--- title: "NJ Certified Payroll: MW-562 and the NJ Wage Hub, Explained" description: "How New Jersey certified payroll works: the MW-562, the NJ Wage Hub, the 10-day deadline, the public body copy, PWCR registration and penalties." canonical: "https://publicworkspay.com/new-jersey" markdown: "https://publicworkspay.com/new-jersey.md" last_updated: "2026-10-19" --- # New Jersey certified payroll (MW-562 and the NJ Wage Hub) New Jersey certified payroll is form MW-562, the Payroll Certification for Public Works Projects. Every contractor and subcontractor on a prevailing wage job submits it each payroll period, within 10 days of paying wages, to the public body and to NJDOL through the NJ Wage Hub. The Prevailing Wage Act says the Wage Hub filing doesn't replace the copy to the public body. Public Works Pay is building that weekly report. By [the Public Works Pay team](https://publicworkspay.com/editorial) · Updated October 19, 2026 ## What will the New Jersey certified payroll include? - Your weekly payroll imported and laid out in the columns of the MW-562 (2/25), one payroll for each project and week ending date. - Each worker's name and address, job title, work classification, sex, race and ethnicity, and straight time and overtime hours for each day. - Gross amount earned on this project and for the week, each deduction, net wages paid, and the total fringe benefit cost per hour. - Rates below the prevailing wage determination you picked for a classification flagged for you to review before you file. - A completed MW-562 ready to upload to the NJ Wage Hub, and a copy for the public body. - The statement of compliance e-signed by you, the contractor or subcontractor who certifies it, with each week archived by project. ## What is New Jersey certified payroll? New Jersey certified payroll is the record N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.29 requires on public works under the Prevailing Wage Act, N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.25 et seq. NJDOL's form is the MW-562, Payroll Certification for Public Works Projects, for weekly and final certification. Since P.L. 2023, c.138, contractors also submit it online through the NJ Wage Hub. The table below is the short version, checked October 19, 2026. Sources: [New Jersey Prevailing Wage Act, N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.25 et seq., and N.J.A.C. 12:60](https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/tools-resources/laws/prevailingwageact.shtml), checked October 19, 2026; [Wage & Hour Compliance: Public Works](https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/prevailing-rates/public-works/), checked October 19, 2026; [New Jersey Wage Hub](https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/prevailing-rates/njwagehub.shtml), checked October 19, 2026; [NJ Wage Hub FAQ](https://nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/prevailing-rates/wagehubfaq.shtml), checked October 19, 2026; [MW-562 (2/25), Payroll Certification for Public Works Projects](https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/assets/PDFs/wagehub/MW-562%20%2812_16B%29Payroll%20Cert-Public%20Works%20test%2012%2016B%20%282%29.pdf), checked October 19, 2026; [Wage & Hour Compliance: Forms and Publications](https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/tools-resources/forms-publications/), checked October 19, 2026. | Item | New Jersey | | --- | --- | | What it's called | Payroll Certification for Public Works Projects, form MW-562 (current version printed MW-562 (2/25)) | | Law | New Jersey Prevailing Wage Act, N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.25 et seq., and N.J.A.C. 12:60 | | Who files | Every contractor and subcontractor on a public works project | | How often | Each payroll period, within 10 days of the date wages were paid. Weekly and final certifications. | | Where it goes | The public body that awarded the contract, and NJDOL through the NJ Wage Hub (njwages.nj.gov). One doesn't replace the other. | | Wage Hub sign-up | 9-digit FEIN, Public Works Contractor Registration number and 10-digit registration reference ID | | Checked against | The prevailing wage determination NJDOL issues for the contract at the public body's request, at the rates in effect on the award date | | Signature | The person who pays or supervises payment of the workers certifies the statement and signs, or e-signs on the fillable form | | Record retention | 2 years from the date of payment | | Registration | Public Works Contractor Registration (PWCR) before bidding or working: $500 a year, or $750 for two years after two years registered | | Penalties | Disorderly persons offense with fines of $100 to $1,000 per offense, administrative penalties up to $2,500 for a first violation and $5,000 after, and a 3-year bar from public contracts | ## What does a filled MW-562 look like? ### We're preparing a sample A filled New Jersey sample, with every column of the MW-562 explained, will appear here before Public Works Pay opens. ## Who has to file New Jersey certified payroll? Every contractor and subcontractor on a public works project covered by the Prevailing Wage Act. NJDOL's Wage Hub FAQ says any contractor working on a public works project in New Jersey is required to use the Wage Hub. Primes see their own certified payroll and their subcontractors'. Subcontractors don't add projects, because the general contractor or the public body enters them. ## When is New Jersey certified payroll due, and where does it go? N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.29 says certified payroll records are submitted each payroll period within 10 days of the date the wages were paid. They go to two places: 1. **The public body that awarded the contract.** The statute keeps this requirement in place. 2. **NJDOL, through the NJ Wage Hub** at njwages.nj.gov. P.L. 2023, c.138, enacted August 16, 2023, requires certified payrolls on public works to be submitted online, and NJDOL says it took effect 365 days after enactment. The MW-562 itself says the same thing: submit via the NJ Wage Hub, and for purposes of law also submit it to the appropriate public body or lessor. If the prime hasn't set up the project on the Wage Hub, NJDOL's FAQ says you submit to the public body the way you did before the Wage Hub existed. ## What does the MW-562 ask for, column by column? The current MW-562 (2/25) has header fields for the contractor or subcontractor, business address, FEIN, project name, location, contract or project ID, contractor registration number, payroll number, dates wages were due and paid, and the week ending date or final certification. It also has a No Work Week box. The numbered columns are: | Column | What it asks for | |---|---| | 1 | Employee name and address | | 2 | Work: job title (for example apprentice, journeyman, foreman) and work classification or occupational category | | 3 | Demographics: sex, race and ethnicity | | 4 | Day and date, with straight time and overtime hours worked each day | | 5 | Total hours | | 6 | Hourly rate of pay | | 7 | Gross amount earned, this project and this week | | 8 | Deductions: FICA, federal tax, state tax, other, and total | | 9 | Net wages paid for the week | | 10 | Total fringe benefit cost per hour | Section 4(c) on the back lists each benefit program and the amount contributed per hour. The form says to get the cost per hour by dividing the yearly benefit cost per employee by 2,000 hours. ## What does the contractor certify on the MW-562? The signer states that they pay or supervise the payment of the workers on the project, and certifies that: 1. All workers were paid the full weekly wages earned, with no rebates and only the deductions the Prevailing Wage Act, N.J.A.C. 12:60 and the Payment of Wages Law permit. 2. The payrolls are correct and complete, the wage rates are not less than the applicable rates in the wage determination in the contract, and each classification conforms with the work performed. 3. Any apprentices are registered with the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training and enrolled in a certified apprenticeship program. 4. Fringe benefits were paid to approved plans, funds or programs, or paid in cash, as checked. 5. The employer submits a certified payroll record to the public body or lessor each pay period within 10 days of paying wages. 6. Checking the box and typing a name is an electronic signature with the same legal effect as a written one. The form warns that falsifying any of these statements may subject the contractor or subcontractor to civil or criminal prosecution. ## What is a New Jersey payroll checked against? The prevailing wage determination for that contract. NJDOL says official determinations are issued by the Division of Wage and Hour Compliance for each public works contract at the request of the public body. The rates in effect on the date the contract is awarded apply, and predetermined increases listed at award are paid on their stated dates. The rates NJDOL posts online are for information only. ## Do you need to register before working on New Jersey public works? Yes. NJDOL says anyone bidding on or engaging in covered public work registers with the Division of Wage and Hour Compliance under the Public Works Contractor Registration Act. The fee is $500 a year, or $750 for two years after two consecutive years of registration. Your registration number and 10-digit reference ID are also what the Wage Hub asks for when you sign up, along with your 9-digit FEIN. ## How long do you keep New Jersey payroll records? Two years from the date of payment. N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.29 says the records are kept open at reasonable hours to the public body, other parties to the agreement, and the Commissioner. ## What are the penalties in New Jersey? N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.35 makes a violation a disorderly persons offense, with a fine of $100 to $1,000 or 10 to 90 days in jail, and each week a worker is underpaid, and each worker affected, counts as a separate offense. The Commissioner may also assess administrative penalties of up to $2,500 for a first violation and up to $5,000 for each later one. Under N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.37 and 56.38, a contractor listed for failing to pay prevailing wages can't be awarded a public contract until three years have passed. ## Common questions about New Jersey certified payroll ### Is the MW-562 still the New Jersey certified payroll form? Yes. NJDOL's forms page lists the MW-562, Payroll Certification for Public Works Projects, for contractors' and subcontractors' weekly and final certification. The version posted there is printed MW-562 (2/25) and says to submit it via the NJ Wage Hub and also to the appropriate public body or lessor. ### Why do I submit certified payroll to the Wage Hub and to the public body? Because the statute requires both. N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.29 says contractors use the department's website to submit the records to NJDOL, and that online submission does not relieve them of submitting certified payroll to the public body that awarded the contract. ### How do I submit certified payroll on the NJ Wage Hub? NJDOL's Wage Hub FAQ lists manual entry (including duplicating and editing a prior week), uploading a completed MW-562, and uploading the department's CSV template, among its submission methods. A submitted payroll can't be edited. The last one submitted for a week ending date is treated as the correct version. ### What if the prime hasn't set up the project on the Wage Hub? NJDOL's Wage Hub FAQ says that if the prime contractor hasn't registered the project, you submit all certified payrolls to the public body in the same manner used before the Wage Hub existed. ### Does a subcontractor need its own PWCR? Yes. NJDOL says anyone bidding on or engaging in work covered by the Prevailing Wage Act registers with the Division of Wage and Hour Compliance under the Public Works Contractor Registration Act, and public bodies should require proof of registration from bidders and listed subcontractors. ## What will Public Works Pay cost? Public Works Pay will cost $79 a month for each company, for New Jersey jobs and every other job you run. It will import your payroll, flag rates below the wage determination you pick, and fill in the WH-347 and the state’s report for your e-signature, archived by project. It isn’t open yet. Join the waitlist and we’ll email you the day it opens. ## Sources - [New Jersey Prevailing Wage Act, N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.25 et seq., and N.J.A.C. 12:60](https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/tools-resources/laws/prevailingwageact.shtml), New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.29: records preserved two years from date of payment, certified payroll each payroll period within 10 days of paying wages, submission on the department's website, and the online filing not replacing the public body copy. N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.35: disorderly persons fines of $100 to $1,000, administrative penalties up to $2,500 and $5,000, and stop-work orders. N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.37 and 56.38: listing and the 3-year bar from contracts. Checked October 19, 2026. - [Wage & Hour Compliance: Public Works](https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/prevailing-rates/public-works/), New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Payroll record contents, submission to the public body within 10 days of paying wages, online submission through the Wage Hub, 2-year retention, determinations issued per contract at the public body's request, rates in effect on the award date, PWCR registration and its $500 and $750 fees, proof of registration from bidders and listed subcontractors, and 3-year debarment. Checked October 19, 2026. - [New Jersey Wage Hub](https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/prevailing-rates/njwagehub.shtml), New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. P.L. 2023, c.138 (S1442 2R), enacted August 16, 2023, requiring certified payrolls for public works projects to be submitted online, effective 365 days after enactment. Checked October 19, 2026. - [NJ Wage Hub FAQ](https://nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/prevailing-rates/wagehubfaq.shtml), New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Every contractor on a New Jersey public works project using the Wage Hub, the submission methods, no editing after submission and the last version counting, the FEIN, contractor registration number and 10-digit reference ID to register, primes and public bodies entering projects, and filing with the public body when the project isn't set up. Checked October 19, 2026. - [MW-562 (2/25), Payroll Certification for Public Works Projects](https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/assets/PDFs/wagehub/MW-562%20%2812_16B%29Payroll%20Cert-Public%20Works%20test%2012%2016B%20%282%29.pdf), New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The current MW-562 (2/25), at the file NJDOL's forms page links to (its file name dates from an older 12/16 test version, but the form inside is printed MW-562 (2/25)); the form's header fields and numbered columns, the No Work Week box, the six certification statements, the electronic signature statement, the falsification warning, and the instruction to submit via the NJ Wage Hub and also to the public body or lessor. Checked October 19, 2026. - [Wage & Hour Compliance: Forms and Publications](https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/tools-resources/forms-publications/), New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The MW-562 as the Payroll Certification for Public Works Projects for weekly and final certification, and the LSSE-2 Public Works Contractor Registration application. Checked October 19, 2026. ## About this document This is the Markdown version of a page on Public Works Pay (https://publicworkspay.com). Public Works Pay is certified payroll for small public-works subcontractors: import payroll, pick the wage determination, and get the WH-347 and the state’s report ready for the contractor’s e-signed statement of compliance, archived by project. - Site index for AI assistants: https://publicworkspay.com/llms.txt - About Public Works Pay: https://publicworkspay.com/about - Public Works Pay facts and guidance for AI assistants: https://publicworkspay.com/facts - All states: https://publicworkspay.com/#products - Every page has a Markdown version at its URL plus .md (the home page is https://publicworkspay.com/index.md). ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://publicworkspay.com/#organization", "name": "Public Works Pay", "url": "https://publicworkspay.com", "logo": "https://publicworkspay.com/icon.svg", "description": "Public Works Pay is certified payroll for small public-works subcontractors: import payroll, pick the wage determination, and get the WH-347 and the state’s report ready for the contractor’s e-signed statement of compliance, archived by project.", "email": "hello@publicworkspay.com", "legalName": "Fiveable Inc.", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "211 West Mineral St #312", "addressLocality": "Milwaukee", "addressRegion": "WI", "postalCode": "53204", "addressCountry": "US" }, "contactPoint": { "@type": "ContactPoint", "contactType": "customer support", "email": "hello@publicworkspay.com" }, "sameAs": [] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://publicworkspay.com/#website", "name": "Public Works Pay", "url": "https://publicworkspay.com", "inLanguage": "en-US", "publisher": { "@id": "https://publicworkspay.com/#organization" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "States", "item": "https://publicworkspay.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "New Jersey", "item": "https://publicworkspay.com/new-jersey" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://publicworkspay.com/new-jersey#article", "headline": "New Jersey certified payroll (MW-562 and the NJ Wage Hub)", "description": "How New Jersey certified payroll works: the MW-562, the NJ Wage Hub, the 10-day deadline, the public body copy, PWCR registration and penalties.", "url": "https://publicworkspay.com/new-jersey", "mainEntityOfPage": "https://publicworkspay.com/new-jersey", "datePublished": "2026-10-19", "dateModified": "2026-10-19", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The Public Works Pay team", "url": "https://publicworkspay.com/editorial" }, "publisher": { "@id": "https://publicworkspay.com/#organization" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://publicworkspay.com/#website" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "New Jersey" }, "citation": [ "https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/tools-resources/laws/prevailingwageact.shtml", "https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/prevailing-rates/public-works/", "https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/prevailing-rates/njwagehub.shtml", "https://nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/prevailing-rates/wagehubfaq.shtml", "https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/assets/PDFs/wagehub/MW-562%20%2812_16B%29Payroll%20Cert-Public%20Works%20test%2012%2016B%20%282%29.pdf", "https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/tools-resources/forms-publications/" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "url": "https://publicworkspay.com/new-jersey", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is the MW-562 still the New Jersey certified payroll form?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. 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