Free dataset · Updated 2026-07-27
WARN Notice Requirements by State
Most employers assume their state has its own layoff-notice law. Across the seven states we track, 6 of 7 do not — federal WARN is the entire analysis. The exception is the one that catches people out.
The finding
Only California layers a mini-WARN Act on top of federal law — and it is broader on every axis. It reaches employers at 75 employees instead of 100, counts part-time staff toward coverage, drops the federal “33% of the workforce” test entirely, and adds relocation as a trigger the federal statute does not have. An employer that clears federal WARN in Texas can still be squarely inside Cal-WARN for the identical layoff in California.
The federal floor
Federal WARN applies in every state in this table. State law can only add to it.
Covered employer: 100+ full-time employees
Employees must have worked at least 6 of the 12 months preceding the date notice is required in order to be counted.
Notice is required for:
- Plant closing affecting 50+ employees at a single site of employment
- Mass layoff of 50–499 employees at a single site constituting at least 33% of the full-time workforce
- Mass layoff of 500+ employees, regardless of what percentage of the workforce that is
Advance notice: 60 days
29 U.S.C. § 2101; 20 C.F.R. § 639.3
Back pay and benefits for each affected employee for the period of the violation — up to 60 days, but no more than half the number of days the employee worked for the employer.
29 U.S.C. § 2104(a)
State by state, side by side
Federal WARN applies on top of every row.
| State | State mini-WARN? | Covered at | Controlling statute |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Yes — Cal-WARN | 75+ employees in the preceding 12 months | Cal. Lab. Code §§ 1400–1408; thresholds at § 1400.5(a), (d)–(f), (h); call centers at § 1409(b) |
| Nevada | No — federal only | 100+ employees (federal threshold) | 29 U.S.C. § 2101 |
| Texas | No — federal only | 100+ employees (federal threshold) | 29 U.S.C. § 2101 |
| Pennsylvania | No — federal only | 100+ employees (federal threshold) | 29 U.S.C. § 2101 |
| Arizona | No — federal only | 100+ employees (federal threshold) | 29 U.S.C. § 2101 |
| Utah | No — federal only | 100+ employees (federal threshold) | 29 U.S.C. § 2101 |
| Florida | No — federal only | 100+ employees (federal threshold) | 29 U.S.C. § 2101 |
What triggers notice in each state
California WARN notice requirements
Covered at: 75+ employees in the preceding 12 months · 60 days' notice
- Mass layoff of 50+ employees in a 30-day period — regardless of what percentage of the workforce that is
- Relocation of operations 100+ miles
- Termination or closure of the establishment, affecting any number of employees
- Relocation of a call center to a foreign country, regardless of percentage
Cal. Lab. Code §§ 1400–1408; thresholds at § 1400.5(a), (d)–(f), (h); call centers at § 1409(b)
The only mini-WARN among the seven, and materially broader than federal on every axis: it reaches smaller employers (75 vs 100), counts part-time employees toward coverage, drops the federal 33%-of-workforce test entirely, and adds relocation as a trigger. SB 617 (Stats. 2025, ch. 229) expanded required notice contents for notices given on or after 2026-01-01.
Nevada WARN notice requirements
Covered at: 100+ employees (federal threshold) · 60 days' notice
- Federal WARN triggers only
29 U.S.C. § 2101
No Nevada mini-WARN. Federal WARN is the entire analysis.
Texas WARN notice requirements
Covered at: 100+ employees (federal threshold) · 60 days' notice
- Federal WARN triggers only
29 U.S.C. § 2101
No Texas mini-WARN. Federal WARN is the entire analysis.
Pennsylvania WARN notice requirements
Covered at: 100+ employees (federal threshold) · 60 days' notice
- Federal WARN triggers only — statewide
29 U.S.C. § 2101
No Pennsylvania mini-WARN statewide — but Philadelphia imposes WARN-style municipal obligations. A Philadelphia employer faces materially more than a rural Pennsylvania one, so verify the municipality before concluding that federal WARN is the whole answer.
Arizona WARN notice requirements
Covered at: 100+ employees (federal threshold) · 60 days' notice
- Federal WARN triggers only
29 U.S.C. § 2101
No Arizona mini-WARN. Federal WARN is the entire analysis.
Utah WARN notice requirements
Covered at: 100+ employees (federal threshold) · 60 days' notice
- Federal WARN triggers only
29 U.S.C. § 2101
No Utah mini-WARN. Federal WARN is the entire analysis.
Florida WARN notice requirements
Covered at: 100+ employees (federal threshold) · 60 days' notice
- Federal WARN triggers only
29 U.S.C. § 2101
No Florida mini-WARN. Federal WARN is the entire analysis.
New for 2026: what a California notice must now say
SB 617 (Stats. 2025, ch. 229) expanded the required contents of a Cal-WARN notice. For notices given on or after January 1, 2026, a notice that met the old content rules is no longer compliant without all of the following. Templates written before 2026 need updating.
- A statement of whether the employer intends to coordinate services with the local workforce development board, another entity, or not at all — plus that board's email address and telephone number and the statutory rapid-response language.Cal. Lab. Code § 1401(c), (c)(1)
- A description of the CalFresh program, its helpline number, and a link to the program website.Cal. Lab. Code § 1401(d)
- The employer's own email address and telephone number.Cal. Lab. Code § 1401(e)
- And a follow-through duty, not just a disclosure: if the employer elects to coordinate services, those services must actually be arranged within 30 days of the notice.Cal. Lab. Code § 1401(c)(2)
Full mechanics, penalties and exceptions are in the California WARN notice guide.
Cite this table
This dataset is free to use, including commercially, with attribution (CC BY 4.0). Journalists and researchers are welcome to reproduce any row.
HR World Today, "WARN Notice Requirements by State" (updated 2026-07-27). https://hrworldtoday.com/resources/warn-notice-requirements-by-state
This table covers the 7 states HR World Today verifies against primary sources. We have deliberately not guessed at the other 43 — every row here is transcribed from the statute cited beside it. If you find one that has moved, tell us and we will correct it.
Planning a layoff across more than one state?
The assistant answers state-specific questions with the statute attached — including the ones this table is too coarse to cover, like how staggered cuts aggregate across a rolling 30-day window, or whether a municipal ordinance adds notice duties the state law does not.
Ask the HR assistantGeneral information, not legal advice. Notice requirements change; verify against the cited statute before relying on it for a specific decision. State mini-WARN status is jurisdiction-specific — confirm the municipality as well as the state.