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Final Paycheck Laws in Texas

In Texas, a fired employee must be paid within 6 days, an employee who quits must be paid by the next regularly scheduled payday, and vacation pay is owed only under a written agreement or written policy.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Texas at a glance

Deadline if fired
Within 6 days
Deadline if employee quits
Next regular payday
Accrued vacation paid out
Only if written policy or agreement provides it
Vacation pay counts as wages only when owed under a written agreement with the employer or a written employer policy.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Texas

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

Deadline if fired in Texas: Within 6 days.

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

Deadline if employee quits in Texas: Next regular payday.

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

Only if written policy or agreement provides it. Accrued vacation paid out in Texas: only if written policy or agreement provides it. Vacation pay counts as wages only when owed under a written agreement with the employer or a written employer policy.

Where do the Texas final paycheck laws come from?

The rules above come from Tex. Lab. Code 61.014 and Tex. Lab. Code 61.001(7). 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.