# payroll records — How long federal regulations require records to be kept: retention periods, what starts the clock, and who they bind

For payroll records, regulation is 29 CFR Part 516; regulator / programme is DOL Wage and Hour (FLSA); retention period is at least 3 years; when the clock starts is from the last date of entry; who it binds is each employer, recorded from its source on 2026-08-11.

- **Regulation:** 29 CFR Part 516 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Regulator / programme:** DOL Wage and Hour (FLSA) _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Record type:** payroll records _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Retention period:** at least 3 years _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **When the clock starts:** from the last date of entry _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Who it binds:** each employer _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> Each employer shall preserve for at least 3 years: ( a ) Payroll records. From the last date of entry, all payroll or other records containing the employee information and data required under any of the applicable sections of this part

## Source

- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/part-516

Last verified: 2026-08-11. Review by: 2027-08-11.
Part of [How long federal regulations require records to be kept: retention periods, what starts the clock, and who they bind](https://referencesource.org/record-retention-periods-federal/).