Each row links to the state's own rule: the payment deadline after a firing, a resignation, or a layoff, the late-payment penalty, whether unused vacation must be paid, and the small claims limit.
Read the tags first. Verified means two official sources agree on the row. Single source means one official source was read directly and the row is open, with the gap recorded on the state page. A state marked review is one where the checks did not match: the information page stays up but letters for that state cannot be bought until the check passes.
| State | If fired | If you quit | Late-pay penalty | PTO paid? | Small claims |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 7 days | Next payday | 3× wages | Per policy | $3,500 |
| California | Immediately | 3 days | Daily wage × up to 30 days | Yes | $12,500 |
| Connecticut single source | Next day | Next payday | 2× wages | Yes | $5,000 |
| Delaware single source | 7 days | 7 days | — | Per policy | $25,000 |
| District of Columbia single source | Next day | 7 days | 10%/day after 0 days, cap 200% | Per policy | $10,000 |
| Florida single source | No fixed deadline | No fixed deadline | — | Per policy | $8,000 |
| Hawaii single source | Immediately | Next payday | — | Per policy | $5,000 |
| Idaho single source | 10 days | 10 days | — | Per policy | $5,000 |
| Illinois single source | Next payday | Next payday | 5%/month, cap 100% | Per policy | $10,000 |
| Iowa single source | Next payday | Next payday | 5%/day after 7 days, cap 100% | Per policy | $6,500 |
| Kansas single source | Next payday | Next payday | 1%/day after 8 days, cap 100% | Per policy | $4,000 |
| Maine single source | Next payday | Next payday | 2× wages | Yes | $6,000 |
| Maryland | Next payday | Next payday | 3× wages | Per policy | $5,000 |
| Massachusetts | Immediately | Next payday | 3× wages | Yes | $7,000 |
| Michigan single source | Immediately | Next payday | — | Per policy | $7,000 |
| Minnesota single source | Immediately | Next payday | Daily wage × up to 15 days | Per policy | $15,000 |
| Missouri single source | Immediately | Next payday | — | Per policy | $5,000 |
| Montana single source | 15 days | 15 days | — | Per policy | $7,000 |
| Nebraska single source | Next payday | Next payday | — | Per policy | $3,600 |
| Nevada single source | Immediately | 7 days | Daily wage × up to 30 days | Per policy | $10,000 |
| New Hampshire single source | 3 days | Next payday | — | Per policy | $5,000 |
| New Jersey | Next payday | Next payday | 200% of unpaid wages | Yes | $5,000 |
| New York single source | Next payday | Next payday | 2× wages | Per policy | $10,000 |
| North Carolina | Next payday | Next payday | — | Per policy | $10,000 |
| North Dakota single source | Next payday | Next payday | — | Per policy | $15,000 |
| Ohio single source | Next payday | Next payday | 6% or $200, whichever is greater | Per policy | $6,000 |
| Oregon single source | 2 days | 5 days | Daily wage × up to 30 days | Per policy | $10,000 |
| Pennsylvania | Next payday | Next payday | 25% or $500, whichever is greater | Per policy | $12,000 |
| Rhode Island single source | Next payday | Next payday | — | Yes | $5,000 |
| South Carolina single source | 2 days | 2 days | — | Per policy | $7,500 |
| Texas | 6 days | Next payday | — | Per policy | $20,000 |
| Utah single source | Next payday | Next payday | — | Per policy | $11,000 |
| Vermont single source | 3 days | Next payday | — | Per policy | $5,000 |
| Virginia | Next payday | Next payday | — | Per policy | $5,000 |
| Washington single source | Next payday | Next payday | 2× wages | Per policy | $10,000 |
| West Virginia single source | Next payday | Next payday | 2× wages | Per policy | $10,000 |
| Wisconsin | Next payday | Next payday | 50% of unpaid wages | Per policy | $10,000 |
The same separation can be worth very different amounts depending on the state. This table sorts by how much the statute adds on top of the wages.
| State | What the statute adds | Trigger | PTO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 3× the unpaid wages | Unpaid when due, usually wilful | Per policy |
| Maryland | 3× the unpaid wages | Unpaid when due, usually wilful | Per policy |
| Massachusetts | 3× the unpaid wages | Unpaid when due, usually wilful | Must pay |
| New Jersey | 200% of the unpaid wages | Unpaid when due, usually wilful | Must pay |
| Connecticut | 2× the unpaid wages | Unpaid when due, usually wilful | Must pay |
| Maine | 2× the unpaid wages | Unpaid when due, usually wilful | Must pay |
| New York | 2× the unpaid wages | Unpaid when due, usually wilful | Per policy |
| Washington | 2× the unpaid wages | Unpaid when due, usually wilful | Per policy |
| West Virginia | 2× the unpaid wages | Unpaid when due, usually wilful | Per policy |
| California | Daily wage × up to 30 days | Unpaid when due, usually wilful | Must pay |
| Nevada | Daily wage × up to 30 days | Unpaid when due, usually wilful | Per policy |
| Oregon | Daily wage × up to 30 days | Unpaid when due, usually wilful | Per policy |
| Wisconsin | 50% of the unpaid wages | Unpaid when due, usually wilful | Per policy |
| Illinois | 5% per month, capped at 100% | Unpaid when due | Per policy |
| Minnesota | Daily wage × up to 15 days | Unpaid when due, usually wilful | Per policy |
| Pennsylvania | 25% or $500, whichever is greater | Unpaid after 30 days | Per policy |
| District of Columbia | 10% per day after day 0 | Unpaid when due | Per policy |
| Iowa | 5% per day after day 7 | Unpaid after 7 days | Per policy |
| Kansas | 1% per day after day 8 | Unpaid after 8 days | Per policy |
| Ohio | 6% or $200, whichever is greater | Unpaid after 30 days | Per policy |
| Delaware | Nothing — the claim is the wages | — | Per policy |
| Florida | Nothing — the claim is the wages | — | Per policy |
| Hawaii | Nothing — the claim is the wages | — | Per policy |
| Idaho | Nothing — the claim is the wages | — | Per policy |
| Michigan | Nothing — the claim is the wages | — | Per policy |
| Missouri | Nothing — the claim is the wages | — | Per policy |
| Montana | Nothing — the claim is the wages | — | Per policy |
| Nebraska | Nothing — the claim is the wages | — | Per policy |
| New Hampshire | Nothing — the claim is the wages | — | Per policy |
| North Carolina | Nothing — the claim is the wages | — | Per policy |
| North Dakota | Nothing — the claim is the wages | — | Per policy |
| Rhode Island | Nothing — the claim is the wages | — | Must pay |
| South Carolina | Nothing — the claim is the wages | — | Per policy |
| Texas | Nothing — the claim is the wages | — | Per policy |
| Utah | Nothing — the claim is the wages | — | Per policy |
| Vermont | Nothing — the claim is the wages | — | Per policy |
| Virginia | Nothing — the claim is the wages | — | Per policy |
Deadlines are the statutory maximum your employer has to pay after your last day; a shorter contractual deadline still applies if the employer set one. Rules last reviewed 2026-11-03. Sources are listed on each state page.
Start with the deadline column. If your employer is already past it, the demand letter can state the date payment was due and how many days late it is — that is the sentence that turns a request into a claim. If you are not past the deadline yet, use the free calculator on your state page to see the exact date and wait for it before you send anything.