Your wage claim form is ready. What to do next
- Check and sign
Open the PDF and read all three pages. If something is wrong, fix it here and download again. Sign page 3 by hand. The form says the amounts are your best estimates and may be adjusted later.
- Attach the extra forms that apply
DLSE’s instructions ask for DLSE Form 55 if your hours were irregular and you claim unpaid wages or meal and rest period violations, the Commission Summary (DLSE 155) for commissions, the Vacation Pay Schedule for vacation pay and the Schedule of Expenses for business expenses. If a union contract covered your job, attach a copy of it. If a lawyer represents you, the instructions say you may submit your lawyer’s calculation instead of these worksheets (Required documentation).
- Add copies of your papers, if you have them
DLSE asks for one copy (not the original) of: your own time records, paychecks and pay stubs, bounced paychecks or the bank’s notice, and the “Notice to Employee” (Labor Code 2810.5) if you got one. DLSE says you do not have to have these papers to file (Required documentation).
- File it with the Labor Commissioner’s Office
DLSE says you can file by email, mail or in person at a Labor Commissioner’s office. Find the office near you on the office list (it has each office’s email address for filing) or by zip code. General information line: 833-LCO-INFO (833-526-4636). DLSE also has its own online wage claim. Keep a copy of everything you send.
- Watch the deadline
DLSE’s How to File page says to file on time: within one year for penalties for a bounced check or for not giving access to, or a copy of, payroll or personnel records; within two years for an oral promise to pay more than minimum wage; within three years for minimum wage, overtime, unpaid rest and meal breaks, sick leave, illegal deductions from pay or unpaid reimbursements; within four years for a written contract. (How to File a Wage Claim)
- What happens next
DLSE’s policies page says that within 30 days of filing, the deputy labor commissioner notifies you and the employer of the first step: a conference, a hearing or dismissal of the claim (wage claim process). In most cases it is a settlement conference; you are notified by mail, and if you do not attend, your claim will be dismissed unless you show good cause (settlement conference). If there is no settlement, a hearing officer holds a hearing; you testify under oath and bring your evidence and witnesses (wage claim hearing).
- After the hearing
DLSE says the decision (Order, Decision or Award) is made 15 days after the hearing and mailed to both sides. Either side may appeal within 15 days from the date on the certification of service by mail (20 days if served out of state); otherwise the decision becomes final and enforceable as a court judgment (after the hearing).
Good to know
- DLSE says California’s labor laws protect all workers, regardless of immigration status.
- DLSE says that if you believe your employer is misclassifying you as an independent contractor, you can file a wage claim, and the Labor Commissioner’s Office may hold a hearing to decide it.
- Public works claims use the PW-1 form, and garment workers file under the Garment Worker Protection Act, not with this form.
- For updates, DLSE asks you to email the district office where you filed and put your claim number in the subject line. Tell DLSE in writing if your address or phone changes.
- A retaliation complaint is separate. DLSE’s retaliation page says complaints must generally be filed within one year of the retaliatory act.
Sources (dir.ca.gov, checked October 26, 2026): How to File a Wage Claim · Required documentation · Your settlement conference · Wage claim hearing · After the hearing · Wage claim policies and procedures · Offices · Retaliation complaints · Instructions for filing a wage claim (DLSE Form 1) · Wage claim forms.