GoodState
How to report a new hire in Washington: a new FEIN, a returning employee and DCS Online
Washington DSHS instructs employers to report hires and rehires within 20 days. Its rehire definition uses at least 60 consecutive days of separation. Check the actual employment event, including a business ownership or employer-identity change, rather than treating an unchanged payroll profile as the answer. Washington DSHS new-hire reporting
What happens when a business changes owners?
DSHS distinguishes a business sale with the same federal employer identification number from a change to a new FEIN. Its instructions call for reporting employees when the FEIN changes, even when people continue working. Confirm the employer identity before assuming the previous company's report follows the workforce automatically.
Which government system should I use?
DSHS describes SecureAccess Washington and DCS Online for online reporting, alongside other methods. For fax reports it describes W-4s, payroll printouts or lists, and explicitly says not to use Form I-9. The page's limits on dates that an online screen accepts are system-entry limits, not an extension of the reporting deadline. Save the actual evidence from your method and follow up on a rejected record without assuming acceptance.
What should I ask the person handling the report?
Confirm the responsible employer, actual worksite, worker event, method, owner and result. Keep the original evidence privately. A queued or unknown result needs review before anyone assumes success or sends a duplicate. These are suggested administrative checks, not a complete legal checklist.
Government reporting and giving an employee a notice are separate tasks. This guide does not file a report, decide worker classification or promise GoodState reporting availability. A selected state does not establish workplace or service eligibility.
See the state reporting-method directory, Compliance Calendar and notice delivery and proof guide for related planning.
Sources checked November 11, 2026: Washington DSHS new-hire reporting. Special-worker, multistate and unresolved method questions need their own current instructions. No legal due date is calculated here.