If your business has at least one employee in California and offers no qualified retirement plan, CalSavers requires you to register or certify an exemption. All announced registration deadlines have passed.
Set your headcount for your real exposure — data verified against the statute.
Informational only, not legal or tax advice.
Get your full breakdown + a private-plan savings estimate:
CalSavers covers California employers with 1+ employees (prior-year average) that do not offer a qualifying retirement plan. Counting rule: Average number of California employees on the four prior-year DE 9C filings, at least one of whom is 18 or older. No years-in-business requirement; newly eligible employers register by December 31 of the year they are notified.
Escalating: 90+ days after notice: $250 per employee; 180+ days after notice: $500 per employee. Penalties are being assessed now. How CalSavers penalties are calculated, with examples.
Newly eligible employers: December 31 of the year notified.
If your group's date has passed and you have not registered, register or certify an exemption now.
Cal. Gov. Code §§100000, 100032, 100033(b)(2); Rev. & Tax. Code §19287; 10 CCR §§10000–10012. Official program: CalSavers official site. Verified September 17, 2026.
You must take part if your business has at least one employee in California and you do not offer a qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k) or SIMPLE IRA. The section above explains exactly how California counts your employees.
Every announced CalSavers deadline has passed. If you have not registered or certified an exemption, do it now.
Fines rise the longer you stay out of compliance, reaching $500 per employee per year at the top tier. California is already sending penalty notices.
Offer your own qualified retirement plan and certify it with CalSavers. What counts in California: a DB plan, 401(k), SEP, SIMPLE or auto-enrollment payroll IRA — but the exemption form must be filed by December 31.
CalSavers spares you from running a plan, but it allows no employer match and caps each saver at the IRA limit ($7,500 for 2026). A 401(k) allows up to $24,500 per employee for 2026, lets you add a match, and credits can offset much of the startup cost for eligible employers.
Book a free 15-minute compliance audit. We'll show your exact requirement, your real exposure, and whether your own plan saves you money.