Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster in Colorado Springs, Colorado (2026)
Failing to display the required Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster can trigger a U.S. Department of Labor investigation, resulting in costly civil penalties. This federal notice, also known as the "Your Rights Under the Polygraph Protection Act" poster, is a mandated display from the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, for all employers in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Key facts:
- 12 fields — ApronPrep auto-fills 10
- $0–$0 in government filing fees (poster itself is provided free by the DOL)
- Timeline varies — immediate upon posting, but non-compliance penalties can be assessed at any time.
Analyzed from Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster
83% from one compliance interview
Manual entry or document upload required
Why You Need a Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster
The Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) is a federal requirement governed by 29 U.S.C. §§ 2001–2009. For Colorado Springs restaurant owners, this federal law is enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. The law prohibits most private employers from using lie detector tests for pre-employment screening or during employment. A critical part of compliance is displaying the official U.S. Department of Labor poster, which also consolidates other key federal workplace notices like the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This poster must be displayed in a conspicuous place where all employees can see it, typically in a break room, office, or near time clocks.
Failing to post the required federal notices, including the EPPA poster, triggers enforcement under the statutes it covers. The primary risk is a triggered Department of Labor investigation, which can lead to significant penalties. Based on current DOL enforcement data, common consequences include:
- Civil Money Penalties: For FLSA violations, penalties can be up to $2,374 per violation for child labor infractions and over $1,000 for willful or repeated minimum wage/overtime violations.
- Back Wages & Liquidated Damages: Investigations often uncover wage violations, resulting in orders to pay all owed back wages plus an equal amount as liquidated damages, effectively doubling the payout.
- Increased Scrutiny & Operational Disruption: An initial poster violation can expand into a full audit of payroll, timekeeping, and classification practices, leading to costly corrections, legal fees, and damage to employee relations.
Legal code: Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Davis-Bacon Act, Service Contract Act
Recent update: As of 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor's poster for private employers, which includes the EPPA notice, has been updated with revised civil penalty amounts and contact information.
Who Needs a Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster?
| Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant (Full-Service) | Required | The EPPA (29 U.S.C. § 2001 et seq.) mandates that all private employers engaged in commerce with one or more employees must display the official poster, with no size or revenue exemptions for restaurants. |
| Bar / Nightclub | Required | As a private employer in commerce, a bar or nightclub must comply with the federal Employee Polygraph Protection Act and post the notice for any employees, as there is no industry-specific exemption. |
| Food Truck | Required | A food truck operator with employees is covered under the EPPA as an employer in interstate commerce, requiring the poster to be displayed at a central workplace location, which can be the truck's base of operations. |
| Coffee Shop / Café | Required | Any coffee shop or café with at least one employee is subject to the federal EPPA poster requirement, as there is no small-business exemption based on employee count for this mandate. |
See which restaurant types need this requirement — and which don't.
See Full Requirements →Field-by-Field Guide (12 Fields)
10 of 12 auto-filledBusiness Has Employees
booleanSelect 'Yes' if your business employs one or more workers (full-time, part-time, or seasonal) subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act, or 'No' if it does not; a 'No' answer typically exempts you from the federal posting requirement, but verify state rules.
COMMON MISTAKE: Incorrectly selecting 'No' because the owner is the only worker; the EPPA requirement is triggered by having any employee, including a single part-time staff member.
Number of Employees
numberEnter the total count of all individuals you employ, including full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers, at the time of this compliance check.
COMMON MISTAKE: Leaving this field blank or entering '0' when you have employees, which creates a data inconsistency and can delay your compliance record.
Primary Workplace Address
addressEnter the physical street address where the majority of your employees report for work and where the poster must be displayed; use a complete, USPS-validated address.
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering a P.O. Box, a registered agent's address, or a home office instead of the actual employee workplace, which does not satisfy the 'conspicuous place' display requirement.
Has Multiple Work Locations
booleanSelect 'Yes' if you have employees regularly working at more than one distinct physical address (e.g., a second kitchen, a food truck base, a separate office), or 'No' if all employees work at the single primary address entered above.
COMMON MISTAKE: Selecting 'No' when you operate multiple distinct worksites, which can lead to incomplete compliance and failure to post at all required locations.
Poster Display Location Description
textBriefly describe the specific, conspicuous place where the poster is or will be displayed (e.g., 'Employee break room bulletin board,' 'Kitchen entrance near time clock,' 'Office hallway next to permits').
COMMON MISTAKE: Providing a vague description like 'in the back' or leaving it blank; inspectors need a clear location to verify compliance during a potential audit.
Currently Has EPPA Poster Displayed
booleanSelect 'Yes' if an official Employee Polygraph Protection Act poster is currently posted in your workplace, or 'No' if you need to acquire and display one.
COMMON MISTAKE: Selecting 'Yes' when displaying an outdated poster version or a poster from a non-official source, which does not constitute valid compliance.
Current Poster Is Official DOL Version
booleanSelect 'Yes' only if your displayed poster is the current, official version downloaded from the U.S. Department of Labor's website or obtained from an authorized provider; 'No' if you are unsure or have an old version.
COMMON MISTAKE: Selecting 'Yes' without verifying the poster's version date; using a poster from a general labor law poster service that may not include the most recent EPPA text is a common compliance failure.
Poster Download Date
dateEnter the date you downloaded or acquired the official 2026 EPPA poster from the DOL website or ApronPrep, in MM/DD/YYYY format.
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering a future date or the date you printed it instead of the date you sourced the official file, which can complicate your compliance audit trail.
Poster Display Date
dateEnter the date you physically posted the EPPA poster in the workplace location described above, in MM/DD/YYYY format; if not yet displayed, enter your planned date.
COMMON MISTAKE: Leaving this blank or entering a date far in the past if you've just acquired the poster; this date is critical for proving timely compliance, especially for new hires.
Confirms Understanding of Display Requirements
booleanSelect 'Yes' to affirm you understand that the poster must be displayed in a conspicuous place where employees can readily see it, and that compliance is an ongoing requirement.
COMMON MISTAKE: Selecting 'Yes' without reading the specific EPPA display rules, which can lead to posters being placed in non-compliant locations (e.g., a locked manager's office).
ApronPrep auto-fills 10 of 12 fields from a single compliance interview — no re-typing, no guessing what the government expects.
Top 5 Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster Mistakes
1. Posting an Outdated or Non-Official Poster
Posting a version from before 2024, when the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) updated the EPPA poster language for clarity, or a version from a commercial HR site that hasn't been authorized by the DOL. Using an unofficial poster means you are not displaying the legally required notice, which can result in fines of up to $24,740 per violation during a DOL audit. Always download the current 'Employee Rights Under the Polygraph Protection Act' poster directly from the DOL's official poster webpage.
2. Failing to Post in a Conspicuous Location
Placing the poster in a break room, manager's office, or a hallway where employees do not regularly pass. The EPPA requires posters to be displayed 'where employees and applicants for employment can readily observe it.' A poorly located poster violates the 'conspicuous' requirement. Post it in the same area as your other required federal labor law posters (like the FLSA and OSHA notices), such as a main employee entrance or a common area like a time clock station, to ensure it is readily seen by all staff.
3. Not Posting for All Employees
Assuming the EPPA poster is only for locations where you might administer a polygraph, or only posting it at a single location when you have multiple business sites in Colorado Springs. The law requires all employers covered by the Act to post the notice for all employees, regardless of whether polygraph tests are ever used. If you have multiple establishments, each physical location where employees work must have its own conspicuously posted notice to be in compliance.
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Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster by City in Colorado
| City | Fee Range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora | ||
| Colorado Springs | ||
| Denver |
Timeline: Display Immediately Upon Hiring
Download the Official Poster
Visit the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division website to download the federal Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) poster. This is a federal requirement, so you must use the official version from the DOL. Do not use posters from third-party vendors unless you verify they are the unaltered, current federal version. The poster is available as a free PDF download.
Review Colorado-Specific Requirements
Check with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) to confirm if any additional state workplace posters are required alongside the federal EPPA poster. Colorado has its own set of mandatory labor law postings. While the EPPA poster is federal, you are responsible for displaying all required postings as a single group in a conspicuous location. Failure to display all required state posters can result in separate penalties.
Print the Poster
Print the downloaded EPPA poster on standard letter-size (8.5" x 11") paper. Ensure the print quality is legible, with no cut-off text or distorted graphics. The law requires it to be displayed in a "conspicuous place" where employees can readily see it, such as a break room, kitchen, or near time clocks. Laminating the poster or placing it in a clear plastic sleeve can protect it from damage.
Other Requirements You'll Need
This is one of 13 requirements for opening a restaurant in Colorado.
ADA Compliance Self-Certification
federal
Alarm System Permit/Registration
local
Application for Employer Identification Number
federal
Articles of Organization (LLC) or Articles of Incorporation (Corporation)
state
See all co-required forms and how they connect to your compliance dossier.
See All RequirementsPoster acquisition is immediate. The poster is a downloadable file from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) website, so there is no processing or approval timeline. After downloading, you must print and display it in a conspicuous workplace location, which you can complete on the same day.
There are no government filing fees ($0–$0) for the federal EPPA poster itself. The poster is provided free of charge by the DOL. Your only potential costs are for printing materials or a frame, similar to the requirement for displaying the ADA Compliance Self-Certification notice.
Yes. The federal EPPA poster is not location-specific. If you move your business, you simply need to re-display the current version of the poster at the new worksite. This is different from permits like an City Business License/Registration, which require a formal address update with the local authority.
You renew the poster only when the U.S. Department of Labor publishes an updated version. There is no set annual renewal schedule. You are responsible for checking the DOL website periodically for revisions to ensure your displayed poster is the current version, as failure to display the correct poster can result in penalties.
A U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigator will check that the current EPPA poster is displayed in a prominent location where all employees can see it, such as a break room or near time clocks. They will note the poster version date and the visibility of the information. Non-compliance can lead to fines, even if the business is otherwise in good standing. Not legal advice — verify current requirements with the DOL.
About This Data
This guide is generated from ApronPrep's compliance dossier system, which uses 53 parallel AI authority experts to discover requirements, then downloads actual forms and generates field-level intelligence for each one.
For Colorado specifically, we have analyzed compliance dossiers for 3 cities (Aurora, Colorado Springs, Denver), generating Rich FILs (Form Intelligence Layers) with 12 form fields analyzed for this requirement. Fee data is sourced from actual county department fee schedules, not estimates.
Our data is verified against official government sources and updated when regulatory changes are detected. If you find an error, please report it — accuracy is our core commitment.
Sources
- Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Davis-Bacon Act, Service Contract Act
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