WeeklyCertified / State rules / Certified Payroll in California: DIR Rules and the eCPR Portal
Certified Payroll in California: DIR Rules and the eCPR Portal
What are the certified payroll rules in California?
California requires certified payroll on public works contracts over $1,000 under the state Prevailing Wage Law. Records follow Form A-1-131 and must be filed electronically through the DIR's eCPR system at least every 30 days while work is performed. A federal WH-347 alone does not satisfy the state requirement.
California runs the most developed state prevailing-wage system in the country, and it is fully electronic: if you work state or locally funded public works, you will file through the Department of Industrial Relations' eCPR portal, not on paper.
The rules at a glance
| State law | California Prevailing Wage Law, Labor Code sections 1720 to 1861 |
| Threshold | Public works contracts over $1,000 |
| Form / format | Form A-1-131 (Public Works Payroll Reporting Form) |
| Where it goes | DIR eCPR electronic certified payroll system (link) |
| How often | At least once every 30 days while work is performed, and within 30 days after the final day of work (or more often if the contract requires); records due within 10 days on request |
| Records kept | Confirm current retention requirements with DIR; the federal three-year rule still applies on federally assisted work |
| Who administers it | California Department of Industrial Relations / Labor Commissioner |
Does the federal WH-347 work in California?
No. State law requires electronic submission through eCPR in the manner prescribed by the Labor Commissioner, so a WH-347 alone does not satisfy California's requirement on state-funded work. WH-347 still applies to federally funded projects.
Penalties
Failing to produce records after a 10-day notice runs $100 per day per worker, and failing to file through eCPR can cost $100 per day up to $5,000 per project.
Federal jobs in California still mean WH-347
State rules govern state-funded work. The moment a project is federally funded or assisted, the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts apply and the weekly WH-347 with its Statement of Compliance is the filing, regardless of what California requires on its own jobs. Many contractors run both systems side by side on different projects, which is exactly why knowing which regime a given contract sits under is week-zero work (see the first-job checklist).
The free WeeklyCertified generator prepares the federal form with your wage determination's rates pulled live and the fringe and overtime math done to the cent.
Questions
Does the federal WH-347 satisfy California requirements?
No. State law requires electronic submission through eCPR in the manner prescribed by the Labor Commissioner, so a WH-347 alone does not satisfy California's requirement on state-funded work. WH-347 still applies to federally funded projects.
How often is certified payroll due in California?
At least once every 30 days while work is performed, and within 30 days after the final day of work (or more often if the contract requires); records due within 10 days on request. Records: Confirm current retention requirements with DIR; the federal three-year rule still applies on federally assisted work.
Who enforces prevailing wage in California?
California Department of Industrial Relations / Labor Commissioner. Failing to produce records after a 10-day notice runs $100 per day per worker, and failing to file through eCPR can cost $100 per day up to $5,000 per project.