Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) in Las Vegas, Nevada (2026)
Hire a new cook, server, or manager without a completed Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) and you risk federal fines starting at $252 per violation, per the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This federal employment eligibility form is mandatory for all Las Vegas restaurant employers. Key facts:
- 128 fields — ApronPrep auto-fills 106 based on your employee's answers
- $0–$0 government filing fees — there is no charge to complete the I-9
- Varies processing — the form must be completed within 3 business days of the employee's start date
Analyzed from Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification)
83% from one compliance interview
Manual entry or document upload required
Why You Need a Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification)
The Form I-9 is a federal requirement, not a local Las Vegas ordinance. It is mandated by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), which require every U.S. employer to verify the identity and employment authorization of every person they hire. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issues and enforces the form. You cannot onboard a single employee — from cooks to servers to managers — without completing this document. Failing to have a compliant I-9 for each employee puts your restaurant at immediate risk of federal penalties, regardless of Nevada state law.
The practical consequences of getting the Form I-9 wrong are severe and costly for a restaurant owner. Based on fines published by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the penalties include:
- Civil fines ranging from $252 to $2,507 for each substantive paperwork violation (e.g., missing a field, using an expired document) on a first offense, and much higher amounts for repeat violations.
- Penalties of up to $25,076 per unauthorized worker for knowingly hiring or continuing to employ someone without proper work authorization.
- Criminal prosecution for pattern or practice violations, which can include fines and imprisonment.
- Cease-and-desist orders and audits from ICE, which can disrupt operations and require you to re-verify your entire workforce under pressure.
- Insurance and lease implications, as a federal violation or worksite raid could trigger clauses related to lawful operation or public nuisance.
Legal code: Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)
Recent update: The mandatory Form I-9 (edition dated 08/01/2023) is now in effect for all new hires, and as of 2026, USCIS has extended the option for remote document inspection for Form I-9 completion under certain conditions.
Who Needs a Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification)?
| Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant (Full-Service) | Required | Required under the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 for all employees hired after November 6, 1986, regardless of establishment size. |
| Bar / Nightclub | Required | Required under the IRCA of 1986 for all U.S. employees; federal requirement applies irrespective of Nevada or Las Vegas liquor licensing status. |
| Food Truck | Required | Required under federal law; the mobile nature of the business does not exempt it from verifying work eligibility for all paid employees. |
| Coffee Shop / Café | Required | Required for all employees; there is no minimum employee count exemption for Form I-9 under federal regulations. |
See which restaurant types need this requirement — and which don't.
See Full Requirements →Field-by-Field Guide (128 Fields)
106 of 128 auto-filledAlien Authorized to Work
checkboxCheck this box only if the employee has presented a List A document proving they are a noncitizen legally authorized to work in the U.S., such as a Permanent Resident Card or Employment Authorization Document (EAD).
COMMON MISTAKE: Checking this box without a valid List A document, or confusing it with a Lawful Permanent Resident status (CB_p1_opt1).
Lawful Permanent Resident
checkboxCheck this box if the employee has presented a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) as proof of both identity and work authorization (a List A document).
COMMON MISTAKE: Checking this and another citizenship/immigration status box on the same form, which is a major protocol violation.
Noncitizen National
checkboxCheck this box if the employee is a noncitizen national of the United States (e.g., born in American Samoa or Swains Island) and has provided acceptable documentation.
COMMON MISTAKE: Rarely used; employers often check this incorrectly for citizens of Freely Associated States (Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau).
U.S. Citizen
checkboxCheck this box if the employee has attested under penalty of perjury to being a U.S. citizen and presented acceptable identity and work authorization documents (typically one List B and one List C document).
COMMON MISTAKE: Checking this box while the employee presents a foreign passport, which is inconsistent and can lead to discrimination charges.
Reverif 1 - Alternative Procedure
checkboxCheck this box only if you are participating in E-Verify's alternative procedure for remote examination of documents and this is for the first reverification or rehire event recorded on the form.
COMMON MISTAKE: Using this procedure without being enrolled in E-Verify or using it for an initial hire, which is not permitted.
Reverif 2 - Alternative Procedure
checkboxCheck this box if using E-Verify's alternative procedure for the second reverification or rehire event recorded on this form.
COMMON MISTAKE: Confusing which reverification section (1, 2, or 3) this applies to, leading to documentation mismatches.
Reverif 3 - Alternative Procedure
checkboxCheck this box if using E-Verify's alternative procedure for the third and final reverification or rehire event recorded on this form.
COMMON MISTAKE: Attempting to record a fourth event on this form, which requires a new Form I-9.
Employee Last Name
textEnter the employee's legal last name (surname) exactly as it appears on the document presented for Section 2.
COMMON MISTAKE: Using a nickname or maiden name if not legally changed, or omitting hyphenated names, causing a mismatch with the supporting document.
Employee First Name
textEnter the employee's legal first name exactly as it appears on the identity document presented for Section 2.
COMMON MISTAKE: Using a shortened version (e.g., 'Mike' for 'Michael') or including a middle name here, which does not match the document.
Employee Middle Initial
textEnter only the first letter of the employee's middle name, if they have one and it appears on their identity document; leave blank if no middle name.
COMMON MISTAKE: Writing out the full middle name, which exceeds the 1-character limit and can cause form processing errors.
ApronPrep auto-fills 106 of 128 fields from a single compliance interview — no re-typing, no guessing what the government expects.
Top 5 Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) Mistakes
1. Accepting Documents That Are Not on the Lists
Accepting an employee’s document (like a Social Security card alone) that does not appear on the official Lists of Acceptable Documents (List A, B, or C) from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is a critical error. The consequence is a paperwork violation, which can result in fines ranging from $272 to $2,701 per mistake, per the Department of Homeland Security's current penalty schedule. To avoid this, verify every presented document against the most current edition of the Form I-9's instructions, which specify exactly which documents are acceptable for proving identity and employment authorization.
2. Failing to Complete Section 2 by the 3rd Business Day
Employers must physically examine the original documents and complete Section 2 by the end of the employee’s third business day of employment. Waiting until the first payroll run or after the deadline is a common mistake that leads to non-compliance. This adds immediate audit risk and potential fines if discovered during a government inspection. Set a calendar reminder for each new hire’s third-day deadline to ensure timely completion and avoid this easily preventable violation.
3. Incorrectly Handling Rehires
Filling out a completely new Form I-9 for a rehired employee within three years of their initial hire date, when a previous, properly completed Form I-9 still exists. This mistake creates duplicate records and potential inconsistencies. The correct procedure is to confirm the original Form I-9 is still valid (rehire within 3 years) and simply update Section 3 of the original form. Pulling the employee's old I-9 file first can save administrative time and prevent this compliance error.
Skip the Paperwork on Your Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification)
ApronPrep auto-fills 106 of 128 fields from one compliance interview.
No credit card required
Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) by City in Nevada
| City | Fee Range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Henderson | ||
| Las Vegas | ||
| Reno |
Timeline: Varies
Download and Review the Latest Form I-9
Obtain the current 2026 version of Form I-9 from the USCIS website (I-9 Central). Print it or prepare to fill it electronically. Review the 20 pages of instructions in the Handbook for Employers (M-274), focusing on Sections 1 and 2. Have the new hire's identity and work authorization documents ready for inspection. Using an outdated form version is a common compliance error.
Complete Section 1 with the Employee
Provide the blank Form I-9 to the employee on or before their first day of work. The employee must complete Section 1, including their full legal name, date of birth, address, Social Security Number (if applicable), and attest to their employment authorization status. You must physically observe the employee sign and date this section. Accepting an incomplete Section 1 or failing to have it signed by the third business day is a frequent violation.
Complete and Certify Section 2 as the Employer
Within 3 business days of the employee's start date, you must physically examine the employee's original documents from the Lists of Acceptable Documents. Record the document title, issuing authority, number, and expiration date in Section 2. Then, you must sign and date Section 2, certifying under penalty of perjury that you have reviewed the original documents. Mismatched names between the document and Section 1, or failing to list all required document details, are top reasons for audit failures.
Other Requirements You'll Need
This is one of 13 requirements for opening a restaurant in Nevada.
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 RequirementsProcessing time Varies. The Form I-9 itself is completed and verified by the employer at the time of hire—it is not submitted or approved by a government agency. However, failing to complete it correctly and retain it for inspection can lead to penalties. The related E-Verify Enrollment for federal contractors in Nevada may have specific setup timelines, per the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website.
The government filing fee for Form I-9 is $0–$0. There is no fee to obtain, complete, or store the form. Employers are responsible for the cost of obtaining valid identity and employment authorization documents from the employee, but no direct fee is paid to any government authority for the I-9 itself, as confirmed by USCIS regulations. Not legal advice — verify with USCIS.
No, a Form I-9 is not 'transferred.' It is an internal record tied to a specific employee. If your business relocates, you must physically move and securely retain the I-9 forms for all current employees. You do not need to re-verify employees solely due to a change in business address, but you must update your business address in other systems, such as for your Application for Employer Identification Number with the IRS.
You do not renew a Form I-9. It is a one-time verification for each employee at hire. However, you must reverify employment authorization for certain employees when their work authorization documents expire, as noted in Section 3 of the form. Employers must retain each I-9 for the duration of employment plus either 3 years after the date of hire or 1 year after employment ends, whichever is later, per U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) retention rules.
An inspection, or audit, is conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or the Department of Labor. You will receive a Notice of Inspection (NOI) and typically have 3 business days to present your I-9 forms for all current employees. Inspectors review forms for completeness, accuracy, and proper retention. Common errors include missing signatures or expired documents, which can result in fines ranging from $272 to $2,701 per violation, according to current USCIS penalty schedules.
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 Nevada specifically, we have analyzed compliance dossiers for 3 cities (Henderson, Las Vegas, Reno), generating Rich FILs (Form Intelligence Layers) with 128 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
- Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)
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