How to file certified payroll in Oregon (BOLI prevailing wage)

BOLI provides the WH-38, but does not mandate it

Oregon’s rule is data-equivalence, not form-lock. BOLI provides the WH-38 Payroll/Certified Statement, and OAR 839-025-0010 lets a contractor use the WH-38 or any similar form that contains all of the WH-38 elements — name and address, work classification, daily hours, pay rate, gross, deductions, net, and the hourly fringe equivalent and benefit type. When you use another form, you must attach the signed certified statement from the WH-38. PayrollPenguin produces a report carrying those required elements; it does not output the WH-38 PDF itself.

Mixed state + federal jobs: the WH-347 with the WH-38F supplement

On a project covered by both Oregon’s PWR law and the federal Davis-Bacon Act, BOLI lets you track payroll on the U.S. DOL’s WH-347 together with BOLI’s “Supplemental Statement to Accompany US DOL’s WH-347” (WH-38F), which captures the extra elements Oregon requires under ORS 279C.845. The federal WH-347 on its own does not satisfy Oregon. PayrollPenguin generates the WH-347 with the equivalent Oregon data so the WH-38F supplement lines up cleanly with what you filed federally.

Submit monthly to the public agency

Oregon certified payroll is completed weekly but submitted at least once a month — by the fifth business day of the following month — directly to the public agency that owns the project, not to a contractor-facing state upload portal. (Qualifying agencies forward what they receive to BOLI separately.) PayrollPenguin flags a late cadence before the deadline and keeps a certification audit snapshot of who signed what, and when.

How to file Oregon certified payroll

1. Import your payroll run. Upload your ADP, Gusto, QuickBooks, Paychex, or CSV payroll for the pay period.
2. Pick the Oregon project. Select the public-works project and its BOLI prevailing-wage determination, and note whether the job is state-only or mixed state + federal.
3. Resolve anomalies. PayrollPenguin flags a rate below the determination, missing fringe, or a zero-hour week so you can fix them before certifying.
4. Certify and export. Sign the certified statement, then download a file-ready certified payroll carrying the WH-38 data elements — or the WH-347 with the WH-38F supplement for mixed jobs — to submit to the public agency.

Frequently asked questions

Does Oregon require the WH-38 form specifically?

No. BOLI provides the WH-38 Payroll/Certified Statement, but OAR 839-025-0010 accepts any form that contains all of the WH-38 data elements, as long as you attach the signed certified statement. On jobs covered by both Oregon PWR and federal Davis-Bacon, you can instead use the federal WH-347 with BOLI’s WH-38F supplement. The federal WH-347 by itself does not satisfy Oregon.

Where do I submit Oregon certified payroll?

Directly to the public agency that owns the project — completed weekly and submitted at least monthly, by the fifth business day of the following month, under ORS 279C.845. There is no contractor-facing central state upload portal; qualifying agencies forward the data to BOLI themselves.

Is PayrollPenguin a compliance guarantee?

No. PayrollPenguin is a reporting and formatting tool — it formats your payroll to carry the data Oregon’s PWR law requires and flags anomalies. You certify and the public agency / BOLI reviews.