When a new employee joins your team, the employee fills out the usual paperwork. You then tuck it away and move on to patients. Simple, right? Not quite. If that stack of onboarding forms is missing a date, signature, or the right version of the I-9, your practice could face thousands of dollars in fines.

What is the I-9? And what are the costs of getting it wrong?

Form I-9 verifies an employee is legally authorized to work in the U.S. Both the employee and employer must complete it within three business days of the hire date.

I-9 errors are one of the most common and costly compliance oversights for small employers. Even the smallest mistake can result in steep penalties during an audit: each incomplete or incorrect I-9 can carry fines ranging from $288 to $2,861; with several incorrect forms, those figures add up quickly.

In addition, this year and beyond, employers have higher-stake consequences for mistakes on I-9 forms due to recent legislation like the Big Beautiful Bill.

According to i-9 Intelligence, a compliance software company, “The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have increased fines for I-9 violations to as much as $28,619 per offense.” Furthermore, “…knowingly hiring unauthorized workers can trigger steep penalties and repeat-offense escalations. With ICE ramping up audits nationwide, every HR team needs a clear plan to avoid fines and stay compliant.”

According to an Equifax analysis, “each I-9 could have up to 300+ issues.” Beyond fines, correcting errors under audit pressure means attention is pulled away from your team and patient. Compliance issues can lead to wasted time; as well as stress and damage to your reputation.

Look out for easy-to-make mistakes.

Dental practices are especially vulnerable to I-9 errors because HR duties often fall to office managers or owners already juggling scheduling, billing, and patient care. Here are a few that can easily slip by you.

• Forgetting to sign or date the employer section
• Using an expired version of the form
• Not re-verifying work authorization for certain employees
• Storing I-9s in the wrong place (They should be kept separate from personnel files.)
• Skipping the required state new-hire reporting step

What can you do to avoid I-9 errors?

Here are a few solid suggestions to keeping your practice clear of I-9 related mistakes.

• Use digital onboarding tools that ensure forms are completed correctly and stored securely.
• Conduct internal I-9 audits at least once a year.
• Train whoever handles HR or onboarding to spot common errors.
• Partner with a professional team that tracks regulatory updates and keeps your practice compliant. (TDA Perks partner HR&P is one.)

Paying attention to hiring paperwork is one of the simplest ways to protect your practice and peace of mind.