AASHTOWare Certified Payroll XML: State DOT Guide
— WH347.io Team
Most state Departments of Transportation use AASHTOWare Project to manage certified payroll on highway and infrastructure contracts. Here's what the Payroll XML format requires and how WH347.io exports a submission-ready file.
If you're winning highway, bridge, or infrastructure contracts funded by state Departments of Transportation, there's a good chance you've encountered AASHTOWare Project — the civil rights and labor management platform used by most state DOTs to collect and verify certified payroll data. Unlike the federal WH-347 PDF, AASHTOWare uses a structured XML format (PRL 1.2) that must be generated correctly to upload without errors.
WH347.io now supports direct AASHTOWare Payroll XML export. This guide covers what AASHTOWare is, which states use it, what the XML format requires, and how to generate a compliant file from your WH347.io account.
What Is AASHTOWare Project?
AASHTOWare Project is a software suite developed by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and used by state DOTs to manage construction project administration — including civil rights compliance, labor monitoring, and certified payroll collection. The Civil Rights & Labor (CRL) module is the part contractors interact with: it's where you submit your weekly payroll XML files to demonstrate prevailing wage compliance on state-funded transportation contracts.
State DOT contracts — particularly those funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) — are subject to Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements, just like other federal contracts. AASHTOWare is the portal through which most state DOTs collect the payroll data that proves compliance. The format it accepts is the Payroll Report (PRL) XML schema, currently at version 1.2.
Which States Use AASHTOWare for Certified Payroll?
The majority of US state DOTs have adopted AASHTOWare Project CRL for payroll collection. States actively using the AASHTOWare Payroll XML submission system include:
- Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware
- Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa
- Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan
- Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire
- New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio
- Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota
- Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
California uses a separate system — the DIR's eCPR portal — and is not part of the AASHTOWare ecosystem. WH347.io supports both: CA eCPR XML for California projects and AASHTOWare Payroll XML for all other state DOT projects.
What Is the PRL 1.2 XML Format?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is AASHTOWare and why does it matter for certified payroll?
AASHTOWare Project is a software suite used by most state Departments of Transportation to manage construction project administration, including certified payroll collection. Contractors on state DOT highway and infrastructure contracts funded by the FHWA must submit weekly payroll data through the AASHTOWare portal using a structured XML format rather than a PDF.
Which states use AASHTOWare for certified payroll submissions?
The majority of US state DOTs use AASHTOWare Project for payroll collection — including Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Texas, and most others. California is the main exception: it uses the DIR's eCPR system instead.
What is the PRL 1.2 XML format for AASHTOWare?
PRL 1.2 (Payroll Report version 1.2) is the XML schema that AASHTOWare accepts for certified payroll uploads. Each file covers one project and one pay period. It requires a payroll header with contract and contractor details, followed by one block per worker containing hours, wages, deductions, and fringe benefit payment type. Elements must appear in the exact sequence defined by the XSD — out-of-order elements will fail portal validation.
What is an AASHTOWare Vendor ID and where do I get it?
The AASHTOWare Vendor ID is a company identifier assigned by your state DOT in their AASHTOWare system. It is different from your FEIN. Contact your state DOT project engineer or the DOT's civil rights office to confirm your assigned Vendor ID before your first submission.
How does WH347.io generate AASHTOWare-ready XML?
WH347.io assembles the PRL 1.2 XML from data already in your account — project details, employee records, work classifications, timecards, and fringe benefit settings. It enforces the correct XSD element order and exports a file named using the DOT convention. No XML editing or schema knowledge is required.