HR topics · Final paycheck by state

Final paycheck deadline in Texas

The Texas Payday Law (Labor Code section 61.014) sets the final-pay deadline based on who ended the job.

When is the final paycheck due if an employee is fired in Texas?

No later than six calendar days after the discharge. This also applies to layoffs and other involuntary separations.

When is it due if the employee quits?

No later than the next regularly scheduled payday after the resignation.

Can an employer hold the final check until company property is returned?

The Texas Workforce Commission says no: holding a final paycheck past the deadline for reasons such as unreturned property or unsigned timesheets is not legal.

General information, AI-prepared and checked against the official sources listed, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities, contracts and union agreements can add rules. Last reviewed October 2026. How answers are made