What states require pay stubs research summary: When it comes to pay stubs, some states are more picky about records of salary details and wage information than others. In fact, there are states where your pay stubs must be written and others where they aren’t even required. We’ve investigated pay stub requirements in all 50 states, and according to our research:
Pay stub requirements by state
| State | Pay stub requirements |
|---|---|
| Alabama | No requirement |
| Alaska | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Arizona | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Arkansas | No requirement |
| California | Employers must provide written or printed pay stubs |
| Colorado | Employers must provide written or printed pay stubs |
| Connecticut | Employers must provide written or printed pay stubs |
| Delaware | Employers may provide electronic paystubs, but employees can request paper stubs |
| Florida | No requirement |
| Georgia | No requirement |
| Hawaii | Employers can only provide electronic pay stubs when requested |
| Idaho | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Illinois | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Indiana | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Iowa | Employers must provide written or printed pay stubs |
| Kansas | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Kentucky | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Louisiana | No requirements |
| Maine | Employers must provide written or printed pay stubs |
| Maryland | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Massachusetts | Employers must provide written or printed pay stubs |
| Michigan | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Minnesota | Employers may provide electronic paystubs, but employees can request paper stubs |
| Mississippi | No requirements |
| Missouri | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Montana | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Nebraska | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Nevada | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| New Hampshire | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| New Jersey | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| New Mexico | Employers must provide written or printed pay stubs |
| New York | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| North Carolina | Employers must provide written or printed pay stubs |
| North Dakota | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Ohio | No requirements |
| Oklahoma | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Oregon | Employers may provide electronic paystubs, but employees can request paper stubs |
| Pennsylvania | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Rhode Island | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| South Carolina | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| South Dakota | No requirements |
| Tennessee | No requirements |
| Texas | Employers must provide written or printed pay stubs |
| Utah | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Vermont | Employers must provide written or printed pay stubs |
| Virginia | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Washington | Employers must provide written or printed pay stubs |
| West Virginia | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Wisconsin | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
| Wyoming | Employers must provide pay stubs in any format |
Which states require pay stubs?
41 states require pay stubs in some form, with 26 allowing those pay stubs to be provided in any form. For all of these states, which is the vast majority in the US, pay stubs are required as they help assure employers are complying with various labor laws and regulations.
For the most part, these pay stubs must include the starting and end dates of pay frequency, gross wages, net pay, taxes, deductions, and employer contributions. This also includes overtime. All in all, the document serves as a comprehensive record of employee pay for that period.
States that require pay stubs in any format
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Alaska
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Arizona
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Idaho
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Illinois
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Indiana
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Kansas
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Kentucky
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Maryland
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Michigan
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Missouri
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Montana
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Nebraska
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Nevada
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New Hampshire
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New Jersey
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New York
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North Dakota
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Oklahoma
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Pennsylvania
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Rhode Island
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South Carolina
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Utah
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Virginia
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West Virginia
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Wisconsin
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Wyoming
In these states, employers are required to give employees access to pay stubs, but these pay stubs can be given in written or electronic format.
States that require written pay stubs
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California
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Colorado
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Connecticut
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Iowa
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Maine
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Massachusetts
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New Mexico
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North Carolina
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Texas
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Vermont
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Washington
In these 11 states, employers must provide written pay stubs to employees. This is in an attempt to ensure the careful record keeping done by employers is permanently maintained.
Opt-in and Opt-out states
| Opt-out of electronic pay stubs | Opt-in to electronic pay stubs |
|---|---|
| Delaware | Hawaii |
| Minnesota | |
| Oregon |
States that don’t require pay stubs
Out of all 50 states, there are only nine that don’t require pay stubs. Because there is no federal law mandating pay stubs, it’s perfectly legal for these states to allow this.
The states with no requirements include:
States that don’t require pay stubs
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Alabama
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Arkansas
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Florida
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Georgia
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Louisiana
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Mississippi
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Ohio
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South Dakota
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Tennessee
Pay stubs FAQ
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Is not providing pay stubs illegal?
Not providing pay stubs can be illegal on the state level but not the federal level. For example, in a state like California, refusing to provide pay stubs can lead to a penalty of up to $4,000 for every employee affected.
Conversely, in the nine states that don’t require pay stubs, there are no legal repercussions for not providing them, as there are no federal laws in place requiring pay stubs.
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How can I prove my income without pay stubs?
There are many ways you can prove your income without providing a pay stub. These are the most effective ways to prove your income:
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W-2s, 1099s, and other tax returns
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Employment verification letter
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Signed offer letter
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Official statement from a CPA or trust manager
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Bank statements
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College financial aid documents
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Guarantor
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What if my employer refuses to give me a pay stub?
If your employer refuses to give you a pay stub, there may be action you can take. This largely depends on the state you live in. If you’re in one of the nine states that don’t require pay stubs, your employer doesn’t have to provide them.
However, in any of the 41 states that do require pay stubs, you should be able to sue in a court of law to obtain the desired records. If the employer continues to refuse, they will likely be fined.
Conclusion
41 of the 50 US states require pay stubs to ensure employers are complying with labor laws and keeping adequate records. However, these states may require pay stubs in different formats, with 26 allowing any format, while 11 require written stubs.
Conversely, nine states don’t require employers to provide pay stubs. Since there is no federal law mandating pay stubs, these states are well within their legal right to do so.
Overall, your rights as an employee are important regardless of the state you work in. Always ensure that your employer is paying you fairly, and keep track of your pay stubs when they’re provided.
Author
Jack Flynn is a writer for Zippia. In his professional career he’s written over 100 research papers, articles and blog posts. Some of his most popular published works include his writing about economic terms and research into job classifications. Jack received his BS from Hampshire College.
