Short answer. Yes for every employer, for new hires. Separate rules cover state contractors. A penalty is stated.
At a glance
- Private employers
- Every employer in the state must use E-Verify for each new employee.
- State contractors
- A government entity may not award a contract to a contractor or subcontractor that fails to use E-Verify.
- In effect since
- Employees hired after December 31, 2007.
- Penalty
- Knowingly or intentionally employing an unauthorized worker brings probation with reports to the county attorney, possible license suspension for a first violation and permanent license revocation for a second. A county attorney brings the case.
- Who enforces or publishes it
- Arizona Attorney General and county attorneys (Legal Arizona Workers Act)
In the official wording
Private employers
"LAWA requires all Arizona employers to use E-Verify to verify the employment eligibility of new hires."
State contractors
"The 2008 amendments prohibit a government entity from awarding a contract to any contractor or subcontractor that fails to use E-Verify"
Effective date
"verify the employment authorization of all new employees hired after December 31, 2007"
Penalty
"possible license suspension for a first violation and permanent license revocation for a second violation."
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 Arizona.
Worth knowing
The Senate's issue brief notes the federal I-9 retention rule alongside the state law and says independent contractors don't need a Form I-9 from the business that hires them.
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
- For Employers: Legal Arizona Workers Act, Arizona Attorney General's Office
- Determination of Employment Eligibility by Employers, Arizona Senate Research Staff issue brief (November 23, 2022)
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 Arizona have to use E-Verify?
Yes, every employer. Every employer in the state must use E-Verify for each new employee. The official wording: "LAWA requires all Arizona employers to use E-Verify to verify the employment eligibility of new hires."
Do contractors with the state of Arizona need E-Verify?
A government entity may not award a contract to a contractor or subcontractor that fails to use E-Verify.
When did the Arizona rule take effect?
Employees hired after December 31, 2007.
What penalty does Arizona law set?
Knowingly or intentionally employing an unauthorized worker brings probation with reports to the county attorney, possible license suspension for a first violation and permanent license revocation for a second. A county attorney brings the case.
Is a Form I-9 still needed in Arizona?
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 · Alabama · California