Short answer. Yes for every employer, for new hires. Separate rules cover state contractors. A penalty is stated.
At a glance
- Private employers
- Every business or employer in the state must enroll in E-Verify and use it for new hires.
- State contractors
- To get a state contract, grant or incentive, a business with one or more employees working in the state must be enrolled in E-Verify, show proof, and use it for every employee who has to be verified.
- In effect since
- April 1, 2012 for every employer. The state contract rule took effect January 1, 2012, and the 2012 amendments took effect when signed on May 18, 2012.
- Penalty
- For knowingly employing an unauthorized worker, a court can order those workers let go, put the business on three years' probation and suspend licenses at that location for up to 60 days. Second and third violations bring five and seven years' probation and longer or permanent license loss.
- Who enforces or publishes it
- Alabama Legislature (Beason-Hammon Act, as amended by Act 2012-491)
In the official wording
Private employers
"every business entity or employer in this state shall enroll in E-Verify"
State contractors
"shall participate in the E-Verify program and shall verify every employee that is required to be verified"
Effective date
"Effective April 1, 2012, every business entity or employer in this state shall enroll in E-Verify."
Penalty
"Subject the business entity or employer to a three-year probationary period throughout the state."
Three example businesses
- 8 employees, private, no state contract: Required. See why
- 40 employees, private, no state contract: Required. See why
- 40 employees, private, with a state contract: Required. See why
Your own numbers: open the checker for Alabama.
Worth knowing
The all-employer wording is quoted from the 2012 amending bill (HB658, engrossed) on the Legislature's site; we couldn't open the codified section itself. The state contract rule is confirmed by the Department of Revenue's and the Department of Education's contractor guidelines and the State Comptroller's memo on Act 2012-491.
Not stated on the pages we opened: a rule for public employers and 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
- HB658 (2012 Regular Session), engrossed: amendments to the Beason-Hammon Act
- Alabama Immigration Law Compliance Guidelines for Contractors and Vendors, Alabama Department of Revenue
- Act 2012-491: Amendments to the Beason-Hammon Act (State Comptroller memo, July 5, 2012)
- Alabama Immigration Law Compliance Guidelines, Alabama State Department of Education
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 Alabama have to use E-Verify?
Yes, every employer. Every business or employer in the state must enroll in E-Verify and use it for new hires. The official wording: "every business entity or employer in this state shall enroll in E-Verify."
Do contractors with the state of Alabama need E-Verify?
To get a state contract, grant or incentive, a business with one or more employees working in the state must be enrolled in E-Verify, show proof, and use it for every employee who has to be verified.
When did the Alabama rule take effect?
April 1, 2012 for every employer. The state contract rule took effect January 1, 2012, and the 2012 amendments took effect when signed on May 18, 2012.
What penalty does Alabama law set?
For knowingly employing an unauthorized worker, a court can order those workers let go, put the business on three years' probation and suspend licenses at that location for up to 60 days. Second and third violations bring five and seven years' probation and longer or permanent license loss.
Is a Form I-9 still needed in Alabama?
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 · Arizona