Short answer. E-Verify is one of two ways for a private employer to meet the rule. Separate rules cover public employers and state contractors. A penalty is stated.
At a glance
- Private employers
- A private employer is protected from the state's civil penalties if it verified every employee through E-Verify, or kept a copy of each employee's photo ID plus one listed citizenship or work document.
- Public employers
- State agencies paid through the state payroll system (LaGov HCM) had to register for and use E-Verify by January 1, 2012.
- State contractors
- A private employer bidding on or contracting with a public entity for physical services in Louisiana swears in an affidavit that it is registered with and uses E-Verify for new employees, keeps using it during the contract, and gets the same affidavit from its subcontractors. This applies to contracts and bids from January 1, 2012. A violation can cancel the public contract and bar the employer for up to three years.
- In effect since
- Act 402 of 2011, which added the E-Verify option, took effect August 15, 2011.
- Penalty
- Up to $500 per unauthorized worker for a first violation and up to $1,000 for a second. A third brings a suspension of the business permit or license for 30 days to six months and up to $2,500 per worker, after a hearing.
- Who enforces or publishes it
- Louisiana Workforce Commission (civil penalties under R.S. 23:995)
In the official wording
Private employers
Hiring in another state? Employer registration in Louisiana, done for you, or a free bookkeeping health check.
"The citizenship or work authorization status of every employee has been verified"
Public employers
"Agencies must register for and use E-Verify no later than January 1, 2012."
State contractors
"is registered and participates in a status verification system"
Effective date
"Effective August 15, 2011, Act 402 of the 2011 Regular Legislative Session"
Penalty
"For a first violation the penalty shall be not more than five hundred dollars for each alien"
Three example businesses
- 8 employees, private, no state contract: E-Verify is one way to meet the rule. See why
- 40 employees, private, no state contract: E-Verify is one way to meet the rule. See why
- 40 employees, private, with a state contract: Required. See why
Your own numbers: open the checker for Louisiana.
Worth knowing
An employer that used E-Verify is presumed to have acted in good faith. The section doesn't apply to health care facilities licensed by the state health department. The public contractor rule is R.S. 38:2212.10 (Acts 2011, No. 376, amended 2012 and 2014), which applies only to contracts entered into or bids offered on or after January 1, 2012.
Not stated on the pages we opened: limits on how E-Verify is used.
Hiring someone remote in New Jersey? MCC Solutions acts as an I-9 authorized representative: we meet the new hire, examine the original documents and complete Section 2 for you, from $65 per employee. E-Verify cases are created by the employer, in its own E-Verify account; we don't create them.
Official sources
- R.S. 23:995, Civil penalties, Louisiana State Legislature
- Act No. 402 (2011 Regular Session), HB 646 enrolled
- Office of State Uniform Payroll Memorandum 2012-08: E-Verify Employment Eligibility Verification
- RS 38:2212.10, Verification of employees (Louisiana State Legislature)
General information, not legal advice. Checked November 2026. Federal rules on Form I-9 and E-Verify timing are on the all-states table.
Common questions
Do private employers in Louisiana have to use E-Verify?
Not strictly: it's one of two ways to meet the rule. A private employer is protected from the state's civil penalties if it verified every employee through E-Verify, or kept a copy of each employee's photo ID plus one listed citizenship or work document. The official wording: "The citizenship or work authorization status of every employee has been verified."
Does Louisiana require E-Verify for public employers?
State agencies paid through the state payroll system (LaGov HCM) had to register for and use E-Verify by January 1, 2012.
Do contractors with the state of Louisiana need E-Verify?
A private employer bidding on or contracting with a public entity for physical services in Louisiana swears in an affidavit that it is registered with and uses E-Verify for new employees, keeps using it during the contract, and gets the same affidavit from its subcontractors. This applies to contracts and bids from January 1, 2012. A violation can cancel the public contract and bar the employer for up to three years.
When did the Louisiana rule take effect?
Act 402 of 2011, which added the E-Verify option, took effect August 15, 2011.
What penalty does Louisiana law set?
Up to $500 per unauthorized worker for a first violation and up to $1,000 for a second. A third brings a suspension of the business permit or license for 30 days to six months and up to $2,500 per worker, after a hearing.
Is a Form I-9 still needed in Louisiana?
Yes. Every employer completes Form I-9 for each hire under federal law, and an E-Verify case is created from the finished form, so the state rule adds to the I-9 rather than replacing it.
All states: E-Verify requirements by state · Illinois · Mississippi