Pay stub requirements in California

01 — The law

What California law requires

1. 01

   Nine items on every statement

   Gross wages earned, total hours worked, piece-rate units and the piece rate where it applies, all deductions, net wages earned, the inclusive dates of the pay period, the employee name, the name and address of the legal entity that is the employer, and every hourly rate in effect during the period with the hours worked at each. Hours may be omitted only for salaried employees exempt from overtime.

   California Labor Code § 226 (itemized wage statements) →
2. 02

   Last four digits of the SSN, never the whole number

   Section 226(a)(7) permits only the last four digits of a Social Security number, or an employee identification number that is not an SSN. Printing the full number is itself a defect in the statement.

   California Labor Code § 226 (itemized wage statements) →
3. 03

   Semimonthly pay on fixed calendar deadlines

   Wages earned from the 1st through the 15th are due by the 26th of the same month; wages earned from the 16th through the end of the month are due by the 10th of the next. Weekly, biweekly or other periods must be paid within seven calendar days of the end of the period. Overtime may lag to the following payday. Executive, administrative and professional employees may be paid monthly by the 26th.

   DLSE — Paydays, pay periods, and final wages →
4. 04

   Electronic statements are allowed, on conditions

   The Labor Commissioner treats electronic wage statements as compliant where the employee can switch back to paper at any time, the statement carries every item required by § 226(a) and is posted no later than payday, access is protected, employees can print at work at no charge, records are kept three years, and former employees get paper copies free on request. No approval from the Division is needed first.

   DLSE Opinion Letter 2006.07.06 — Electronic itemized wage statements →
5. 05

   Records kept three years and produced in 21 days

   A copy of each statement and the record of deductions stays on file for at least three years at the place of employment or a central California location. Employees may inspect or copy their payroll records, and an employer that does not comply within 21 calendar days owes a $750 penalty.

   California Labor Code § 226 (itemized wage statements) →
6. 06

   Penalties are per pay period

   A knowing and intentional failure costs the greater of actual damages or $50 for the first pay period and $100 for each pay period after, capped at $4,000, plus costs and attorney fees. An employee is deemed injured merely by not receiving a statement, or by not being able to work out the required information from the statement alone.

   California Labor Code § 226 (itemized wage statements) →
7. 07

   No part of the $16.90 may be paid out of a customer's gratuity

   California is one of the states that permit no tip credit whatsoever. In the 1 July 2026 edition of the federal table of tipped minimum wages it sits in the group whose employers owe the full state minimum wage before tips, with $16.90 an hour printed as the cash wage, the same figure everybody else in the state is owed. Gratuities belong to the worker who earned them and cannot be counted towards the hourly rate.

   U.S. Department of Labor — Minimum wages for tipped employees (1 July 2026) →

02 — Local rates

Local rates above the California minimum

• Fast food chains (statewide)

  $20.00 per hour since April 1, 2024 for limited-service restaurants belonging to a national chain of at least 60 locations. Airport, hotel, theme park, grocery-store and certain bakery locations are carved out.

  DLSE — Fast food minimum wage FAQ →

• Cities and counties

  The Labor Commissioner states that some cities and counties set a higher minimum wage than the state rate, and that where a local rate is higher the employer must pay it. The state links to the list of local rates maintained by UC Berkeley rather than publishing one itself.

  DLSE — Minimum wage FAQ →

03 — What we calculate

What this generator calculates for California

State withholding for California is calculated from the 2026 figures the state publishes, and our test suite holds those figures against the state's own published calculation rather than against arithmetic of ours.

04 — Questions

Frequently asked questions

Can a California pay stub show my full Social Security number?

No. Labor Code § 226(a)(7) allows only the last four digits, or an employee identification number that is not a Social Security number. This generator follows the same rule: the SSN field accepts four digits and nothing longer.

My employer only posts pay stubs online. Is that legal in California?

Yes, provided you can opt back into paper at any time, the electronic statement carries everything § 226(a) requires, it is available no later than payday, and you can print it at work without being charged. Those conditions come from the Labor Commissioner opinion letter that governs electronic wage statements.

How soon must my employer hand over my payroll records if I ask?

As soon as practicable and no later than 21 calendar days from the request. Missing that deadline entitles you to a $750 penalty in a civil action, separate from any claim about the statements themselves.

Does my paycheck have to arrive twice a month?

For most employees, yes. Wages for the first half of the month are due by the 26th and wages for the second half by the 10th of the following month. Executive, administrative and professional employees may be paid once a month if the full month is paid by the 26th, and farm labor contractors must pay weekly.

Is $16.90 the rate everywhere in California in 2026?

It is the statewide floor from January 1, 2026. Fast food employees at covered national chains are entitled to $20.00, certain health care workers have their own schedule, and where a city or county sets a higher rate the local one wins.