New Hire FAQ and Tips

Tips

  • Always include a contact name and phone number for your company with your new hire reports.
  • Do not use any punctuation when reporting new hires online or electronically.
  • When naming your electronic file, please use your company name and the current date. (example: CompanyNameMMDDYYYY )
  • When a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) changes and your employee(s) are being paid under the new FEIN, you must submit a new hire report for each employee.  Please use the date of hire as the first day the employee started working under the new FEIN.
  • The employee’s name should match the name on their social security card. If it does not, there is a good chance the report will be rejected and you may receive a call from NHR staff.
  • Only report valid social security numbers to the New Hire Reporting Program. Do not report a fake number or Alien Identification Numbers. Reports containing such numbers will be rejected.
  • If an employee is rehired, use the date the employee was rehired as the date of hire.

FAQ

New Hire Reporting became law in October 1997.
Employers must report all newly hired and rehired employees to the New Hire Reporting Program within twenty (20) days from the date the employee is hired or rehired, MCA § 40-5-922.
Yes, but only if the employee has been separated from employment with the business for more than sixty (60) consecutive days. 
 

States match New Hire reports against their child support records to locate parents, establish a child support order, or enforce an existing order. 

In addition, other state programs can use the reported information to prevent certain types of fraud. Office of Child Support Enforcement - New Hire Reporting - Answers to Employer Questions

Yes. You may send reports to the NHR Program by email through the State of Montana File Transfer Service. This application can be accessed through Okta and allows you to transmit sensitive information (such as social security numbers) to the NHR Program securely at NewHireReporting@mt.gov . Please do NOT send files by regular email, only submit files through the File Transfer Service.  
Yes, these employees are required to be reported within twenty (20) days as a new hire. If they are returning to work after being separated from employment with your company for sixty (60) consecutive days as a rehire, a new report will need to be submitted.
When a business’ FEIN changes and your employee(s) are being paid under the new FEIN, you must submit a new hire report for each employee. Please use the date of hire as the first day the employee started working under the new FEIN.
Yes. In order to legally work in the United States, workers from other countries are required to apply for a social security number. Once they receive their social security number you are required to report them to the NHR Program. Please do not report non-valid social security numbers or alien identification numbers. Reports containing such numbers will be rejected and you may be contacted by NHR staff.

Check out our New Hire Reporting Guide for additional information.

More information can also be found on the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement’s New Hire Reporting - Answers to Employer Questions page.