Final Paycheck Laws by State
Eight states, their final-pay clocks side by side. Every deadline below comes from the statute or the enforcing agency — and the empty cell in this table is a finding, not an omission: Florida simply has no final-pay deadline law.
The deadlines
| State | If you were fired | If you quit | Full guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Immediately — on your last day, at the place of discharge | If you gave at least 72 hours' notice, on your last day. If you quit without 72 hours' notice, within 72 hours of quitting | State guide |
| Texas | By the 6th calendar day after discharge — count calendar days, not business days | On or before the next regularly scheduled payday — how you left makes no difference to the clock | State guide |
| Florida | No state deadline. The working rule is the federal one — courts treat payment by the next regular payday as the outer limit under the FLSA — but Florida law itself does not say it | Same as fired: no Florida deadline for either case | State guide |
| New York | By the regular payday for the pay period in which you were fired | By the regular payday for the pay period in which you quit — New York sets one deadline for both. If you ask in writing, the employer must mail the final pay instead | State guide |
| Washington | On or before the next regularly scheduled payday | On or before the next regularly scheduled payday — Washington sets one deadline for both | State guide |
| Oregon | By the end of the first business day after discharge | With at least 48 hours' notice (not counting weekends and holidays), on your last day. Without that notice, within 5 days of quitting (not counting weekends and holidays) or the next regular payday, whichever comes first | State guide |
| Colorado | Immediately. If the employer's accounting unit is not working, within 6 hours after the start of its next regular workday; if the accounting unit is off-site, within 24 hours | On the next regularly scheduled payday | State guide |
| Illinois | By the next regularly scheduled payday | Same as fired: one deadline for both | State guide |
How to use this directory
Find your state, fix your separation type, then get the calendar date from the Final Paycheck Deadline Calculator — three of these states set the deadline as 'the next regular payday,' so the date depends on your pay schedule.
The spread is the story: a fired worker in California is owed pay the same day, in Oregon by the end of the next business day, in Texas within six calendar days — and in Florida, no state deadline exists at all.
The other directories
- Security Deposit Return Deadlines by State
- Car Title Transfer by State
- Wage Claim Filing by State
- Unclaimed Property by State
- Birth Certificates by State
- Illinois Admin Process Directory
- U.S. Passport Guides by Situation
- U.S. Federal Credentials Directory
- Court Fee Waivers by State
- Expired Vehicle Registration Renewal by State
- Temporary Registration Permits by State
- US Admin Process Directory
- Small Claims for a Withheld Deposit by State
- Duplicate Title Replacement by State
Facts verified against official state sources 2026-10-23 and 2026-10-25. General process information, not legal advice.
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