United States · final pay
Final paycheck deadline by state.
Pick a state, say how the job ended and enter your last day. See the date the final paycheck is due under that state's law, what happens to unused vacation, and the remedy if it is late.
General information, not legal or tax advice
This applies the state rules listed below to the dates you enter. It does not cover contracts, union agreements, local rules or the facts of your case. Nothing you enter leaves your browser and nothing is stored.
Your separation
Result
How the deadline is worked out
Every state in this tool sets the final paycheck deadline in its own words, and several treat a firing differently from a resignation. The tool does one thing: it takes the last day of employment you enter, applies the rule for the state and separation type you pick, and returns the date. Where the statute ties the deadline to a payday or a pay period, you enter that date, because only your employer knows the payroll calendar.
Worked examples. In Oregon, an employee who is fired on Friday, 2026-10-23, is owed final wages by the end of the first business day after, which is Monday, 2026-10-26. In California, an employee who quits on 2026-10-20 without giving 72 hours notice must be paid within 72 hours, so by 2026-10-23. In Arizona, an employee fired on 2026-10-14 whose pay period ends 2026-10-30 is due the sooner of seven working days (2026-10-23) or the period end, which is 2026-10-23.
State rules at a glance. The table compresses each rule; the tool shows the full wording, the remedy and the source for the state you pick.
| State | Employer ends the job | Employee quits | Vacation |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Immediately, at termination | Same day with 72 hours notice; otherwise within 72 hours | Accrued vacation is part of final wages |
| Oregon | End of the first business day after | Immediately with 48 hours notice; otherwise 5 business days or next payday, whichever is first | Not addressed in the sections cited |
| Illinois | At separation if possible, no later than the next regular payday | Same as fired | Earned vacation paid out at final rate |
| Massachusetts | Day of discharge | Following regular pay day (or following Saturday if none) | Wages include vacation payments due under an agreement |
| Arizona | Within 7 working days or the end of the next regular pay period, whichever is sooner | Regular payday for the pay period in which employment ended | Not addressed in the section cited |
| Washington | End of the established pay period | Same as fired | Not addressed in the section cited |
| New York | Regular pay day for the pay period in which employment ended | Same as fired | Not addressed in the subdivision cited |
Method and assumptions
Dates are computed in whole calendar days. Where a rule skips weekends and holidays, the tool skips Saturdays and Sundays only, so add a day for each legal holiday that falls in the window. The rule text is keyed from the statute or the state labor agency page named below, not from a third-party summary, and it is not fetched at runtime. Statutes change, and a collective bargaining agreement, an employment contract or a local ordinance can set a different deadline. Treat the result as the starting point for a question to the state labor agency, not as the answer to a dispute.
What this does not cover
- The other 43 states and DC, including states with no final pay statute.
- Federal rules for federal workers, and the special industries that some of these statutes carve out (motion pictures, oil drilling and seasonal fruit canning in California, for example).
- Layoff-versus-discharge distinctions beyond the wording of each section, and strikes.
- Penalties in sections that were not read for this page. Where the section cited has none, the tool says so.
- Holiday calendars, bank processing time, direct deposit timing and mail delivery rules.
Sources, retrieved October 19, 2026.
- California: Labor Commissioner, Paydays, pay periods, and the final wages
- Oregon: ORS 652.140 and 652.150
- Illinois: 820 ILCS 115/5
- Massachusetts: M.G.L. c. 149, 148 and 150
- Arizona: A.R.S. 23-353
- Washington: RCW 49.48.010
- New York: N.Y. Labor Law 191(3)
Frequently asked questions
How long does an employer have to give you your final paycheck?
It depends on the state and on how the job ended. California requires payment immediately when an employer fires an employee. Massachusetts requires it on the day of discharge. Oregon allows until the end of the first business day after termination. Illinois, New York and Washington tie the deadline to a payday or pay period, and Arizona gives seven working days or the end of the next pay period, whichever is sooner.
What if I quit instead of being fired?
Several states change the deadline. In California the employee is paid on the day they quit if they gave at least 72 hours notice, and within 72 hours if not. In Oregon it is immediate with 48 hours notice and otherwise five business days or the next payday, whichever is first. In Massachusetts and Arizona it is a regular payday. Illinois, Washington and New York treat quitting and being fired the same way.
Does the final paycheck have to include unused vacation?
Only where the law says so. California treats accrued vacation as wages due at termination. Illinois requires earned vacation to be paid at the final rate unless a collective bargaining agreement says otherwise. Massachusetts defines wages to include vacation payments due under an agreement. The Oregon, Arizona, Washington and New York sections read for this page do not address vacation, so check your policy and the state agency.
What happens if the employer pays late?
The penalties differ. California adds a waiting time penalty of one day of pay for each day the wages stay unpaid, up to 30 days. Oregon adds penalty wages of eight hours at the hourly rate per day, up to 30 days. Massachusetts awards treble damages plus costs and attorneys' fees to an employee who prevails in a private action. Arizona classes a violation of its section as a petty offense. Use the linked calculator for the California and Oregon arithmetic.
Can the employer mail the final check?
In several states the employee can ask for it to be mailed. Illinois requires the employer to mail it if the employee asks in writing. Arizona, New York and Oregon also provide for mailing on request, and in California the mailing date counts as the payment date for an employee who quit without 72 hours notice and asked for it to be mailed.
Is this tool legal advice?
No. It applies the rule in each statute to the dates you enter. It does not know your contract, your union agreement, your employer's payroll calendar or the facts of your case. For a dispute, contact the state labor agency or a lawyer.