Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster in Newark, New Jersey (2026)
You risk civil penalties of over $21,936 per violation if your restaurant does not display the federally-mandated Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster. This required workplace notice, issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (Wage and Hour Division), must be posted in a conspicuous location accessible to all employees in your Newark establishment. Also referred to as the "Federal Polygraph Law Poster," this is a zero-cost compliance item. Most applicants complete this in under 15 minutes with ApronPrep, which auto-fills 10 of 12 fields.
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) Poster is required under federal law (29 U.S.C. §§ 2001-2009), enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. Its posting is mandated alongside other federal labor law notices, including those under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Davis-Bacon Act, and Service Contract Act, as referenced in your blueprint. This requirement applies to nearly all private employers in Newark and across New Jersey. The poster must be displayed in a conspicuous place where employees and applicants can readily see it, typically in a break room, near time clocks, or other common work areas.
Failure to display the required federal labor law posters, including the EPPA notice, can trigger significant penalties during a Department of Labor investigation, even if the investigation is for an unrelated issue. Consequences include:
- Civil money penalties for willful violations of posting requirements. While specific fines for the EPPA poster alone are not commonly itemized, non-compliance is often cited alongside other violations, contributing to overall penalty assessments.
- Increased liability in disputes. In employee litigation, failure to post required notices can be used as evidence of a lack of awareness of federal labor rights, potentially weakening an employer's position.
- Operational delays and corrective actions. During an audit or inspection, the DOL will issue a citation requiring immediate posting, which can extend the scope and duration of the review into other payroll and employment practices.
Legal code: Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Davis-Bacon Act, Service Contract Act
Recent update: The specific poster content and design are controlled by federal agencies; while the core EPPA law has not changed, the DOL periodically updates other mandatory posters (like the FMLA and FLSA notices), so employers should verify they are using the most current all-in-one poster versions available from the DOL website.
Who Needs an Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster?
| Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant (Full-Service) | Required | Required under federal law (29 U.S.C. § 2001) for any business with one or more employees; there is no employee count or industry exemption for standard restaurants. |
| Bar / Nightclub | Required | Required under federal law (29 U.S.C. § 2001) for any business with one or more employees, regardless of liquor license type. |
| Food Truck | Required | Required under federal law (29 U.S.C. § 2001); mobile food vendors with employees are covered employers and must post the notice. |
| Coffee Shop / Café | Required | Required under federal law (29 U.S.C. § 2001); the EPPA applies to all employers engaged in commerce, including retail food service. |
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 Newark restaurant has any individuals you hire, pay, and direct, including part-time and seasonal workers; select 'No' only if you are a sole proprietor with zero payroll employees.
COMMON MISTAKE: Incorrectly selecting 'No' when you have any paid staff, which can invalidate your entire compliance tracking and put you at risk for fines if you are later found to have employees.
Number of Employees
numberEnter the current total number of individuals on your payroll, including all part-time and full-time staff, as of the date you confirm compliance.
COMMON MISTAKE: Providing an outdated headcount or excluding part-time workers, which can cause a mismatch if your records are audited by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).
Primary Workplace Address
addressEnter the complete street address, city, state, and ZIP code where the majority of your employees report to work and where the poster must be physically displayed.
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering a P.O. Box, a corporate office in another state, or an incorrect Newark ZIP code, which fails to specify the actual worksite location for poster display verification.
Has Multiple Work Locations
booleanSelect 'Yes' if you operate more than one Newark establishment where employees work (e.g., a separate catering kitchen or a second restaurant location); select 'No' if all employees work at the single primary address entered above.
COMMON MISTAKE: Selecting 'No' when you have multiple locations, which would mean you are only tracking compliance for one worksite and leaving other locations unposted and vulnerable to penalties.
Poster Display Location Description
textDescribe the specific, conspicuous place where the EPPA poster is or will be displayed (e.g., 'Break room bulletin board next to time clock' or 'Employee entrance hallway').
COMMON MISTAKE: Using a vague description like 'in the back' or 'on a wall,' which does not demonstrate adequate effort to place it where employees can readily see it, as required by DOL regulations.
Currently Has EPPA Poster Displayed
booleanSelect 'Yes' only if the official 2026 version of the EPPA poster is already physically posted at your workplace; select 'No' if you need to order or print it.
COMMON MISTAKE: Selecting 'Yes' when you have an outdated poster from a prior year displayed, which is a common violation discovered during DOL inspections.
Current Poster Is Official DOL Version
booleanConfirm 'Yes' only if your displayed poster is the current version published by the U.S. Department of Labor for 2026, identifiable by a publication or revision date.
COMMON MISTAKE: Confirming 'Yes' without verifying the poster's date, as using an obsolete poster is a direct compliance failure that can result in fines, even if a poster is displayed.
Poster Download Date
dateEnter the date you downloaded or acquired the official 2026 EPPA poster file from the DOL website or a verified supplier (use MM/DD/YYYY format).
COMMON MISTAKE: Leaving this blank or entering a future date, which creates an inconsistent record of when you obtained the required compliance material.
Poster Display Date
dateEnter the date the poster was actually placed in the described location for employees to see (use MM/DD/YYYY format); this is your official compliance start date.
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering the same date as the download date without allowing time for printing/postage, or entering a date before you actually received the poster, creating an unreliable audit trail.
Confirms Understanding of Display Requirements
booleanSelect 'Yes' to affirm you understand the poster must be displayed in a conspicuous place where employees can easily read it, and that it must not be altered, defaced, or covered.
COMMON MISTAKE: Selecting 'Yes' without reading the requirements, which is a legal attestation; if the poster is later found in a non-compliant location (e.g., a locked office), this confirmation can be used against you.
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 Version
Using a poster that doesn't include the 2026 U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) contact information or the latest revision date. Newark workplaces are required to display the current, official DOL poster, which is updated periodically. Employers who post outdated versions face no direct fine from the EPPA itself, but can be cited under state posting violation laws, leading to a compliance inspection and potential penalties under other labor regulations, adding weeks to resolve other flagged issues. Download the free, current poster directly from the DOL Wage and Hour Division website.
2. Posting in an Inaccessible or Non-Conspicuous Location
Placing the poster in a break room cabinet, a manager's office, or another area not frequented by all employees. The law requires the poster to be in a conspicuous place where it can be readily observed by employees and applicants for employment. Based on ApronPrep's analysis, this is the most common cause of non-compliance notices in Newark, as inspectors check for visibility. Post it alongside other mandatory federal and state labor law notices (like the FLSA and NJ Wage & Hour posters) in a common area like the time clock location, main hallway, or near employee lockers.
3. Failing to Post at All Workplaces
Displaying the poster only at a primary Newark location but not at secondary worksites, remote job sites, or satellite offices under the same employer. The U.S. Department of Labor requires the poster to be displayed at every establishment where employees report or from which they work. This mistake often surfaces during a wage and hour audit triggered by a separate complaint, expanding the scope of the investigation. Ensure a poster is physically present at every distinct Newark worksite your company operates, even if only a few employees work there.
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Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster by City in New Jersey
| City | Fee Range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Jersey City | ||
| Newark | ||
| Paterson |
Timeline: Varies (Poster Acquisition & Posting)
Download the Official Poster
Obtain the mandatory 2026 edition of the 'Your Rights Under the Employee Polygraph Protection Act' poster from the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division website (dol.gov/whd). You must download the federal poster; state-specific versions are not required for EPPA. Ensure you select the current-year version, as using outdated posters is a common compliance oversight. Save the PDF file to your device for printing.
Print or Order a Physical Copy
Print the downloaded PDF on durable paper (minimum 8.5 x 11 inches) using a color printer to ensure all text and the DOL seal are legible. Alternatively, order a professional laminated copy from an approved labor law poster vendor. If printing internally, verify the final print quality—faded or smudged text can be cited as a violation during a DOL inspection.
Identify Mandatory Posting Location
Identify a conspicuous place where employees and applicants can readily see the poster. This is typically in a common area like a break room, near time clocks, or adjacent to other required federal and New Jersey labor law postings (e.g., minimum wage, FMLA). The poster must be displayed at all establishments, even if you have no immediate hiring plans. Failure to post in a visible location is the most frequent cause of citations.
Other Requirements You'll Need
This is one of 13 requirements for opening a restaurant in New Jersey.
ADA Compliance Self-Certification
federal
Alarm System Permit/Registration
local
Alteration or Change of Use Permit
local
Annual Report Filing
state
See all co-required forms and how they connect to your compliance dossier.
See All RequirementsTiming varies as this is a display requirement, not a permit you apply for. The process involves downloading the current U.S. Department of Labor poster and displaying it immediately. If you are ordering a printed copy, delivery can take 5–10 business days, according to the DOL's poster fulfillment service.
The official government filing fee is $0. The U.S. Department of Labor provides the EPPA poster free to download from their website. If you order a professional printed copy from a private vendor or as part of a combined labor law poster set, those costs are not a government fee. Not legal advice — verify poster requirements with the DOL.
Yes. This federal notice must be posted wherever you have employees, so you must move the poster to your new business location. Ensure you are displaying the current version, as posters are periodically updated. Your City Business License/Registration and Certificate of Occupancy, however, are location-specific and must be obtained anew for the new address.
You do not renew the poster itself, but you must replace it whenever the U.S. Department of Labor publishes an updated version. There is no fixed schedule for updates; you must monitor DOL announcements. This differs from requirements like the Annual Report Filing for your state entity, which has a mandated yearly deadline.
During a federal or state labor inspection, the officer will verify the poster is displayed in a conspicuous place where employees can easily read it, such as a break room or near time clocks. They will check that it is the current, unaltered version. Failure to post can result in penalties, as outlined in the Employee Polygraph Protection Act regulations.
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 New Jersey specifically, we have analyzed compliance dossiers for 3 cities (Jersey City, Newark, Paterson), 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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