PBJ Error -3676: A Code That Is Not on the CMS List
Published October 5, 2026
Error -3676 means a coded field holds a value that is not on the CMS list. Like -3679, it is a format error, and the whole record is rejected.
What the error says
Values of Code and Checklist Items: Only the coded values listed in the "Item Values" table of the Detailed Data Specifications Report may be submitted for this item.
- Severity: Fatal. The record is rejected and has to be fixed and sent again.
- In the iQIES error list since: October 1, 2015.
What triggers it
The iQIES error list names the specifications version code, the facility's state postal code, the reporting quarter, the pay type code and the process type. In practice:
- fileSpecVersion is not 4.10.0. Older versions stopped being accepted on April 1, 2026.
- stateCode is not one of the state codes the specifications list.
- reportQuarter is not 1, 2, 3 or 4.
- processType is not merge or replace.
- jobTitleCode is not one of the CMS job title codes, 1 to 40.
- payTypeCode is not 1 (exempt), 2 (non-exempt) or 3 (contract).
How to fix it
- Find the field named on the Final Validation Report.
- Compare the value with the Item Values table in the CMS data specifications.
- If the code comes from a payroll mapping, fix the mapping, not just this file, or it will come back next quarter.
- Export again and resubmit.
Check the whole file before the November 14 quarterly deadline. The PBJ Staffing Data Pre-Submission QA checks your XML against the CMS v4.10.0 specifications and the staffing patterns CMS has named as audit or rating risks, before you upload to iQIES. $25.00 per report, with a free test on the page. Check a PBJ file
The QA checks every coded value above against the v4.10.0 lists and points to each one that is not allowed. A PASS is not CMS acceptance: iQIES runs its own checks and has the final word.
More PBJ help
- Free PBJ pre-flight checks: zero-RN days and meal break deductions
- PBJ Error -1025: The 22.5-Hour Limit Across Linked Employee IDs
- PBJ Error -4025: More Than 22.5 Hours for One Employee on One Date
- PBJ Error -3679: A Number Outside the Allowed Range
- PBJ Error -4016: Employee ID Not Found in the PBJ System
Sources: the iQIES PBJ Error Messages list (CMS, July 2026), the CMS PBJ data specifications v4.10.0 and Policy Manual, and the QTSO notice that PBJ is live in iQIES. SpreadRun is not affiliated with or endorsed by CMS. This is general information, not legal or compliance advice.