How to file New York paid leave: the PFL-1, PFL-2 and DB-450, step by step
New York hands you a stack of forms and no instructions. There’s no single application and, for most workers, no state office to mail — you file with your employer’s insurance carrier, on a deadline, with the right form for each part of your leave. Here’s exactly which form goes where, who fills out what, and the slip-ups that get claims denied.
- • Recovery (birth parent): file Form DB-450 with your employer’s disability carrier, with your provider’s certification.
- • Bonding (any new parent): file PFL-1 + PFL-2 with your employer’s PFL carrier within 30 days of your bonding start.
- • You file with the carrier, not New York State. It usually pays or denies within 18 days of a complete request.
The three forms, and who fills out what
“Maternity leave” in New York is really two benefits, usually taken back to back — disability for your recovery, then Paid Family Leave for bonding — and each has its own form and its own carrier. Non-birth, adoptive and foster parents skip recovery and file the bonding forms only.
Step 1: Find out who your carriers are (most people skip this)
This is the step that trips everyone up. In New York you usually don’t file with a government agency — you file with the insurance carrier (or self-insured administrator) that handles your employer’s coverage. There are usually two: one for disability (DBL) and one for Paid Family Leave (PFL). They’re often the same insurer, but not always. Before you fill out a single box, get both names from HR. Can’t find out who the carrier is? New York’s PFL Helpline (844-337-6303) can point you to it. Here’s an email you can copy:
Subject: Insurance carrier details for my upcoming leave
Hi [HR / manager],
I’m planning to take leave around [date] and want to file my forms correctly. Could you tell me:
1. The name and mailing/upload details of our disability (DBL) insurance carrier or administrator;
2. The same for our Paid Family Leave (PFL) coverage;
3. Anything you need from me to complete the employer section of the PFL-1.
Thank you!
Step 2: Form DB-450 — your disability (recovery) claim
If you gave birth, Form DB-450 claims short-term disability income while a doctor certifies you’re unable to work — about 6 weeks for a vaginal birth and 8 for a C-section. It pays 50% of your average weekly wage, capped at $170/week, after a 7-day unpaid waiting period. Disability can also begin before birth — if pregnancy complications or your provider keep you from working, you may claim DBL pre-delivery with medical certification. Non-birth parents skip this form entirely.
Where people screw up the DB-450
- Mailing it to the state. It goes to your employer’s disability carrier, not the Workers’ Compensation Board.
- Filing it too early or half-finished. DB-450 can’t be submitted before your first disability date, and it needs your health-care provider’s certification — complete your section, get the provider’s, then it goes to your employer for theirs.
- Assuming it protects your job. DB-450 replaces some income, but disability is not job protection. That comes from FMLA or, during bonding, from PFL.
Step 3: Form PFL-1 + PFL-2 — your bonding claim
Paid Family Leave bonding gives you up to 12 weeks at 67% of your wage, up to $1,228.53/week, with no waiting period. Birth parents usually take it after their disability recovery, but you choose how to sequence your eligible weeks — they just can’t be paid for the same days. Two forms travel together:
PFL-1 — the request
You complete Part A (your details and leave dates). Your employer completes Part B and is expected to return it to you within three business days. If they drag, submit your part to the carrier anyway and note that the employer section is outstanding — the clock doesn’t stop for a slow HR desk.
PFL-2 — the bonding certification
This documents your new child. Attach proof: a birth certificate or your health-care provider’s certification of birth, or adoption / foster- placement papers (non-birth parents may also need proof of relationship). Missing documentation is a top reason bonding claims get bounced back.
Where to send everything (a common reason claims get denied)
Say it once more, because it’s the mistake that costs the most time: New York paid leave forms go to your employer’s insurance carrier, not to a state office. For most workers there’s no central NY claims address. If you’re not certain who the carrier is, go back to Step 1 before you file — a misrouted claim can vanish for weeks while your leave is already running.
Top reasons New York paid leave claims get denied
The official sites publish the law. They don’t publish this. From how the process actually plays out, here’s what derails claims:
- Sending forms to the wrong place — the state instead of the carrier.
- Missing the 30-day window to file PFL-1 + PFL-2 after leave starts.
- Paying disability and PFL for the same days. They can’t overlap, and can’t exceed 26 weeks combined in 52 weeks.
- No child documentation attached to the PFL-2.
- A wrong average weekly wage. Your benefit is based on your recent pay — if bonuses, overtime or commissions are left out, you’re underpaid. Check the wage the carrier uses.
- Letting bonding leave expire past the 12-month window.
Your filing deadlines at a glance
See a finished plan with the forms and a filing calendar →
Frequently asked questions
Where do I send my New York paid family leave forms?
To your employer’s insurance carrier — not a New York State office. For most workers there’s no central state claims office; your forms go to the carrier (or self-insured administrator) that handles your employer’s PFL or DBL coverage. Ask HR who that is, and if you can’t find out, New York’s PFL Helpline (844-337-6303) can point you to it. Sending forms to “the state” is a common reason claims stall or get denied.
What is the PFL-1 form?
Form PFL-1 is the Request for Paid Family Leave. You complete Part A (your details and leave dates); your employer completes Part B with your wage and coverage information. In New York your employer is expected to return their completed section to you within three business days so you can submit the claim on time.
What is the difference between PFL-1 and PFL-2?
PFL-1 is the leave request itself. PFL-2 is the Bonding Certification — the form that documents your new child, submitted with proof such as a birth certificate or your provider’s certification of birth, or adoption or foster-placement papers. For bonding leave you file both together.
What is the DB-450 form?
Form DB-450 is the Notice and Proof of Claim for Disability Benefits. A birth parent uses it to claim short-term disability (DBL) income while medically unable to work for pregnancy or childbirth — separate from Paid Family Leave bonding. File it with your employer’s disability carrier; it needs your health-care provider’s certification, so it can’t be filed before your first disability date.
How long do I have to file for New York Paid Family Leave?
File Form PFL-1 and PFL-2 with the carrier within 30 days of the start of your bonding leave. In most cases the carrier then pays or denies within 18 calendar days of receiving your completed request or your first day of leave, whichever is later. If your leave is foreseeable, also give your employer at least 30 days’ notice. File late and you can lose benefits.
Can my employer deny my Paid Family Leave?
For an ordinary insured employer, no — your employer doesn’t approve or deny the claim; the insurance carrier does. Your employer’s job is to complete Part B of the PFL-1 and confirm your coverage. (Some employers are self-insured and use an administrator instead of an outside carrier.) If your employer is slow, you can still submit your portion to the carrier and note that the employer section is outstanding.
Do I file disability and Paid Family Leave at the same time?
They’re two separate claims and can’t be paid for the same days. The common approach for a birth parent is disability (DBL) for recovery first, then PFL-1 + PFL-2 for bonding — but you’re not locked into that exact order, as long as the claims don’t overlap, bonding finishes within 12 months of the birth or placement, and disability + PFL together stay under 26 weeks in a 52-week period.
Where this fits in the bigger picture
These forms are the paperwork layer on top of how the benefits actually stack. For the full mechanics — how disability recovery and bonding fit together, what each pays, and FMLA job protection — start with our New York Paid Family Leave guide. For the numbers by situation, see the maternity leave, paternity leave, and adoption & foster guides.
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Build my free plan →Reviewed June 2026 for the 2026 benefit year. Sources: New York State Paid Family Leave (paidfamilyleave.ny.gov) and the NY Workers’ Compensation Board disability benefits (wcb.ny.gov). Form names (PFL-1, PFL-2, DB-450) are New York State forms; check the current WCB version when you file. This guide is general information to help you file correctly, not legal advice — your employer’s carrier makes the final determination.