Legal Arizona Workers Act

The Legal Arizona Workers Act, sometimes called the “Employer Sanctions Law,” went into effect on January 1, 2008. That law was amended in several respects by the Arizona Legislature, effective May 1, 2008. 

The Legal Arizona Workers Act, as amended, prohibits businesses from knowingly or intentionally hiring an “unauthorized alien” after December 31, 2007. Under the statute, an “unauthorized alien” is defined as “an alien who does not have the legal right or authorization under federal law to work in the United States.” The law also requires employers in Arizona to use the “E-Verify” system (a free Web-based service offered by the federal Department of Homeland Security) to verify the employment authorization of all new employees hired after December 31, 2007.

The United States Department of Homeland Security provides a searchable database of employers that have enrolled in the E-Verify program using an Arizona address. 

Court orders resolving cases in which an employer was charged with a first violation of the Legal Arizona Workers Act are also available.