---
title: AASHTOWare CRL Certified Payroll by State DOT | WellStanding
url: https://wellstanding.com/guides/aashtoware-civil-rights-labor-certified-payroll/
description: How state DOTs run AASHTOWare Civil Rights and Labor payroll: logins, rejected imports, subcontractor access and held pay estimates, from DOT pages.
updated: 2026-11-04
type: guide
publisher: WellStanding Certified Payroll
---
# AASHTOWare Civil Rights and Labor certified payroll: how to submit it and how DOTs differ

This guide compares what state DOTs say on their own pages, such as [VDOT](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/doing-business/tools/aashtoware-crl/), [MnDOT](https://www.dot.state.mn.us/const/labor/civil-rights-labor.html), [TDOT](https://www.tn.gov/tdot/tdot-construction-division/transportation-construction-division-resources/aashtoware-project.html) and [Alaska DOT&PF](https://dot.alaska.gov/aashtoware/contractors.shtml), with AASHTO's [Civil Rights and Labor product page](https://www.aashtoware.org/products/project/civil-rights-labor/) and [Form FHWA-1273](https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/contracts/1273/1273.pdf).

Last reviewed November 4, 2026 against the sources it cites

The short answer

AASHTOWare Project [Civil Rights and Labor (CRL)](https://www.aashtoware.org/products/project/civil-rights-labor/) is software that state DOTs license and set up for themselves, so there is no single national login. Get an account from your DOT, enter the payroll by hand, from your DOT's spreadsheet, or from a payroll-system XML export, and sign with your own login. Account rules, who enters a subcontractor's payroll, and what a late payroll costs differ by DOT.

- AASHTO's [product page](https://www.aashtoware.org/products/project/civil-rights-labor/) offers the Civil Rights and Labor module under an annual or bundled license, says it requires licensing of the Preconstruction module, and says outside users' access is restricted by each agency's own protocols.
- [VDOT](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/doing-business/tools/aashtoware-crl/) requires weekly electronic payrolls on all federally assisted construction contracts and removes all access from an account that goes 30 days without a login.
- [MnDOT](https://www.dot.state.mn.us/const/labor/civil-rights-labor.html) passwords expire 180 days after they are set, and the system sends no email notice.
- [Alaska DOT&PF](https://dot.alaska.gov/aashtoware/contractors.shtml) asks a subcontractor who cannot see its contract whether the prime has submitted Subcontractor Self Cert 25D-042 to project staff, and if so says to contact DOT&PF Contracts staff; the page also says to reach the staff working on the contract.
- Montana's [January 15, 2026 final specification revisions](https://mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/const/spec_revision/2026/JANUARY-2026-FINAL-SPEC-REVISIONS.pdf) withhold $7,500 to $60,000 a month, by original contract amount, from the progress estimate of a contract in non-compliance status, which they do not define; ask MDT which specifications your contract carries.
- [WisDOT](https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/doing-bus/civil-rights/labornwage/payroll-submission-compliance.aspx) uses AASHTOWare CRL for contracts awarded from its January 14, 2025 letting and a separate system, CRCS, for earlier contracts.

## Payroll rejected, locked out, or pay estimate held?

Outside users' access follows each agency's protocols ([AASHTO product page](https://www.aashtoware.org/products/project/civil-rights-labor/)), and AASHTO's [user support page](https://www.aashtoware.org/support/user-support/) sends help-desk assistance to designated end-users at licensed agencies. Call your DOT first.

### The payroll will not load, or came back rejected

Three things get called a rejection: a failed import, where the system does not load the payroll; a prime's return or rejection of a sub's payroll; and the agency's Agency Rejected status. All three are in the [system help DC's DDOT hosts](https://daashto.ddot.dc.gov/Help_Sys_Admin/Ext_Working_with_Contract_Vendor_Payrolls.htm); agencies configure some settings, so yours may differ. Rules these DOTs name:

- **Tennessee.** TDOT's blank Excel template has an apostrophe in each empty Employee Info field; remove it without replacing it and AWP puts a zero there. TDOT also wants a "TN Employee ID" instead of the SSN ([FAQ revised July 23, 2026](https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/construction/labor-compliance/CertifiedPayrolls-FAQ.pdf)).
- **Ohio.** A payroll with a negative Total Deductions value cannot import. ODOT's [undated FAQ](https://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/ConstructionMgt/CRL/Documents/CRL%20FAQ.pdf?ID=44%2F1000) says to send the WH-347 to the contract compliance officer.

ODOT's FAQ says to re-import a rejected or returned payroll as a new modification. The Modify a Rejected Payroll guides from [VDOT](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/media/vdotvirginiagov/doing-business/tools/aashtoware-crl/VDOT_QRG_Payrolls_7_Modify_Rejected.pdf) (copyright 2020) and [TDOT](https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/construction/labor-compliance/6_TDOT_QRG_Payrolls_Modify%20Rejected.pdf) (April 2021) give two paths: approve the payroll with an explanation if it is correct, or create a modification if it is not. For a sub's payroll the prime rejects it too, and the sub takes those paths. [Montana's manual (updated June 22, 2023)](https://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/const/manuals_guidelines/AASHTOWARE-CRL/AASHTOWareElectronicPayrolls.pdf) splits the cases: a prime-returned payroll can be corrected directly, re-signed and sent back, while an agency-rejected one needs a modification. Ask your DOT which applies.

### You cannot log in

- **Virginia.** Log in at least every 30 days or access is removed, and change your password every 90. After you get credentials, call the VITA Customer Care Center to activate them ([VDOT FAQ](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/media/vdotvirginiagov/doing-business/tools/aashtoware-crl/FAQs_AWP-CRL-ACC.pdf)).
- **Minnesota.** A password expires after 180 days with no email warning ([MnDOT](https://www.dot.state.mn.us/const/labor/civil-rights-labor.html)).
- **Montana.** Passwords must be updated every 60 days or they need a reset ([2023 manual](https://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/const/manuals_guidelines/AASHTOWARE-CRL/AASHTOWareElectronicPayrolls.pdf)).
- **Alaska.** A [MyAlaska account](https://dot.alaska.gov/aashtoware/contractors.shtml) has no expiration. The page says contractors would need MyAlaska by January 2026 yet still lists the old login, so confirm which yours uses.

If you cannot get access at all, check your contract. Where it carries [FHWA-1273 clause 3.b.(1)](https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/contracts/1273/1273.pdf) (form revised June 25, 2026), or the same text from [29 CFR 5.5(a)(3)(ii)(A)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-A/part-5/subpart-A/section-5.5), a contracting agency or prime contractor may require an electronic system if it requires a legally valid electronic signature, lets the contractor, the agency and the Department of Labor reach payrolls on request for at least 3 years after the prime contract work is complete, and permits other methods for a contractor unable or limited in its ability to use or access it.

### You cannot see your contract

- **Alaska.** If the prime has submitted Subcontractor Self Cert 25D-042 to project staff, DOT&PF says to contact its Contracts staff; it also says to reach the staff working on the contract ([contractor page](https://dot.alaska.gov/aashtoware/contractors.shtml)).
- **Tennessee.** The contract appears after TDOT approves your subcontract, so follow up with your prime ([TDOT FAQ](https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/construction/labor-compliance/CertifiedPayrolls-FAQ.pdf)).
- **Virginia.** Check your active role, then ask the District Civil Rights office to confirm you are listed as a subcontractor ([VDOT FAQ](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/media/vdotvirginiagov/doing-business/tools/aashtoware-crl/FAQs_AWP-CRL-ACC.pdf)).

### The pay estimate is held or flagged

- **Louisiana.** A delay in submitting payroll delays processing of payment estimates ([DOTD manual, September 2024](https://dotd.la.gov/media/xodmr4md/labor-compliance-manual-updated.pdf)).
- **Minnesota.** The project engineer may withhold part of partial estimates until the [certified payroll reports](https://www.dot.state.mn.us/const/labor/certifiedpayroll.html) arrive.
- **Montana.** The [January 15, 2026 final specification revisions](https://mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/const/spec_revision/2026/JANUARY-2026-FINAL-SPEC-REVISIONS.pdf) (108.01.4(F), Table 108-2) withhold $7,500 to $60,000 a month, by original contract amount, from the progress estimate of a contract in non-compliance status, more for continued non-compliance, and the whole estimate if the withholding is larger. Withholdings become permanent if outstanding payrolls are not in before Final Acceptance is submitted and the Final Labor Certificate carries a non-compliant finding. The revisions do not define non-compliance status or say which contracts they cover, so ask MDT which specifications yours carries.

## How a payroll gets in

Virginia, Tennessee, Connecticut and Montana each list three routes: key it in, convert a spreadsheet to XML, or export XML from a payroll system ([VDOT](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/doing-business/tools/aashtoware-crl/), [TDOT](https://www.tn.gov/tdot/tdot-construction-division/transportation-construction-division-resources/tdot-labor-compliance/certified-payrolls.html), [Connecticut](https://portal.ct.gov/dot/bureaus/engineering-and-construction/construction/central-construction/aashtoware-resources/payroll), [Montana](https://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/const/manuals_guidelines/AASHTOWARE-CRL/AASHTOWareElectronicPayrolls.pdf)). TDOT's page is undated and still says CRL payroll functionality was expected in Spring 2021, so treat it as partly stale. AASHTO publishes an [XML Resource Kit](https://xml.aashtowareproject.org/resourcekit/) and a [validator](https://xml.aashtowareproject.org/resourcekit/validator.html).

Use your DOT's spreadsheet. AASHTO's [converter page](https://xml.aashtowareproject.org/spreadsheet/) says its general-purpose version goes to agencies, who add their own values first, and MnDOT says [not to use the general version](https://www.dot.state.mn.us/const/labor/civil-rights-labor.html). VDOT asks that employee identifiers (spelling, middle initial, ID numbers) not change between payrolls ([VDOT, updated September 30, 2026](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/doing-business/tools/aashtoware-crl/)).

## What each DOT's page says

Rows come from DOT documents read for this guide; a missing state does not mean it skips CRL.

| DOT and source | Who submits, and when | Getting access |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Virginia](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/doing-business/tools/aashtoware-crl/) | Weekly, all federally assisted construction contracts ([Special Provision 107-000120-00](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/media/vdotvirginiagov/doing-business/tools/aashtoware-crl/FAQs_AWP-CRL-ACC.pdf); for local assistance contracts, check the advertisement). [Our guide](https://wellstanding.com/guides/virginia-certified-payroll/). | Two forms to VDOT's CRL support; VITA sets up the account. |
| [Minnesota](https://www.dot.state.mn.us/civilrights/aashtoware-crl.html) | CRL covers highway heavy construction. [Paper reports](https://www.dot.state.mn.us/const/labor/certifiedpayroll.html) are due within 7 days of pay on federal work, 14 on state-funded work; the CRL pages give no separate deadline. [Our guide](https://wellstanding.com/guides/minnesota-certified-payroll/). | Vendor registration, a personal login ID, then a [notarized user form](https://www.dot.state.mn.us/const/labor/civil-rights-labor.html). |
| [Tennessee](https://www.tn.gov/tdot/tdot-construction-division/transportation-construction-division-resources/aashtoware-project.html) | TDOT's training list covers manual entry, No Work Performed, spreadsheet conversion, import, signing, Tiered Review and Modify a Rejected Payroll, without saying who does which step. | Form signed by an authorized signer from the latest prequalification. |
| [Alaska](https://dot.alaska.gov/aashtoware/contractors.shtml) | All contractors, owner-operators included, on DOT&PF-administered projects. [Our guide](https://wellstanding.com/guides/alaska-certified-payroll/). | Vendor List, then a MyAlaska account (it acts as your signature), then the access form. |
| [Montana](https://mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/const/spec_revision/2026/JANUARY-2026-FINAL-SPEC-REVISIONS.pdf) | Under specification 108.01.4 (January 2026 revisions), the prime and every sub use CRL. The prime must assist and ensure that subs submit into CRL within 7 calendar days following the contractor's scheduled payment date. | An MDT [Vendor Number](https://www.mdt.mt.gov/business/contracting/crl-access.aspx) first, then the access form and a login before work. |
| [Ohio](https://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/ConstructionMgt/CRL/Documents/CRL%20FAQ.pdf?ID=44%2F1000) | A sub imports and signs its own payroll for prime review, or hands the prime a WH-347 to enter as a proxy payroll. Each payroll with an apprentice needs an apprentice certificate. [Our guide](https://wellstanding.com/guides/ohio-certified-payroll/). | The FAQ is undated and names Internet Explorer, so confirm login steps with CRL Support. |

## Not every DOT uses it

North Dakota's [special provision of March 7, 2024](https://www.dot.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/civil-rights/Special-Provision-LCPtracker.pdf) requires LCPtracker, and Maine's [undated DOT form](https://www.maine.gov/dot/sites/maine.gov.dot/files/inline-files/Elation%20System%20Form.pdf), for local-agency and airport projects, says federal-aid contractors and subcontractors submit certified payrolls in the Elation reporting system. See our [LCPtracker](https://wellstanding.com/compare/lcptracker/) and [Elation](https://wellstanding.com/guides/elation-systems-for-contractors/) guides and the [state table](https://wellstanding.com/guides/certified-payroll-requirements-by-state/).

## Where the requirement comes from, and who signs

The weekly rule is in the Davis-Bacon contract clause, [29 CFR 5.5(a)(3)(ii)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-A/part-5/subpart-A/section-5.5); our [WH-347 guide](https://wellstanding.com/guides/wh-347/) covers the form. The CRL mandate comes from the DOT's contract, and FHWA-1273 does not settle it.

Effective June 10, 2026, agencies are no longer required to physically incorporate the form in federal-aid construction contracts ([FHWA-1273 section I.1](https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/contracts/1273/1273.pdf); [91 FR 25492](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/11/2026-09276/rescinding-requirements-regarding-required-contract-provisions-for-federal-aid-construction); [what changed](https://wellstanding.com/guides/fhwa-1273-changes-2026/)). They must still ensure compliance with the provisions it cites, so your contract controls. Montana's manual says paper payrolls will not be accepted and calls that a required contract specification. The 1273 accommodation clause above sits beside it, and the sources read here do not say how the two fit. Ask the DOT in writing.

The signature must be handwritten or a legally valid electronic one ([29 CFR 5.5(a)(3)(ii)(E)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-A/part-5/subpart-A/section-5.5)). [Alaska](https://dot.alaska.gov/aashtoware/contractors.shtml) and [MnDOT](https://www.dot.state.mn.us/const/labor/civil-rights-labor.html) both treat a user's login as an electronic signature, so do not share logins.

This page is not from AASHTO or any DOT, and it is not vendor or agency support. We prepare certified payroll for public works contractors. Tell us about your project.

## Questions

**Is there one AASHTOWare login for every state?**

No. Outside users' access follows each agency's protocols ([AASHTO](https://www.aashtoware.org/products/project/civil-rights-labor/)), so expect a separate account for each DOT.

**Can I send a WH-347 PDF instead?**

It depends. [Montana's 2023 manual](https://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/const/manuals_guidelines/AASHTOWARE-CRL/AASHTOWareElectronicPayrolls.pdf) says paper payrolls will not be accepted, and [Louisiana's manual](https://dotd.la.gov/media/xodmr4md/labor-compliance-manual-updated.pdf) deletes paper payroll references on federal-aid projects. [ODOT's FAQ](https://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/ConstructionMgt/CRL/Documents/CRL%20FAQ.pdf?ID=44%2F1000) has a prime key in a sub's WH-347. Ask your DOT in writing.

**Will my payroll software export the right XML?**

Not necessarily. AASHTO's [validator](https://xml.aashtowareproject.org/resourcekit/validator.html) checks only the Payroll XML schema.[Tennessee](https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/construction/labor-compliance/CertifiedPayrolls-FAQ.pdf) asks for a state project number and TN Employee ID, and [Alaska](https://dot.alaska.gov/aashtoware/contractors.shtml) says XML must match its format, so check your DOT's requirements too.

**Do I submit a payroll for a week with no work?**

It depends. [VDOT's FAQ](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/media/vdotvirginiagov/doing-business/tools/aashtoware-crl/FAQs_AWP-CRL-ACC.pdf) does not require no-work payrolls, and [ODOT's](https://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/ConstructionMgt/CRL/Documents/CRL%20FAQ.pdf?ID=44%2F1000) says they need not be entered. [TDOT's](https://www.tn.gov/tdot/tdot-construction-division/transportation-construction-division-resources/aashtoware-project.html) training list has a No Work Performed step.

## Sources

Every figure on this page links to its source where it first appears. The full list, in order:

1. [VDOT](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/doing-business/tools/aashtoware-crl/) vdot.virginia.gov
2. [MnDOT](https://www.dot.state.mn.us/const/labor/civil-rights-labor.html) dot.state.mn.us
3. [TDOT](https://www.tn.gov/tdot/tdot-construction-division/transportation-construction-division-resources/aashtoware-project.html) tn.gov
4. [Alaska DOT&PF](https://dot.alaska.gov/aashtoware/contractors.shtml) dot.alaska.gov
5. [Civil Rights and Labor product page](https://www.aashtoware.org/products/project/civil-rights-labor/) aashtoware.org
6. [Form FHWA-1273](https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/contracts/1273/1273.pdf) fhwa.dot.gov
7. [January 15, 2026 final specification revisions](https://mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/const/spec_revision/2026/JANUARY-2026-FINAL-SPEC-REVISIONS.pdf) mdt.mt.gov
8. [WisDOT](https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/doing-bus/civil-rights/labornwage/payroll-submission-compliance.aspx) wisconsindot.gov
9. [user support page](https://www.aashtoware.org/support/user-support/) aashtoware.org
10. [system help DC's DDOT hosts](https://daashto.ddot.dc.gov/Help_Sys_Admin/Ext_Working_with_Contract_Vendor_Payrolls.htm) daashto.ddot.dc.gov
11. [FAQ revised July 23, 2026](https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/construction/labor-compliance/CertifiedPayrolls-FAQ.pdf) tn.gov
12. [undated FAQ](https://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/ConstructionMgt/CRL/Documents/CRL%20FAQ.pdf?ID=44%2F1000) dot.state.oh.us
13. [VDOT](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/media/vdotvirginiagov/doing-business/tools/aashtoware-crl/VDOT_QRG_Payrolls_7_Modify_Rejected.pdf) vdot.virginia.gov
14. [TDOT](https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/construction/labor-compliance/6_TDOT_QRG_Payrolls_Modify%20Rejected.pdf) tn.gov
15. [Montana's manual (updated June 22, 2023)](https://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/const/manuals_guidelines/AASHTOWARE-CRL/AASHTOWareElectronicPayrolls.pdf) mdt.mt.gov
16. [VDOT FAQ](https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/media/vdotvirginiagov/doing-business/tools/aashtoware-crl/FAQs_AWP-CRL-ACC.pdf) vdot.virginia.gov
17. [29 CFR 5.5(a)(3)(ii)(A)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-A/part-5/subpart-A/section-5.5) ecfr.gov
18. [DOTD manual, September 2024](https://dotd.la.gov/media/xodmr4md/labor-compliance-manual-updated.pdf) dotd.la.gov
19. [certified payroll reports](https://www.dot.state.mn.us/const/labor/certifiedpayroll.html) dot.state.mn.us
20. [TDOT](https://www.tn.gov/tdot/tdot-construction-division/transportation-construction-division-resources/tdot-labor-compliance/certified-payrolls.html) tn.gov
21. [Connecticut](https://portal.ct.gov/dot/bureaus/engineering-and-construction/construction/central-construction/aashtoware-resources/payroll) portal.ct.gov
22. [XML Resource Kit](https://xml.aashtowareproject.org/resourcekit/) xml.aashtowareproject.org
23. [validator](https://xml.aashtowareproject.org/resourcekit/validator.html) xml.aashtowareproject.org
24. [converter page](https://xml.aashtowareproject.org/spreadsheet/) xml.aashtowareproject.org
25. [Minnesota](https://www.dot.state.mn.us/civilrights/aashtoware-crl.html) dot.state.mn.us
26. [Vendor Number](https://www.mdt.mt.gov/business/contracting/crl-access.aspx) mdt.mt.gov
27. [special provision of March 7, 2024](https://www.dot.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/civil-rights/Special-Provision-LCPtracker.pdf) dot.nd.gov
28. [undated DOT form](https://www.maine.gov/dot/sites/maine.gov.dot/files/inline-files/Elation%20System%20Form.pdf) maine.gov
29. [91 FR 25492](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/11/2026-09276/rescinding-requirements-regarding-required-contract-provisions-for-federal-aid-construction) federalregister.gov

## Related

- [Certified payroll requirements by state](https://wellstanding.com/guides/certified-payroll-requirements-by-state/)
- [FHWA-1273 changes in 2026](https://wellstanding.com/guides/fhwa-1273-changes-2026/)
- [How to fill out Form WH-347](https://wellstanding.com/guides/wh-347/)
- [Elation Systems certified payroll](https://wellstanding.com/guides/elation-systems-for-contractors/)
- [LCPtracker compared](https://wellstanding.com/compare/lcptracker/)
- [Alaska certified payroll](https://wellstanding.com/guides/alaska-certified-payroll/)
- [Virginia certified payroll](https://wellstanding.com/guides/virginia-certified-payroll/)