Starting December 31, 2025, all contractors and subcontractors working on projects covered by Article 8 of NYS Labor Law must electronically provide certified payroll records to the New York State Department of Labor through the Certified Payroll portal. Payroll information must be reported every 30 days.
**NOTICE**
NYSDOL is aware that users are presently unable to enter the same PRC number for multiple projects within the system.
This issue is being addressed, and the system will be updated shortly.
How to Submit Payroll Information
NYSDOL has provided a step-by-step user guide that details how to create a new project and how to submit a payroll report within the Certified Payroll portal.
Contractors and Subcontractors are required to submit payroll records through the Certified Payroll portal. You must have a NY.gov account to access the portal.
Required Information
Contractors and subcontractors must submit payroll records for each project covered by Article 8 of NYS Labor Law.
To submit in the certified payroll portal, the following information must be provided:
- A business’ employer identification number (FEIN) from the IRS.
- A NYS contractor registration number (found on the Certificate of Contractor Registration).
- The prevailing rate case (PRC) number for the project.
- For public improvement projects only: a copy of the payment bond.
For each employee, payroll records must include:
- Personal employee details including name, address, social security number (if applicable), or birth date
- Hours and days worked
- Occupations worked
- Hourly wage rate
- Any supplements or benefits provided
Frequently Asked Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who is a “contractor” for certified payroll purposes? | A contractor refers to any person, organization, or business who contracts to perform construction, demolition, reconstruction, excavation, rehabilitation, repair, installation, renovation, alteration, or custom fabrication, which is covered by Article 8 of NYS Labor Law. |
| Who is a “subcontractor” for certified payroll purposes? | A subcontractor refers to any person, organization, or business who subcontracts with a contractor to perform construction, demolition, reconstruction, excavation, rehabilitation, repair, installation, renovation, alteration, or custom fabrication, which is covered by Article 8 of NYS Labor Law. |
| For which projects are contractors and subcontractors required to submit payroll records? | Contractors and subcontractors are required to submit payroll records for any project covered by Article 8 of NYS Labor Law. This includes, but is not limited to, public work projects, privately owned projects covered by prevailing wage requirements (Section 224-a), and certain renewable energy system projects (Section 224-d). |
| How often are contractors and subcontractors required to submit payroll records? | Contractors and subcontractors are required by law to submit payroll records every 30 days starting from the project start date. The Certified Payroll Portal prominently displays payroll due dates within the contractor dashboard. These due dates are based on the project start date and payroll end date that were specified when the project was created with the portal. |
| Does this law only apply to new projects after December 31, 2025, or existing projects? | This law applies to both new covered projects and existing covered projects. |
| When submitting for an existing project, do I need to file payrolls from before December 31, 2025? | No. Contractors and subcontractors must submit at least once every 30 days, starting on December 31, 2025. There is not a requirement for payrolls from before that date. |
| Will contractors and subcontractors be penalized for submitting payroll records late? | Yes. If a contractor or subcontractor is more than 14 days late submitting their payroll records, they will be fined a penalty of a $100 a day for every subsequent day they are late. In addition, if a contractor or subcontractor willfully fails to provide accurate payroll records, they can be found guilty of a class E felony and subject to a civil penalty of up to $1,000. |
| Do I still have to submit payroll record for weeks when no work is performed? | Yes. Within the Certified Payroll portal, you will need to report the weeks when no work occurs. The Certified Payroll User Guide provide instructions for how to do this. |
More Resources
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Certified Payroll - Contractor User Guide
The NYS Certified Payroll Contractor User Guide provides step-by-step instructions for contractors and subcontractors to submit and maintain compliant certified payroll records for New York State prevailing wage projects.
Download
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Certified Payroll - First Submission Tutorial PPT
This visual PowerPoint walks contractors through the process of submitting their first certified payroll in the NYS Certified Payroll portal.
Download
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Certified Payroll - Bulk Upload Formatting Guide
This document explains how contractors can reduce manual data entry by properly structuring and uploading a pre-formatted XML file to the NYS Certified Payroll portal.
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CertPayroll_Sample.xml
This XML sample file provides a model format for correctly populating and bulk uploading certified payroll data to the New York State Certified Payroll portal.
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NYDOL_CertPayroll.xsd
This XSD file defines the required XML structure and validation rules for successfully bulk uploading certified payroll data to the New York State Certified Payroll portal.
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