A pay stub is the document people ask for most when you need to prove income — for an apartment application, a car loan, a mortgage, or a government benefit. If you don't have yours handy, the good news is that getting a copy is usually straightforward. Here's how to track one down, no matter who you work for.
Start with your employee portal
Most employers today pay through a payroll provider, and nearly all of those providers offer a self-service portal where you can view and download every stub. If your company uses one, that's the fastest route.
- Look for a link to a portal in your hiring paperwork or a benefits email.
- Sign in with the credentials your employer set up for you.
- Find the Pay or Pay History section and download the period you need as a PDF.
Tip: download stubs as PDFs and save them somewhere permanent. Portals often only keep 12–24 months of history, and access usually disappears soon after you leave a job.
Ask payroll or HR directly
No portal? Ask the person who runs payroll. A short, specific request works best:
- Email HR or your payroll contact.
- State the exact pay periods you need (for example, "the three stubs from April 2026").
- Ask for them as PDFs, and give a reason if it helps ("for a mortgage application").
Employers are generally able to reissue stubs from their payroll software in a few minutes, so most requests are handled the same week.
Getting stubs from a former employer
Past employers can be slower, but they're still your best source for historical records. Reach out to HR or your old manager, and remember that many payroll portals stay accessible for a while after your last day — try logging in before assuming you've lost access. If the company has closed, your final pay stub, W-2, or bank deposit records can stand in as proof of income.
What counts as proof of income besides a pay stub
If you genuinely can't get a stub in time, lenders and landlords will often accept alternatives:
| Document | Best for |
|---|---|
| W-2 or 1099 | Annual income verification |
| Bank statements | Showing consistent deposits |
| Tax return | Self-employed or variable income |
| Offer letter | A brand-new job with no stubs yet |
When you need to create your own
If you're self-employed, a contractor, or a freelancer, no employer will ever hand you a stub — but you still need to document your income. In that case you can generate your own. OakPaystubs builds an accurate, professional pay stub with federal and state taxes calculated automatically, so you have clean proof of income whenever someone asks for it.
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