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Final Paycheck Laws in New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, a fired employee must be paid in full within 72 hours, an employee who quits must be paid by the next regular payday (within 72 hours if one pay period's notice was given), and vacation pay counts as wages when it is part of employer policy or practice.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

New Hampshire at a glance

Deadline if fired
Within 72 hours
Laid off employees must be paid by the next regular payday.
Deadline if employee quits
Next regular payday
Within 72 hours if the employee gave at least one pay period's notice.
Accrued vacation paid out
Depends on employer policy or practice
Vacation pay is wages when due if it is a matter of employment practice or policy.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in New Hampshire

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

Deadline if fired in New Hampshire: Within 72 hours. Laid off employees must be paid by the next regular payday.

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

Deadline if employee quits in New Hampshire: Next regular payday. Within 72 hours if the employee gave at least one pay period's notice.

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

Depends on employer policy or practice. Accrued vacation paid out in New Hampshire: depends on employer policy or practice. Vacation pay is wages when due if it is a matter of employment practice or policy.

Where do the New Hampshire final paycheck laws come from?

The rules above come from N.H. Rev. Stat. 275:44 and N.H. Rev. Stat. 275:43, V. 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.