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Final Paycheck Laws in the District of Columbia

In the District of Columbia, a fired employee must be paid by the next working day, and an employee who quits by the next regular payday or within 7 days, whichever is earlier.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

District of Columbia at a glance

Deadline if fired
Next working day
An employee responsible for employer money can be paid after a 4 day account check.
Deadline if employee quits
Earlier of next payday or 7 days
Applies to employees without a written contract for more than 30 days.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in the District of Columbia

When is a final paycheck due in the District of Columbia if the employee is fired or laid off?

Deadline if fired in the District of Columbia: Next working day. An employee responsible for employer money can be paid after a 4 day account check.

When is a final paycheck due in the District of Columbia if the employee quits?

Deadline if employee quits in the District of Columbia: Earlier of next payday or 7 days. Applies to employees without a written contract for more than 30 days.

Where do the the District of Columbia final paycheck laws come from?

The rules above come from D.C. Code 32-1303. 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.