New York certified payroll: how often, where to file, how long to keep
Source: New York Labor Law § 220 (retrieved 2026-11-13)
On New York Article 8 public work, every contractor and subcontractor sends a sworn transcript of its payroll
within 30 days after its first payroll and every 30 days after that.
Since December 31, 2025 this is done electronically on NYSDOL's MPWR Certified Payroll portal.
The department of jurisdiction keeps the payrolls for five years after the work is completed.
- State text quoted word for word
- Checked November 13, 2026
New York at a glance
| How often | Every 30 days |
|---|---|
| Send to | Department of jurisdiction; electronic via NYSDOL MPWR |
| System / format | MPWR Certified Payroll portal (since Dec 31, 2025) |
| Keep records | You keep: originals, sworn; § 220 sets no period for you. The department of jurisdiction keeps them 5 years |
| If you don't | Willful failure to file is a violation of Labor Law § 220 |
Worked example: first payroll on the job issued January 8, 2027
| Filing | Due by |
|---|---|
| First transcript | February 7, 2027 |
| Second transcript | March 9, 2027 |
| Third transcript | April 8, 2027 |
The clock starts at the first payroll you issue on the project, then runs every 30 days.
What the law says
“Unless otherwise submitted pursuant to section two hundred twenty-j of this article,
every contractor, and sub-contractor, shall submit to the department of jurisdiction within thirty
days after issuance of its first payroll,
and every thirty days thereafter, a transcript of the original payroll record,
as provided by this article, subscribed and sworn to or affirmed as true under the penalties of
perjury.”
New York Labor Law § 220 · retrieved 2026-11-13
“all contractors and subcontractors working on projects covered by Article 8 of the NYS Labor Law
must electronically provide certified payroll records through the Certified Payroll portal on MPWR.”
New York State DOL — Bureau of Public Work and Prevailing Wage Enforcement · retrieved 2026-11-13
“all contractors and subcontractors submitting bids or performing construction work on public work
projects or private projects covered by Article 8 of the Labor Law are required to register with
the New York State Department of Labor.”
New York State DOL — Bureau of Public Work and Prevailing Wage Enforcement · retrieved 2026-11-13
“The original payrolls or transcripts shall be preserved by the department of jurisdiction for five
years from the date of completion of the work on the awarded contract.”
New York Labor Law § 220 · retrieved 2026-11-13
Step by step
- Register as a contractorArticle 8 contractors and subcontractors must be on the NYSDOL contractor registry before bidding or working.
- Get the PRC number and scheduleEach project has a Prevailing Rate Case (PRC) number and its own wage schedule; payroll lines must match that schedule.
- Submit in MPWRLog in to MPWR and file the certified payroll for the project. The 30-day clock starts at your first payroll on the job.
- Sign under penalty of perjuryThe transcript is sworn or affirmed as true; whoever signs should be the person who pays or supervises pay.
- Counting the 30 days from the contract date instead of from your first payroll on the job.
- Still mailing paper transcripts to the agency after the move to MPWR.
- Using the New York State schedule inside New York City, where the Comptroller publishes it.
Related
New York prevailing wage law
Rates, who sets them, county pages.
Certified payroll in every state we cover
Deadlines side by side, including New York's Every 30 days.
Other states
- California — At least monthly (every 30 days)
- New Jersey — Each payroll period, within 10 days of payday
- Illinois — Monthly, by the 15th
- Washington — At least once per month
- Massachusetts — Weekly
- Pennsylvania — Weekly, plus a final statement
Sources
- New York State DOL — Bureau of Public Work and Prevailing Wage Enforcement — retrieved 2026-11-13
- New York Labor Law § 220 — retrieved 2026-11-13