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Final Paycheck Laws in California

In California, a fired employee must be paid immediately, an employee who quits within 72 hours (or on the last day with 72 hours notice), and vested vacation must be paid out at final pay.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

California at a glance

Deadline if fired
Immediately
Some seasonal food processing layoffs allow up to 72 hours.
Deadline if employee quits
Within 72 hours, or last day with 72 hours notice
An employee who gives 72 hours notice is paid at the time of quitting.
Accrued vacation paid out
Yes, vested vacation is paid as wages
A contract or policy cannot make vested vacation forfeit at termination, unless a collective bargaining agreement provides otherwise.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in California

When is a final paycheck due in California if the employee is fired or laid off?

Deadline if fired in California: Immediately. Some seasonal food processing layoffs allow up to 72 hours.

When is a final paycheck due in California if the employee quits?

Deadline if employee quits in California: Within 72 hours, or last day with 72 hours notice. An employee who gives 72 hours notice is paid at the time of quitting.

Does California law require employers to pay out accrued vacation when a job ends?

Yes, vested vacation is paid as wages. Accrued vacation paid out in California: yes, vested vacation is paid as wages. A contract or policy cannot make vested vacation forfeit at termination, unless a collective bargaining agreement provides otherwise.

Where do the California final paycheck laws come from?

The rules above come from Cal. Lab. Code 201, Cal. Lab. Code 202 and Cal. Lab. Code 227.3. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Note the exact last day of work and how the job ended, since the deadline often runs from that date and may differ for a firing, a layoff or a resignation. Some statutes also change the deadline when an employee quits without giving notice.

Read the employer's written vacation or paid time off policy and any employment contract. Where state law leaves vacation payout to the employer, the policy terms usually decide whether unused time is paid out or forfeited.

If a final paycheck is late or short, the state labor department usually accepts wage claims, often without a lawyer. Some statutes add penalties for late payment, such as extra daily wages, so keep pay stubs, timesheets and any written communication about the final pay.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.