on a W-4 or an equivalent form, by mail or electronically. A rehire counts as a new hire once they have been gone at least 60 consecutive days.
Federal law sets 20 days after hire as the outer limit for new-hire reports; your state may require it sooner. Employers who file electronically may instead send two monthly transmissions 12 to 16 days apart.
42 U.S.C. § 653a(b)(2)
The federal child support office keeps a list of every state's new hire reporting site; your state's own deadline and form are there. An employer with staff in two or more states that reports electronically may pick one of those states for all its reports, after telling HHS in writing.
If you run a background check
The FCRA steps come before day one. Give the disclosure on its own page and get written permission before you order the report; our FCRA disclosure checker tests a form you already use. If anything in the report might cost the person the job, send the pre-adverse notice first, wait, then send the final notice. The adverse action letter generator drafts both, and the FCRA rules guide covers the whole sequence.
The new hire paperwork file
Who fills in each form, when it is due and how long it stays on file. The Form I-9 is never sent to the government; the W-4 goes to the IRS only when the IRS asks for it in writing.
| Form or notice | Who completes it | When | Keep it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form I-9, Section 1 | Employee | By the first day of work | With Section 2 |
| Form I-9, Section 2 | Employer | 3 business days after day one | Later of 3 years after hire or 1 year after the job ends |
| Form W-4 | Employee | At hire | At least 4 years |
| State withholding certificate | Employee | At hire, where the state uses one | Check your state tax agency |
| FCRA disclosure and authorization | Applicant | Before the report is ordered | Check your EEOC and state record rules |
| State new hire report | Employer | Within 20 days of hire, or sooner by state law | Your confirmation |
| Notice of Coverage Options | Employer | At the time of hiring | A copy of what you gave |
| COBRA general notice | Plan administrator | Within 90 days after coverage begins | Proof it was sent |
- Form I-9 Section 1
- By the first day of work8 CFR 274a.2(b)(1)(i)(A)
- Form I-9 Section 2
- 3 business days after day one8 CFR 274a.2(b)(1)(ii)
- E-Verify case
- By the 3rd business day after work startsE-Verify User Manual § 1.5
- Form W-4 on file
- At least 4 yearsIRS Tax Topic 753
- State new hire report
- 20 days after hire, at the latest42 U.S.C. § 653a(b)(2)
- COBRA general notice
- 90 days after coverage begins29 CFR 2590.606-1(b)(1)
The “keep it” lines for the last four rows are good practice rather than a federal figure. For the I-9, the retention calculator gives the exact destroy-after date once someone leaves.
Worked example
Four hires at one small employer, each run through the checklist. The first row is the example the tool opens with: a Monday start, so Section 2 lands on Thursday even though Veterans Day falls on the Wednesday.
| Hire | First day | I-9 Section 2 | E-Verify case | New hire report, latest | COBRA notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper, Monday start in Veterans Day week | Mon, Nov 9, 2026 | Thu, Nov 12, 2026 | Thu, Nov 12, 2026 | Sun, Nov 29, 2026 | Mon, Mar 1, 2027 |
| Line cook, Friday start | Fri, Nov 20, 2026 | Wed, Nov 25, 2026 | Wed, Nov 25, 2026 | Thu, Dec 10, 2026 | Thu, Apr 1, 2027 |
| Retail associate, Saturday start, no health plan | Sat, Oct 24, 2026 | Wed, Oct 28, 2026 | Wed, Oct 28, 2026 | Fri, Nov 13, 2026 | Not used |
| Event crew, two-day job, no E-Verify | Mon, Dec 14, 2026 | Mon, Dec 14, 2026 | Not used | Sun, Jan 3, 2027 | Not used |
The Saturday start shows why the first day never counts: the three business days are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The two-day job has Section 2 due on its first day, and the employee cannot hand you a receipt in place of a document. The new hire report column is the federal ceiling; in a state with a shorter deadline the state date wins. Row one's ceiling falls on a Sunday, so the report goes in before that weekend.
A Form I-9 paperwork violation costs $288 to $2,861 per form. The I-9 penalties guide explains how audits start.
8 CFR 274a.10(b)(2)
State notes
- Federal
- State
The checklist carries the federal floor. Four things change by state, and the list leaves room for them in your own lines:
- New hire reporting deadline. Federal law allows up to 20 days; many states set fewer. Read yours on the state site before relying on the ceiling.
- Withholding certificate. Some states use their own form beside the federal W-4. The state tax agency says which.
- E-Verify. Some states require E-Verify for some or all employers; see our E-Verify requirements by state.
- Background checks. A growing number of states and cities limit when you may ask about criminal history; see ban-the-box laws by state and the California Fair Chance Act.
Posters and handbook rules vary too. The poster requirements guide and the employee handbook template cover both, and the onboarding software comparison shows which tools carry these steps for you.
This checklist applies the federal rules as written. It is not legal advice, and state law may add steps.