The deadline, and what it depends on
It depends on your pay schedule, not on the day you left. Two people who leave on the same day can have deadlines a week or more apart.
If you ask for it, the employer must mail the final check. It may hold back an amount genuinely in dispute in reasonable good faith, including a set-off it claims against you. The state wage claim cannot include overtime and is capped at $12,000; anything larger goes to the US Department of Labor or to court.
If you were fired vs if you quit
- Fired or laid off: Within 7 business days of your last day or by your next regular payday, whichever comes first.
- You quit: By your next regularly scheduled payday. The date depends on your pay schedule, not on when you left.
What “next regular payday” means
“Next regular payday” means the next date your employer would normally have paid you had you stayed. It is not a fixed number of days: paid weekly, it is at most a week away; paid monthly, it can be a month.
That is why the calculator asks for your pay schedule first. Take any recent payday from a pay stub and it works out the date for you.
Unused PTO — is it owed?
Only if your employer's written policy or agreement promises it. Arizona does not require a vacation payout by statute, but pay you had a reasonable expectation of receiving counts as wages. If a policy or contract promised the payout, it can be claimed — the state's wage claim form covers vacation. Check your handbook or offer letter for what it promises.
What happens if they are late
Arizona has no daily penalty. If the employer fails to pay wages due, you can recover three times the unpaid wages in a civil action (A.R.S. § 23-355), and breaking the final pay rule is also a petty offence.
How to file a claim in Arizona
File an Unpaid Wage Claim with the Industrial Commission of Arizona within 1 year of the wages becoming due; the claim is shared with your employer and cannot be kept confidential. Filing is free, and you do not need a lawyer.
- Ask in writing first. Email creates a dated record.
- Send a short demand letter naming the amount, the deadline, and any penalty that applies in Arizona.
- File the wage claim. Keep copies of pay stubs and your schedule — the time card calculator can total the unpaid hours for you.
Arizona final paycheck: common questions
Can they hold my last check until I return my equipment?
No. In Arizona your final wages are due by the deadline on this page whether or not you have returned a laptop, uniform or keys. Your employer can ask for the equipment back or pursue its cost separately, but federal law bars deductions for it that would cut your pay below minimum wage or eat into overtime.
Do I get paid for unused vacation?
Only if your employer's written policy or agreement promises it. Arizona does not require a vacation payout by statute, but pay you had a reasonable expectation of receiving counts as wages. If a policy or contract promised the payout, it can be claimed — the state's wage claim form covers vacation. Check your handbook or offer letter for what it promises.
What if I quit without notice?
No. Quitting without notice does not forfeit anything you earned in Arizona. Your final pay is due by your next regular payday, exactly as if you had given notice. Notice only changes the timing, and only where state law says so.
When is my final paycheck due in Arizona if I am fired?
Within 7 business days of your last day or by your next regular payday, whichever comes first. Everything you earned is due on that deadline, along with any unused vacation your state or your policy makes payable. If it arrives late, the section on penalties above explains what follows.
What happens if my final paycheck is late in Arizona?
Arizona has no daily penalty. If the employer fails to pay wages due, you can recover three times the unpaid wages in a civil action (A.R.S. § 23-355), and breaking the final pay rule is also a petty offence. File an Unpaid Wage Claim with the Industrial Commission of Arizona within 1 year of the wages becoming due; the claim is shared with your employer and cannot be kept confidential.
Spotted something wrong? Report an error.
Other states that also tie the deadline to your next payday: Delaware, Illinois and Indiana.
Worked across a state line? California final paycheck law and Nevada final paycheck law.