Skip to content
Start free
Certified payroll and prevailing wage

State certified payroll: how California, New York, Illinois, Washington, New Jersey and Massachusetts differ

Updated · 3 min read

Many states have their own prevailing wage laws for state and local public works, with their own rates, registration, portals and deadlines. On a job funded by both federal and state money you may owe federal weekly payrolls to the agency or prime and state filings to a state portal, on different schedules and sometimes at different (higher) rates.

Below is an overview of six states with well-known systems. Rules change often and each state has thresholds and exemptions not covered here, so always check the state agency's current guidance and your contract before relying on it. This is general information, not legal advice.

At a glance

StateWhere it goesHow oftenNotes
CaliforniaDIR's electronic certified payroll (eCPR), online entry or XML uploadAt least monthly, or as the contract requiresContractor registration with DIR required for most public works; some awarding bodies also require their own portal
New YorkNYSDOL's online systemAt least every 30 daysElectronic filing required since December 31, 2025; contractor registration since December 2024; late filing can be fined
IllinoisIDOL's online portalBy the 15th of the following monthOne filing per project per month with work; some contracts also want weekly payrolls
WashingtonL&I onlineWeekly payrolls filed at least monthlyStatement of Intent before work starts and Affidavit of Wages Paid at completion
New JerseyNJ Wage Hub and the public bodyWithin 10 days of the pay dateUses form MW-562
MassachusettsThe awarding authority, by mail or emailWeeklySigned under the pains and penalties of perjury, with a statement of compliance

California

Contractors and subcontractors on most California public works must register with the Department of Industrial Relations and submit certified payroll electronically to the Labor Commissioner through eCPR, either by typing it into the online form or by uploading an XML file in the DIR's format. Submissions are due at least monthly, or more often if the contract says so. Small projects below DIR's thresholds are exempt from registration and eCPR, but prevailing wage still applies. Some awarding bodies separately require submission to their own compliance system as well.

New York

New York requires electronic certified payroll through the Department of Labor's online system at least every 30 days, since December 31, 2025, and contractor registration since December 2024. Late filings can be fined after a short grace period. Some 2026 amendments to the prevailing wage law were suspended by a federal court, so check the Bureau of Public Work's page for the current position.

Illinois

Illinois contractors file certified payroll through the Illinois Department of Labor's online portal by the 15th of the month after the month in which work was performed, one filing per project, with each subcontractor filing its own. Willfully filing late or falsely is a criminal offence under the state's prevailing wage act. Some contracts, such as state transportation work, also require weekly payrolls.

Washington

Washington's Department of Labor and Industries requires a Statement of Intent to Pay Prevailing Wages before work starts, weekly certified payroll filed online at least monthly, and an Affidavit of Wages Paid when the work is complete. Owner-operators with no employees still file the intent and the affidavit.

New Jersey

New Jersey requires certified payroll on form MW-562 to be submitted both to the Department of Labor through the NJ Wage Hub and to the public body, within 10 days of the date wages were paid.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts requires weekly certified payroll to be sent to the awarding authority by mail or email, signed under the pains and penalties of perjury with a statement of compliance, and kept for three years. The Attorney General enforces the prevailing wage law.

Jobs with federal and state requirements

When a job has both:

  1. Read the contract for which wage determinations apply. Pay the higher of the federal and state rate for each classification.
  2. Keep one set of hours by worker, day and classification, and produce each report from it. Re-typing hours into each system is where mismatches start.
  3. Put both schedules in the calendar: weekly federal payrolls and the state's monthly or 30-day filing.
  4. Keep the stricter record retention period of the two.

Sources