Official-source research · verified July 27, 2026

2026 U.S. pay stub requirements.

A state-by-state reference covering all 50 states plus Washington, DC, built from current statutes, regulations, and labor-agency guidance.

51states and Washington, DC
25general required classifications
15conditional, sector, or request-based classifications
1classification deliberately withheld pending verification

Searchable public database

Every state, with scope and exceptions kept visible.

Search by jurisdiction, classification, required field, or source. All entries are rendered in the page HTML so the research remains accessible without JavaScript.

Negative findings are phrased narrowly.

“No general duty identified” means no generally applicable employee-facing duty was located in the official sources reviewed. It does not mean no federal, local, sector, contractual, or collective-bargaining obligation can apply.

AL

Alabama

Copyable section #
No general requirement identified
Official-source review

No generally applicable state duty located in the reviewed Alabama labor materials; sector- or contract-specific duties may still apply.

Required content

Not established in first-pass review.

Electronic / printing

Not established in first-pass review.

Record retention

Use the applicable federal/state payroll-record rule; no state-specific pay-statement retention rule confirmed.

AK

Alaska

Copyable section #
Required
Official-source verified

Written or electronic earnings-and-deductions statement for each pay period.

Required content

Rate; gross and net wages; pay-period dates; federal/FICA/Alaska ESC deductions; board/lodging; advances; straight-time and overtime hours; other authorized deductions; sick leave used and balance.

Electronic / printing

Written or electronic permitted.

Record retention

Payroll records at least 3 years; wage-computation basis records generally 2 years.

AZ

Arizona

Copyable section #
Conditional / payment-method specific
Official-source verified

Written or electronic earnings-and-withholdings statement is expressly required for direct deposit and payroll-card payment methods under the reviewed section.

Required content

Earnings and withholdings; further fields may arise under other law.

Electronic / printing

Written or electronic permitted for covered payment methods.

Record retention

Minimum-wage and earned-paid-sick-time payroll records: 4 years under §23-364.

AR

Arkansas

Copyable section #
No general requirement identified
Official-source review

No generally applicable employee-facing pay-statement duty located in the reviewed wage statutes/rules; employer payroll records are required.

Required content

Not established in first-pass review.

Electronic / printing

Not established in first-pass review.

Record retention

Payroll records required under state rules; exact retention period needs second review.

CA

California

Copyable section #
Required
Official-source verified

Itemized written statement each time wages are paid, subject to statutory exceptions.

Required content

Gross wages; total hours for nonexempt employees; piece-rate units/rates; deductions; net wages; pay-period dates; employee name/identifier; employer legal name/address; hourly rates and hours at each rate.

Electronic / printing

Electronic delivery may be used only if employees can access the information and convert it to a hard copy; confirm implementation details before publication.

Record retention

Copy of statement or record of deductions: at least 3 years.

CO

Colorado

Copyable section #
Required
Official-source verified

Itemized earnings statement each pay period.

Required content

Employee and employer names; gross wages; withholdings/deductions; net wages; pay-period dates; hours and rates where applicable; other items specified by current rule.

Electronic / printing

Electronic statements may be used; employee access/retention details require rule-level confirmation before public simplification.

Record retention

At least 3 years.

CT

Connecticut

Copyable section #
Required
Official-source verified

Employer must furnish a record of hours worked, wages earned, and deductions.

Required content

Hours worked; wages earned; deductions.

Electronic / printing

Electronic records are permitted only with employee access and a means to print.

Record retention

Covered wage records must generally be preserved for at least 3 years.

DE

Delaware

Copyable section #
Required
Official-source verified

Employers with more than 3 employees must furnish a statement at payment.

Required content

Wages due; pay period; separately specified deductions; total hours for hourly employees.

Electronic / printing

Electronic permitted if retainable; employee may request a written separate slip.

Record retention

At least 3 years.

DC

District of Columbia

Copyable section #
Required
Official-source verified

Itemized statement with each wage payment.

Required content

Payment date; gross wages; deductions and additions, including tips; net wages; hours worked; tip declaration where applicable.

Electronic / printing

Electronic implementation details require second-pass confirmation.

Record retention

3 years, or longer if the prevailing federal standard is longer.

FL

Florida

Copyable section #
No general requirement identified
Official-source review

No generally applicable private-employer pay-statement duty located. A written itemized deduction statement applies in the day-labor-pool context and must not be generalized.

Required content

Sector-specific fields exist for covered labor pools.

Electronic / printing

Sector-specific only in reviewed authority.

Record retention

No general state pay-statement retention rule confirmed; federal and tax rules may apply.

GA

Georgia

Copyable section #
No general requirement identified
Official-source review

Georgia DOL directs wage-and-hour users principally to the federal FLSA; no generally applicable state pay-statement duty located in reviewed sources.

Required content

Not established in first-pass review.

Electronic / printing

Not established in first-pass review.

Record retention

Federal and tax recordkeeping rules may apply; no state pay-statement retention rule confirmed.

HI

Hawaii

Copyable section #
Required
Official-source verified

Pay statement required when wages are paid.

Required content

Total hours; regular and overtime hours; straight-time and overtime compensation; additions/deductions; total wages; pay date/pay period and other prescribed information.

Electronic / printing

Electronic statements require the employee’s written authorization, retrieval instructions, access to printing equipment, and the ability to cancel the arrangement.

Record retention

Electronic pay statements and employee payroll records must generally be retained for at least 6 years.

Conditional / deductions
Official-source verified

Written statement is required for each pay period in which deductions are made.

Required content

Deductions made from wages.

Electronic / printing

The statute/guidance specifies a written statement.

Record retention

Employee payroll records should be retained for at least 3 years under the current Idaho DOL employer guide.

IL

Illinois

Copyable section #
Required
Official-source verified

Employers must provide pay stubs and retain copies; current law also addresses former-employee requests.

Required content

Hours; rate; overtime pay and overtime hours; gross wages; deductions; year-to-date wages and deductions.

Electronic / printing

Electronic delivery and access mechanics are governed by the current Act/rules; extract request limits and delivery methods in second pass.

Record retention

At least 3 years under the 2025 pay-stub amendments.

IN

Indiana

Copyable section #
Required
Official-source verified

Employer subject to the minimum-wage chapter must furnish a statement of hours and wages.

Required content

Hours worked; wages paid; deductions made.

Electronic / printing

Electronic delivery specifics not established in first pass.

Record retention

At least 3 years under applicable wage records rule; confirm precise authority in second pass.

Required
Official-source verified

Statement each payday.

Required content

Hours worked; wages earned; deductions; additional statutory items and exemptions as applicable.

Electronic / printing

May be mailed, securely transmitted electronically, made available at work, or made electronically viewable; electronic method must allow unrestricted printing.

Record retention

3 calendar years.

KS

Kansas

Copyable section #
On employee request / deductions
Official-source verified

Employer must furnish an itemized statement of deductions upon the employee’s request for each pay period in which deductions are made.

Required content

Itemized deductions.

Electronic / printing

Form not specified in reviewed section.

Record retention

Exact period needs second-pass records review.

KY

Kentucky

Copyable section #
Conditional / employer size and deductions
Official-source verified

Employers with 10 or more employees that make deductions must furnish a paper or electronic deduction statement at payment.

Required content

Amount of each deduction and general purpose.

Electronic / printing

Electronic statement permitted; employer must provide access to a computer and printer for review/printing.

Record retention

General wage/hour records at least 1 year under KRS 337.320.

LA

Louisiana

Copyable section #
No general requirement identified
Official-source review

No generally applicable employee-facing pay-statement mandate located in reviewed wage-payment provisions.

Required content

Not established in first-pass review.

Electronic / printing

Not established in first-pass review.

Record retention

No statement-specific state period confirmed; federal/tax rules may apply.

MD

Maryland

Copyable section #
Required
Official-source verified

Physical pay stub or online pay statement each pay period.

Required content

Employer registered name/address/phone; pay date; pay-period dates; hours for nonexempt employees; rates; gross/net; amount and name of deductions; additional bases of pay; piece-rate details.

Electronic / printing

Physical or online statement permitted by statute.

Record retention

At least 3 years under §3-424.

MA

Massachusetts

Copyable section #
Required
Official-source verified

Suitable pay slip, check stub, or envelope when wages are paid.

Required content

Employer and employee names; date; hours worked; hourly rate; deductions or increases for the pay period.

Electronic / printing

Electronic-delivery implementation is not explicit in the reviewed statutory text; second-pass agency guidance required.

Record retention

General minimum-wage records at least 3 years.

MN

Minnesota

Copyable section #
Required
Official-source verified

Earnings statement at the end of each pay period.

Required content

Employee; pay rates/bases; allowances; hours unless exempt; gross; deductions; specified leave deductions/contributions; net; pay-period end; employer names/address/phone.

Electronic / printing

Written or electronic; electronic users must get employer-computer access to review/print; paper must be provided on 24-hour notice and thereafter.

Record retention

Electronic statements available for review/printing for 3 years; other records rules may also apply.

MS

Mississippi

Copyable section #
No general requirement identified
Official-source review

No generally applicable employee-facing pay-statement duty located in reviewed state wage materials.

Required content

Not established in first-pass review.

Electronic / printing

Not established in first-pass review.

Record retention

No statement-specific state period confirmed; federal/tax rules may apply.

MO

Missouri

Copyable section #
Conditional / covered employers and deductions
Official-source verified

Covered corporations and railroad operators must furnish at least monthly a statement showing total deductions.

Required content

Total deductions for the period.

Electronic / printing

May be part of check/draft/voucher or separate.

Record retention

Exact period not established in the reviewed section.

NE

Nebraska

Copyable section #
On written request
Official-source verified

Employer must provide an itemized statement of wages and deductions within 10 working days after a written employee request.

Required content

Wages earned and deductions made; exact subsection wording should be extracted in second pass.

Electronic / printing

Print or electronic format permitted.

Record retention

Exact period not established in first pass.

NV

Nevada

Copyable section #
On employee request / records access
Official-source verified

Employer must maintain wage records and furnish the required information within 10 days after an employee request; separate deduction-itemization rules may also apply.

Required content

Gross wage/salary; deductions; net wages; hours per day; payment date and other record fields.

Electronic / printing

Response form not fully extracted in first pass.

Record retention

2 years under NRS 608.115.

NJ

New Jersey

Copyable section #
Required, with employer-size detail
Official-source verified

Employers must furnish a statement of deductions; employers with 10 or more employees have additional gross/net/rate/hours requirements.

Required content

Deductions; for covered larger employers: gross/net, rate, and hours where relevant.

Electronic / printing

Electronic implementation details need second-pass agency review.

Record retention

Exact period needs second-pass review.

NM

New Mexico

Copyable section #
Sector-specific confirmed; no general duty identified in reviewed sources
Official-source verified

Day-labor service agencies must provide itemized payment statements; a generally applicable private-employer mandate was not confirmed in the first pass.

Required content

Day-laborer name; time; rate; deductions and payment detail under the sector rule.

Electronic / printing

Sector rule permits an itemized statement; broader electronic/printing rule not confirmed.

Record retention

General statement-retention period unresolved.

NY

New York

Copyable section #
Required
Official-source verified

Detailed wage statement with every wage payment.

Required content

Work dates; employee and employer names; employer address/phone; rates and bases; gross; deductions; allowances; applicable overtime, spread-of-hours, piece-rate and benefit details.

Electronic / printing

Electronic delivery may be used if the employee can access and print; confirm current agency implementation guidance.

Record retention

Wage records generally 6 years.

NC

North Carolina

Copyable section #
Conditional / deductions
Official-source verified

Itemized statement required for each pay period in which deductions are made.

Required content

Itemized deductions.

Electronic / printing

Form/electronic details need second-pass regulation review.

Record retention

Payroll records generally 3 years under state regulation; exact citation pending.

ND

North Dakota

Copyable section #
No general employee-facing statement duty identified in reviewed official sources
Official-source review

Wage Collection chapter establishes payment and withholding rules but the first-pass review did not locate a general duty to furnish a periodic pay statement.

Required content

Not established in first-pass review.

Electronic / printing

Not established in first-pass review.

Record retention

No statement-specific period established in reviewed chapter.

Required
Official-source verified

Written/electronic statement or access to a statement each regular payday.

Required content

Employee name/address; employer name; gross and net; each addition/deduction amount and purpose; pay date and period; hourly hours/rate/overtime hours.

Electronic / printing

Written or electronic statement, or access to one.

Record retention

No statement-specific retention term in §4113.14; apply other payroll/tax rules as applicable.

OK

Oklahoma

Copyable section #
Required / deductions
Official-source verified

Employer must provide an itemized statement of deductions for each pay period.

Required content

Itemized deductions; current amended text should be re-extracted before public launch.

Electronic / printing

Paper or electronic pay stubs are accepted under current Oklahoma Department of Labor guidance.

Record retention

Exact period needs second-pass review.

OR

Oregon

Copyable section #
Required
Official-source verified

Itemized written statement when wages are paid.

Required content

Pay date/pay-period dates; employee and employer names/address/business registry number; rate(s); gross/net; hours; piece-rate data; deductions; allowances; other statutory items.

Electronic / printing

Electronic statement only with express employee agreement and ability to print or store it at the time received; paper remains required absent agreement.

Record retention

Time records must generally be retained for 2 years and payroll records for 3 years. BOLI notes that employers may retain records longer because some wage or contract claims have a 6-year limitation period.

PA

Pennsylvania

Copyable section #
Required
Official-source verified

Every employer covered by Pennsylvania’s minimum-wage chapter must furnish a statement with every wage payment.

Required content

Hours worked; rates paid; gross wages; minimum-wage allowances, if any; deductions; net wages.

Electronic / printing

No separate electronic-delivery condition was identified in the reviewed section.

Record retention

Covered payroll records must generally be preserved for 3 years from the date of the last entry.

RI

Rhode Island

Copyable section #
Required
Official-source verified

Statement on every regular payday.

Required content

Hours worked unless exempt; deductions and explanation; commercial-construction rate information where applicable.

Electronic / printing

Electronic-delivery details not established in the reviewed section.

Record retention

Employment records under Chapter 28-14 must generally be retained for at least 3 years after entry.

SD

South Dakota

Copyable section #
No general requirement identified
Official-source review

No generally applicable employee-facing pay-statement mandate located in first-pass codified-law and agency review.

Required content

Not established in first-pass review.

Electronic / printing

Not established in first-pass review.

Record retention

No statement-specific state period confirmed; federal/tax rules may apply.

TN

Tennessee

Copyable section #
No general requirement identified
Official-source review

Tennessee’s Wage Regulations Act materials address pay frequency, final pay, and authorized deductions; no general employee-facing periodic pay-statement duty was located.

Required content

Not established in first-pass review.

Electronic / printing

Not established in first-pass review.

Record retention

No statement-specific state period confirmed; federal/tax rules may apply.

Conditional / employees outside FLSA coverage
Official-source verified

Texas Minimum Wage Act requires a written earnings statement for covered employees; Texas Workforce Commission guidance says receipts/stubs are not required for employees covered by the FLSA.

Required content

Enough information to determine gross and net pay and deductions under applicable Texas law; extract exact statutory fields in second pass.

Electronic / printing

Written statement for covered workers; electronic implementation not fully extracted.

Record retention

FLSA records generally 3 years; Texas unemployment-tax records generally 4 years; identify which rule applies to each public field.

VT

Vermont

Copyable section #
Current classification withheld pending controlling-source capture
Verification in progress

A current controlling Vermont rule could not be captured from the official rule service during this audit.

Required content

Not published pending current primary-source capture.

Electronic / printing

Not published pending current primary-source capture.

Record retention

Not published pending current primary-source capture.

VA

Virginia

Copyable section #
Required, with agricultural exception/request rule
Official-source verified

Each regular pay date, nonagricultural employers provide a paystub or online accounting; agricultural employers furnish gross wages and deductions on employee request.

Required content

Employer name/address; hours for hourly and certain salaried employees; rate; gross; deductions and purposes; enough information to calculate gross and net.

Electronic / printing

Paystub or online accounting permitted.

Record retention

At least 3 years.

WA

Washington

Copyable section #
Required
Official-source verified

Itemized pay statement at wage payment.

Required content

Pay basis; rate(s); gross wages; all deductions; pay-period dates; payment date.

Electronic / printing

Electronic permitted if employee can receive and copy it on payday; if not, employer must provide a written statement on payday.

Record retention

At least 3 years.

WV

West Virginia

Copyable section #
Conditional / deductions
Official-source verified

Employer must provide an itemized statement when deductions are made.

Required content

Itemized deductions.

Electronic / printing

Form/electronic details need second-pass review.

Record retention

Records period is governed by statute/regulation; exact applicable period needs second-pass extraction.

WI

Wisconsin

Copyable section #
Conditional / deductions
Official-source verified

Deductions must be clearly stated on the paycheck, envelope, or paper accompanying payment.

Required content

Deductions from wages.

Electronic / printing

Reviewed statute contemplates paper/check accompaniment; electronic equivalence requires agency confirmation.

Record retention

Exact period needs second-pass review.

WY

Wyoming

Copyable section #
Conditional / deductions
Verified; detail limited

Check, draft, or voucher must include a detachable part showing itemized deductions.

Required content

Itemized deductions.

Electronic / printing

Computerized payroll may be addressed by rule; exact current electronic text needs second-pass confirmation.

Record retention

Exact period needs second-pass review.

Methodology and quality controls

Built to be cited—and corrected.

The value of this resource depends on transparent source selection, restrained conclusions, and a visible update process.

Source hierarchy
  • Current statutes and regulations first
  • Official labor-agency guidance second
  • No commercial compliance chart used as controlling authority
Scope discipline
  • Payment-method and sector duties remain conditional
  • Record-retention rules are separated from lawsuit limitation periods
  • Future laws are labeled by effective date
Corrections policy

Send the jurisdiction, official source, and proposed correction through the contact page. Material changes are source-checked before publication and recorded below.

Changelog · July 27, 2026

Initial public edition. Pennsylvania’s general statement rule was confirmed in 34 Pa. Code §231.36; Oregon’s 3-year payroll-record minimum was separated from the 6-year claim limitation; Connecticut’s October 1, 2026 amendment was recorded as upcoming; and current classifications were withheld for Vermont pending controlling-source confirmation.