Texas Payday Wage Claim Form

The form and the portal, identified

Texas wage claims are filed under the Texas Payday Law, Texas Labor Code Chapter 61, with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), Wage and Hour Department. The TWC process page describes two filing instruments. The first is the online Wage Claim system application, which requires a User ID and password; a first-time user signs in for a User ID to get started. The second is the paper wage claim form, which the TWC process page calls Form LL-1, available in English and Spanish.

A note on the form link: the TWC process page lists a direct PDF address for Form LL-1. When that address was fetched on 2026-11-03 it returned a 404 page-not-found response. The form identity in this guide therefore rests on the TWC process page naming Form LL-1, not on the PDF itself, and the guide links to the TWC payday-law page and the online system rather than to the dead PDF address. Use the form as linked from the current TWC payday-law page. No other form label is stated here: a mirrored copy of a TWC wage claim form carries the label WH-1, which conflicts with the LL-1 name on the TWC process page, and the conflict is recorded rather than resolved by picking one label over the other on the basis of the mirror.

The system is claim-driven. The TWC process page states that nothing happens until and unless a claim is filed, and that unlike the United States Department of Labor, the TWC does not conduct audits of employers' payrolls or payroll practices. The TWC accepts wage claims, investigates them, and makes rulings on them.

The 180-day deadline

A wage claim must be filed not later than the 180th day after the date the wages claimed became due for payment, under Texas Labor Code section 61.051(c). That is the deadline as stated in the statute text. The TWC Commissioner's FAQ page states the same rule in plain terms: a wage claim must be filed within 180 days of when payment was due.

Timeliness is judged on receipt. The live Texas process guide states that the TWC uses the date it receives the claim to decide if it is timely, and the TWC payday rules state that a wage claim submitted electronically is deemed timely when it is received by the TWC. File only for the part of the wages that falls inside the 180 days where part of the unpaid wages were due within 180 days. The paper form's instructions, as carried in the mirrored form copy, state the same partial-claim rule.

What the claim must carry

The paper form asks for specific information: the identities and contact information for the claimant and the employer, the wage agreement, the pay rate, and the specific way the claimant believes he or she was not properly paid, plus other information the Wage and Hour Department needs to investigate. The form must be signed by the claimant prior to submission. The online tutorial states that the claim must be complete and detailed, identifying each type of unpaid wages claimed and how the amount owed was determined, and that there must be enough information to contact the employer.

For each type of unpaid wages, the filer provides the gross amount owed and the scheduled payday for the unpaid wages, meaning the date payment was expected. For regular and overtime hours, the filer attaches a breakdown of the days and hours worked or completes the Wage Claim Form Attachment. The filer attaches a copy of the most recent payroll check or stub. Expenses, per diem, and fuel reimbursements are not wages, and the TWC is not able to rule on those types of claims, as the online tutorial states.

The claim covers one employer. The paper form instructions state that a claim must not be filed against more than one employer on one claim form, and that a claim for subsequent pay periods should be handled by amending the existing claim before a preliminary wage determination order, not by filing another wage claim.

Filing routes

The claim may be filed online through the Wage Claim system, in person at any local TWC office or Workforce Solutions center, by mail, or by fax to a number designated by the Commission. The TWC payday-law page gives the Wage and Hour Department phone as 800-832-9243, fax as 512-322-2885, and mailing address as 101 E. 15th Street, Room 514, Austin, TX 78778. The TWC process page notes a temporary unavailability of the Wage and Hour Department's fax machine and refers filers to the "How to File a Wage Claim" instructions on the TWC website for complete instructions. Because the fax number has been flagged as temporarily unavailable on the TWC page, the online system or mail route is the route to confirm on the current TWC page before filing. No filing fee is stated on the TWC pages opened for this guide, and none is asserted here.

Claims the TWC process cannot take, as listed in the online tutorial, include claims where the filer was not an employee of the business, claims against a close relative as employer, claims where the employer filed for bankruptcy (a bankruptcy-court claim is the route named), and claims by a person employed by a federal, state, or local governmental agency, who may be able to file with the United States Department of Labor. Wages subject to a binding arbitration or collective bargaining agreement or contract are also listed on the paper form instructions as a ground on which a claim may be returned or dismissed.

What happens next

The Wage and Hour Department opens a claim file and begins the investigation by mailing a notice of the wage claim to the employer, advising the employer that it should respond within 14 calendar days. The investigator conducts initial research, attempts to contact each party by phone, and may request additional documentation. The investigator then issues a written decision called a Preliminary Wage Determination Order.

The determination becomes the final decision of the Commission unless the losing party appeals in writing within 21 calendar days of the date the determination was mailed. The appeal deadline is strict: the only exceptions stated are mistakes by the United States Postal Service or the TWC in addressing or delivering the determination or in handling the appeal, or misinformation from a Commission representative that misleads a party about appeal rights. An appeal may be filed online, by mail, or by fax, and the online appeal portal is listed on the TWC process page. If the appeal is timely, a hearing officer hears the evidence and issues a ruling. A further appeal to the three-member Commission, a motion for rehearing within 14 calendar days, or a court appeal within 30 calendar days follow as the TWC process page describes.

Pay timing rules that decide when wages were due are stated on the TWC payday-law page: employees exempt from federal overtime provisions must be paid at least once a month, and others at least twice a month. An employee who quits must be paid in full at the next regular payday. A terminated employee must be paid in full within six days. An employer must pay for unused benefits only if the employer's written policy or agreement provides for them.

For the Texas process as a whole, see the Texas wage claim guide. Comparing states, the Wage Claim Filing by State directory puts the state guides side by side.

Source

Sources: Texas Workforce Commission, Texas Payday Law - Wage Claim (twc.texas.gov); Texas Workforce Commission, Wage Claim and Appeal Process in Texas (efte.twc.texas.gov); Texas Workforce Commission, Online Wage Claim Tutorial (twc.texas.gov). Facts verified 2026-11-03. Omitted or flagged: the Form LL-1 PDF address listed on the TWC process page returned a 404 response when fetched on 2026-11-03, so no PDF link is given here; the WH-1 label on a mirrored form copy conflicts with the LL-1 name on the TWC process page and is not carried; no filing fee is stated, because none appears on the TWC pages opened; the fax route carries the TWC page's own temporary-unavailability note and must be confirmed on the current TWC page before use.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to the Texas Workforce Commission, Wage and Hour Department.