How do you submit certified payroll in DIR's eCPR system?

What is eCPR?

eCPR stands for electronic certified payroll record. It's how California contractors and subcontractors send certified payroll to the Labor Commissioner, as Labor Code 1771.4 requires, and DIR's FAQ says it is the only way to submit. It lives on DIR's Public Works Website Services at services.dir.ca.gov/pw, the same portal used for contractor registration and project registration.

DIR's announcement, dated June 2024, says the old PWC-100, PWCR and eCPR applications redirect to it and old logins don't work, so anyone who hasn't set up a new account since then starts with a new user account.

How do you log in and find your project?

DIR's guides lay out these steps:

1. Create a user account at services.dir.ca.gov/pw.
2. Create an account for your company, entering your public works contractor registration (PWCR) number so your registration status carries over, or ask to link to your company's existing account. The company's primary contact approves link requests.
3. On the main page, under Project Actions, choose Link to a project and search by DIR Project ID or project name.
4. The project then shows in your Active Projects list, with a Submit menu beside it.

A prime can add a subcontractor to the project in the same step, which puts the project on the sub's dashboard too. The awarding body has to register the project first. DIR's FAQ says contractors can't submit eCPRs to an unregistered project, and if the awarding body doesn't approve your request to join, DIR says to contact DIR Public Works with the details.

Workers go on your employee list under Edit my employees, one at a time or with Bulk Import Employees and DIR's Excel template. DIR's guide lists first name, last name, Social Security number, street address, ZIP, city and state as mandatory for each employee.

What does the online form ask for?

Choose Submit, then Manual next to the project. DIR's guide shows three steps: Payroll Setup, Employee Payroll, and Review and Submit.

The preview shows the record as DIR's Public Works Electronic Payroll Reporting Form, with the certification text above the signature. DIR's FAQ says you can review and change the record until you sign it, and can't change it after.

How does the XML upload work?

Choose Submit, then XML next to the project. DIR's guide says the upload form asks for the Contractor, Contract With and DIR Project ID, and whether the file amends an earlier payroll. Attach the file, type your signature and submit. DIR says it takes several minutes to process the file into a payroll record.

The file follows DIR's schema, CPR.xsd version 1.3, posted at dir.ca.gov/dlse/CPR-Prod-Test/CPR.xsd, with a sample file at dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/CPR/CPRSample.xml. DIR's eCPR XML Guidelines (Version 2.0, March 2026) and the schema say:

• The file has three parts: contractorInfo, projectInfo and payrollInfo.
• The projectID has to match the project you're submitting to.
• forWeekEnding is the last day of the payroll week, written as yyyy-mm-dd, and each employee has seven day entries with straight time, overtime and double time hours.
• Each employee's name carries an id attribute of SSN::NAME, with the name in upper case and the SSN matching the ssn element.
• Every employee field is required except notes.
• Fringe benefits go in as hourly amounts and deductions as totals for the period.
• payrollNum and amendmentNum stay empty; the system assigns them.
• The file name ends in .xml.

DIR's upload guide lists the project ID, employee names, SSNs and addresses, days and hours worked, rates and total hours as required for a valid file. One file carries one payroll week for one project and up to 500 employees, according to the schema.

How do you file a week with no work?

With a statement of non-performance. In the online form, pick Non-performance as the payroll type; DIR's form says to select it when no work was performed during the pay period. In XML, set statementOfNP to true and leave the employees element empty. DIR's FAQ says a statement of non-performance filed for the same period replaces a payroll that was submitted by mistake for a week with no work.

How do you fix a payroll you already submitted?

Submit an amended record for the same pay period. DIR's FAQ says submitted records can't be changed or deleted. The new record for an employee takes precedence over the original, you only resubmit the employees whose information was wrong or missing, and the original stays on file with its amendments. In the XML upload form, mark the file as an amendment.

When are eCPRs due?

At least monthly, which Labor Code 1771.4(a)(3)(A)(i) defines as at least once every 30 days while work is being performed and within 30 days after the final day of work. The contract with the awarding body can require more frequent filing. DIR's FAQ calls weekly filing, or filing at the end of each payroll period, the best practice.

What happens if eCPRs are late?

Labor Code 1771.4(a)(3)(B) sets a penalty of $100 for each day in violation, up to $5,000 per project. The Labor Commissioner can't levy it until the records are 14 days past the deadline, and only the contractor or subcontractor that didn't file owes it.

Filing eCPRs doesn't cover a written request for records. The Labor Commissioner's Public Works Manual (October 2023) treats them as separate duties, and Labor Code 1776 gives 10 days to provide certified copies after a written request.

Who can see your eCPRs?

Anyone, with personal details removed. DIR's CPR Public Search shows submitted records, and DIR's FAQ says redaction removes workers' names, addresses, phone numbers and SSNs, and the contractor's FEIN or SSN and email address. You can export an unredacted PDF of your own records from the portal.