California Wage Statement Rules
California Pay Stub Generator
California has one of the strictest pay stub laws in the country: every wage statement must itemize 9 specific pieces of information, or the employer risks statutory penalties.
Pay stub requirements in California
California's itemized wage statement requirement, codified in Labor Code §226, is widely considered the most detailed pay stub law in the U.S. Employers must furnish an accurate itemized statement with every paycheck (or separately, if paid by cash or personal check) showing all nine required items above.
Records of deductions must be kept in an indelible, dated form, and the employer must retain copies of wage statements for at least three years, either at the workplace or a central California location. Current and former employees have the right to inspect or receive copies on reasonable request.
Because California courts have found that even a single missing or incorrect data point can trigger a violation, many employers use a generator or payroll system built specifically around the full nine-item checklist rather than a generic template.
Reference: California Labor Code §226. This is general educational information, not legal or payroll-compliance advice — confirm current California requirements before relying on this for payroll.
What must be on a California pay stub
- Gross wages earned
- Total hours worked (for non-exempt employees)
- Number of piece-rate units and applicable piece rate, if the employee is paid by piece rate
- All deductions
- Net wages earned
- The inclusive dates of the pay period
- The employee's name and only the last 4 digits of their Social Security number or an employee ID number
- The legal name and address of the employer
- All applicable hourly rates in effect during the pay period, and the hours worked at each rate
Penalty for non-compliance: $50 for the first pay period a violation occurs, $100 for each subsequent pay period, up to a maximum of $4,000 per employee
How to create your California pay stub
- 1. Open the iRunDocs pay stub generator with California pre-selected.
- 2. Enter company, employee, and pay period details — taxes and deductions calculate automatically.
- 3. Choose from 6 professional templates and preview the result live.
- 4. Download your finished PDF pay stub, ready to use.
Frequently asked questions
What must be on a California pay stub?
Under Labor Code §226, a California wage statement must show gross wages, total hours worked, piece-rate units/rate if applicable, all deductions, net wages, the pay period dates, the employee's name and last 4 SSN digits (or employee ID), the employer's legal name and address, and all applicable hourly rates with hours worked at each rate.
How often must California employers provide a pay stub?
At least semimonthly, or at the time of each wage payment — whichever is more frequent for that employee's pay schedule.
What happens if a California pay stub is missing information?
An employee who suffers injury from a noncompliant wage statement can recover $50 for the first violation and $100 for each subsequent violation, up to $4,000 per employee, under Labor Code §226(e).
Pay stub requirements in other states
iRunDocs provides document tools and educational information. It is not a law firm or payroll compliance service and does not provide legal or tax advice.