Last verified: September 27, 2026, against state statute text and official labor-agency pages.
No federal law sets a final paycheck deadline — every rule comes from the state. Miss your state’s deadline and you can owe a full day’s pay per day you’re late, sometimes for up to 30 days.
General information, not legal advice. This page is a reference for small-business owners, not legal guidance for any specific situation. Statutes change — check your state’s labor agency or an employment attorney before acting.
The national picture in three buckets
- Immediate or within days. The strictest states set a short fixed clock — immediate payment (California, Colorado, Nevada), or a set number of days: Texas 6, Arizona 7 working days, New Hampshire and Vermont 72 hours, Idaho 10, Kentucky 14.
- Next regular payday. Most other states — over 20 — use the next regular payday, sometimes with an outer limit (Nebraska: 2 weeks; Tennessee: next payday or 21 days, whichever is later).
- No state law. Four states — Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi — have no final-pay deadline statute; federal law is the backstop.
How to read this table
- The two deadline columns cover firings and quits; Details gives the statute citation and key conditions. “No state law” means no final-pay deadline statute was located — federal law applies.
- Methodology: every deadline and citation was checked September 27, 2026 against state statute text and official state labor-agency pages. Indiana could not be confirmed from a primary source, so its row reads coming soon. Statutes change: confirm with your state labor agency or an employment attorney before acting.
Final paycheck deadlines: all 50 states
| State | Fired / discharged | Quit / resigned | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No state law | No state law | No statute located — federal law applies. |
| Alaska | Within 3 working days | Next regular payday (at least 3 working days after notice) | AS 23.05.140; weekends/holidays excluded. |
| Arizona | Within 7 working days, or end of next pay period — whichever is sooner | Regular payday for the pay period of termination | A.R.S. §23-353. |
| Arkansas | Due on the day of discharge | No discharge-specific deadline verified — use next regular payday as the safe fallback | Ark. Code §11-4-405; penalty wages if unpaid 7+ days, capped at 60 days. |
| California | Immediately | Within 72 hours (immediately with 72+ hrs notice) | Cal. Lab. Code §§201–203, 227.3; waiting-time penalties up to 30 days’ wages. |
| Colorado | Immediately | Next regular payday | C.R.S. §8-4-109. |
| Connecticut | Next business day | Next regular payday | Conn. Gen. Stat. §31-71c. |
| Delaware | Later of the next normal pay date or 3 business days after last day worked | Same | 19 Del. C. §1103(a). |
| Florida | No state law | No state law | No FL statute — federal law applies. |
| Georgia | No state law | No state law | No GA statute; §34-7-2 covers frequency/method only. |
| Hawaii | At discharge, or by the next working day if conditions prevent immediate payment | Next regular payday — or at quitting if at least one pay period’s notice was given | HRS §388-3. |
| Idaho | Earlier of next regularly scheduled payday or 10 days after separation (excludes weekends/holidays) | Same | Idaho Code §45-606; written request triggers 48-hour payment. |
| Illinois | Next regular payday | Next regular payday | 820 ILCS 115/5. |
| Indiana | Coming soon | Coming soon | Coming soon — verifying from primary sources before publishing any Indiana details. |
| Iowa | Next regular payday | Next regular payday | Iowa Code §91A.4. |
| Kansas | Next regular payday | Next regular payday | K.S.A. §44-315. |
| Kentucky | Later of the next normal pay period or 14 days after separation | Same | KRS §337.055. |
| Louisiana | Next regular payday or within 15 days of discharge — whichever is first | Next regular payday or within 15 days of resignation — whichever is first | La. R.S. §23:631. |
| Maine | Next established payday | Next established payday | 26 M.R.S. §626. |
| Maryland | On or before the date wages would have been paid absent termination | Same | Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. §3-505. |
| Massachusetts | Day of discharge, in full | Following regular payday (following Saturday if none) | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, §148. |
| Michigan | Next regular payday | Next regular payday | Per MI LEO guidance: regular payday for the termination period (§408.475 says “as soon as ascertainable”). |
| Minnesota | Within 24 hours of a written demand | First regular payday (or second if fewer than 5 days away; max 20 days) | Minn. Stat. §§181.13, 181.14. |
| Mississippi | No state law | No state law | No MS deadline statute — federal law applies. |
| Missouri | Day of discharge, with no abatement or deduction | No special state deadline for quits | Mo. Rev. Stat. §290.110 (discharge only). |
| Montana | Immediately (when fired for cause or laid off), unless a preexisting written policy extends to next payday or 15 days — whichever is first | Next payday for that period, or 15 days — whichever is first | MCA §39-3-205. |
| Nebraska | Next regular payday or within 2 weeks — whichever is first | Same | Neb. Rev. Stat. §48-1230. |
| Nevada | Immediately | Earlier of next regular payday or 7 days after resignation | NRS 608.020, 608.030. |
| New Hampshire | Within 72 hours | Next regular payday (within 72 hours if the employee isn’t allowed to work the notice period) | N.H. Rev. Stat. §§275:44, 275:43(V). |
| New Jersey | Regular payday for the pay period in which employment ended | Same (fired, laid off, quit, resigned all covered) | N.J.S.A. §34:11-4.3. |
| New Mexico | Within 5 days if wages are a fixed, definite amount (due immediately on demand); within 10 days in all other cases | Next succeeding payday | NMSA §§50-4-4, 50-4-5; if late, wages continue at the discharge rate until paid (capped at 60 days). |
| New York | Next regular payday | Next regular payday | N.Y. Lab. Law §191(3). |
| North Carolina | Next regular payday | Next regular payday | N.C. Gen. Stat. §95-25.7. |
| North Dakota | Regular established paydays (certified mail for discharged employees) | Same | N.D. Cent. Code §34-14-03 (the old “15 days or next pay period” rule was repealed in 2001). |
| Ohio | Next regular payday | Next regular payday | Ohio Rev. Code §4113.15. |
| Oklahoma | Next regular designated payday for the period worked | Same | 40 O.S. §165.3. |
| Oregon | End of the first business day after termination | With 48+ hours’ notice: immediately on the last day; without sufficient notice: within 5 days (excl. weekends/holidays) or next regular payday — whichever is first | ORS 652.140. |
| Pennsylvania | Next regular payday | Next regular payday | 43 P.S. §260.5. |
| Rhode Island | Next regular payday | Next regular payday | R.I. Gen. Laws §28-14-4. |
| South Carolina | Within 48 hours or the next regular payday (which may not exceed 30 days) | Same | S.C. Code §41-10-50 (“or,” not “whichever is earlier”). |
| South Dakota | Next regular stated payday | Same | SDCL §§60-11-10, 60-11-11. |
| Tennessee | Next regular payday or 21 days after separation — whichever occurs LAST | Same | Tenn. Code §50-2-103(g). 2026 amendment (Pub. Ch. 617, eff. 7/1/2026): piecework/commission paid by the last day of the month after separation. |
| Texas | Within 6 calendar days | Next regularly scheduled payday | Tex. Lab. Code §61.014(a)–(b). |
| Utah | Immediately — payable within 24 hours | Next regular payday | Utah Code §34-28-5. |
| Vermont | Within 72 hours | Last regular payday (or following Friday if none) | 21 V.S.A. §342(b). |
| Virginia | By the date wages would have been paid absent termination | Same | Va. Code §40.1-29(B). |
| Washington | On or before the next regularly scheduled payday | Same | WAC 296-126-023. |
| West Virginia | On or before the next regular payday | Same | W. Va. Code §21-5-4(b). |
| Wisconsin | Earlier of the established payroll date or the date required by §109.03(1) | Same | Wis. Stat. §109.03(2). |
| Wyoming | Regularly scheduled payroll dates, per usual practice | Same | Wyo. Stat. §27-4-104 (the old five-working-day rule was repealed by 2015 HB0127). |
What has to be in the final paycheck
- All earned wages through the last day worked, including overtime.
- Accrued vacation: roughly half the states treat promised vacation as wages that must be paid out; elsewhere your written policy controls.
- Commissions and bonuses: if earned and calculable, they generally must be paid.
- Deductions: you generally can’t deduct for unreturned property, cash shortages, or “debts” without written authorization.
Penalties for paying late
California’s waiting-time penalty — a full day’s wages per day late, up to 30 days — can turn an $800-a-day wage into a $24,000 liability. Other states allow double or treble damages, daily penalties, and attorney’s fees.
What to do when your state has no deadline law
General practical guidance only — not a legal claim about any state’s requirements, and not legal advice.
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi have no state final-pay deadline statute, so federal law is the only backstop. In practice: pay by the next regular payday — the U.S. Department of Labor flags employers once the regular payday has passed, even though federal law sets no fixed deadline. Document final hours and the payment date, and honor any timeline in your own policies or agreements.
FAQ
Is there a federal final paycheck deadline?
No — the FLSA sets no deadline for final pay; state law controls. Pay promptly anyway.
Which states require immediate payment?
California, Colorado, and Nevada immediately on discharge; Massachusetts, Arkansas, and Missouri on the day of discharge; Utah within 24 hours; Oregon by the end of the first business day.
Do deadlines differ for quits versus firings?
Yes, in more than a dozen states — the fired deadline is usually stricter. Examples: California (immediately vs. 72 hours), Massachusetts (day of discharge vs. following payday), Texas (6 days vs. next payday).
What if my state has no final-pay law?
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi have no state final-pay deadline statute — federal law applies. Pay by the next regular payday and document everything; see the section above.
Can I mail the final paycheck?
Yes, in most states — but the deadline is measured by receipt (or postmark, depending on the state).
Can I withhold the final check until company property is returned?
In most states, no. The default rule stands: pay what you owe, chase the laptop separately.
What if the employee quit without notice?
Most states give you slightly more time when the employee quits, but “next regular payday” states usually make no distinction.
Related guides
- How to Terminate an Employee — the full termination process
- At-Will Employment Explained — what at-will does and doesn’t let you do
- Employee Timesheet Template — document final hours cleanly
This page provides general information about final paycheck laws, not legal advice. Deadlines change — verify with your state labor agency or an employment attorney for your situation.