Employers must retain completed I-9 forms for 3 years after the date of hire OR 1 year after employment termination, whichever is later. This means an employee hired on January 1, 2023, and terminated on June 30, 2024, requires I-9 retention until January 1, 2026 (3 years from hire date), not July 1, 2025 (1 year from termination). The "whichever is later" rule ensures long-term employees who leave before the 3-year mark still have their I-9 retained for 1 year post-termination, while short-term employees who leave within months of hire still have their I-9 retained for the full 3 years from hire date. Early destruction or loss of I-9 forms before the required retention period expires triggers automatic penalties of $288 to $2,861 per missing form during ICE audits, even if the original I-9 was completed correctly.

The retention requirement applies to all I-9 forms regardless of whether the employee was full-time, part-time, seasonal, or temporary, and includes all supporting documentation such as copies of identity documents (if the employer chose to retain them), reverification records (Section 3), and any notes or correspondence related to the I-9 completion process. Employers must store I-9 forms separately from personnel files and ensure they are readily accessible for ICE inspection—typically within 3 business days of receiving a Notice of Inspection. Digital storage is permitted if the system maintains data integrity, prevents unauthorized alterations, and can produce readable paper copies on demand. Many employers struggle with I-9 retention compliance due to poor tracking systems that don't automatically calculate retention deadlines or flag forms eligible for destruction.

Lake Mead Mobile Notary provides I-9 verification services with detailed record-keeping support that helps Las Vegas and Henderson employers maintain compliant I-9 files. When our mobile notaries complete Section 2 as authorized representatives, we provide employers with date-stamped verification records that clearly document hire dates and retention deadlines, making it easier to manage the 3-year/1-year rule. We also offer guidance on Henderson area businesses regarding digital I-9 storage solutions and audit preparation strategies that ensure your I-9 forms remain accessible and compliant throughout the entire retention period.

List A documents establish both identity and work authorization, meaning employees presenting a valid List A document need no additional documentation to complete I-9 Section 2. Acceptable List A documents include: U.S. passport (book or card), unexpired foreign passport containing a temporary I-551 stamp or I-551 printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa, Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551, commonly called a "green card"), Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551), unexpired Employment Authorization Document (EAD) issued by DHS (Form I-766 or Form I-688B), and unexpired foreign passport with Form I-94 or Form I-94A indicating refugee or asylum status that authorizes employment. Employers must accept any valid List A document the employee presents and cannot require specific documents or reject valid identification based on personal preference, national origin concerns, or unfamiliarity with document types—such actions constitute illegal discrimination.

Common errors with List A documents include: accepting expired passports or EAD cards without reverification, failing to examine the entire document for obvious fraud indicators like photo inconsistencies or altered expiration dates, recording incorrect document numbers or expiration dates in Section 2 fields, requiring employees with valid U.S. passports to provide additional identity documents, and rejecting foreign passports with valid work authorization because the employer is unfamiliar with I-94 notations or refugee stamps. During I-9 completion, the authorized representative must physically examine the original document (not photocopies), verify the document reasonably appears genuine and relates to the person presenting it, and record the document title, issuing authority, document number, and expiration date in Section 2. Employers should train all authorized representatives on List A document features and anti-discrimination rules to avoid the dual risks of accepting fraudulent documents or illegally rejecting valid ones.

Lake Mead Mobile Notary provides expert I-9 verification services throughout Las Vegas, Henderson, and Clark County with mobile notaries trained in List A document examination. Our authorized representatives recognize all acceptable List A documents, verify authenticity indicators, and complete Section 2 accurately to ensure compliance. We serve employers at Coronado Ridge Skilled Nursing, corporate offices, and remote worker locations, bringing professional document verification expertise that reduces both fraud risk and discrimination liability. This service is especially valuable for HR teams unfamiliar with foreign passport features, refugee documentation, or temporary work authorization stamps that require specialized knowledge to verify correctly.