Know the laws governing farmworker minimum wages and rights. Certify your business to hire foreign temporary agriculture workers or register as a farm labor contractor that hires migrant or seasonal agriculture workers.
Minimum wage coverage
All farm labor contractors in Idaho must be licensed to hire migrant or seasonal agricultural workers, and minimum wage is required with a few exceptions.
Farmworkers must be paid at least the state minimum wage of $7.25 an hour with a few exceptions.
Farm labor contractors
Under the law, all persons performing farm labor contractor activities on behalf of migrant and seasonal farmworkers in Idaho must:
- Be licensed by the state and pay an annual licensing fee
- Post a surety bond to cover unpaid wages
- Carry auto insurance for all vehicles used in the farm labor contracting business
- Carry workers’ compensation coverage for all employees
- Provide all employees at the time of hiring full disclosure of the conditions of employment
Farm labor contractor forms
FLC-001 Information Regarding Farm Labor Contractor Licensing
FLC-002 Checklist
FLC-003 Social Security Advisory
FLC-004 Farm Labor Contractor's License Application
FLC-005 Farm Labor Contractor's Vehicle Information Sheet
FLC-006 Instructions for Completion of Farm Labor Contractor Bond
FLC-007 Farm Labor Contractor Bond
FLC-008 Sponsorship Statement for Contractor's Employee
Farm labor contractors licensed in Idaho
» Farm labor contractor registry
Certify temporary foreign agriculture workers
Agricultural employers who anticipate a shortage of domestic workers and plan to bring nonimmigrant foreign workers to the U.S. for temporary or seasonal agricultural labor must be certified to do so through the H-2A temporary agricultural program.
While much of the process involves the employer working directly with federal agencies ̶ see links below to learn about those ̶ the Idaho Department of Labor assists by reviewing the application, conducting housing inspections and helping the employer recruit qualified domestic workers.