California Pay Stub Requirements

California is the strictest state in the country on pay stubs, and mistakes carry penalties — the statement is due semimonthly or at each pay day. Electronic stubs are fine only if the employee can access and print them.

What California law requires on the stub

• Gross wages earned
• Total hours worked (not required for salaried exempt employees)
• Piece-rate units and the piece rate, if paid by the piece
• All deductions, itemized
• Net wages earned
• The pay period's start and end dates
• The employee's name and the last 4 digits of their Social Security number (or an employee ID number)
• The employer's legal name and address
• Every hourly rate in effect and the hours worked at each rate
• Available paid sick leave (or PTO) balance

Make a California pay stub — free

The free KipiForms pay stub generator covers every field above: company and employee details, pay period, regular and overtime hours and rates, itemized deductions (with quick-adds for 401(k), health, dental, vision, HSA, child support, and garnishments), gross, net, and year-to-date totals. It runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded. Free to make, free to save, free to download, free to print. No sign-up, no fee.

Open the free pay stub generator →

General information about California pay stub rules, not legal advice. Rules change — confirm your situation with the California labor agency via the U.S. Department of Labor or a local employment attorney.

See pay stub rules for all 50 states.

Common questions

Are pay stubs required in California?

Yes — California law (Labor Code § 226(a)) spells out what has to be on every pay stub.

What must be on a California pay stub?

At minimum: gross wages earned; total hours worked (not required for salaried exempt employees); piece-rate units and the piece rate, if paid by the piece; all deductions, itemized; net wages earned, and net wages. The free generator on this page includes fields for all of them.

Can pay stubs be delivered electronically?

In most states yes, as long as the employee can actually access and print the statement. A few states ask for the employee's agreement first, so check the note on this page.