The deadline, and what it depends on
By your next regular payday or within 10 business days of your last day, whichever comes first.
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.
A written request for earlier payment moves the deadline to 48 hours after the employer receives it, weekends and holidays excluded. Workers not paid hourly or by salary must get at least the minimum wage for the last pay period on that deadline, with the rest by the next payday. Hiding from payment, or refusing it when made available, forfeits the penalty.
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 promised it. Idaho law does not require vacation, holiday, severance or sick pay. Whether unused time is paid out is a matter of your agreement or the employer's policy. Look for a written policy, handbook or offer letter that says unused time is paid out at separation; without one, Idaho law does not require it.
What happens if they are late
Your wages continue at the same rate until you are paid in full or for 15 days, whichever is less — but the penalty can never exceed $750, and drops to $500 if the wages are paid before a lien is filed. The Department awards it only where it finds the wages were withheld willfully, arbitrarily and without just cause (Idaho Code § 45-607, § 45-617(4)).
How to file a claim in Idaho
File a wage claim with the Idaho Department of Labor within 2 years — 12 months if you were partly paid for the period. Claims are capped at the small claims limit of $5,000, and filing with the department gives up your right to sue over the same wages. 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 Idaho.
- File the wage claim. Keep copies of pay stubs and your schedule — the time card calculator can total the unpaid hours for you.
Idaho final paycheck: common questions
Can they hold my last check until I return my equipment?
No. In Idaho 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 promised it. Idaho law does not require vacation, holiday, severance or sick pay. Whether unused time is paid out is a matter of your agreement or the employer's policy. Look for a written policy, handbook or offer letter that says unused time is paid out at separation; without one, Idaho law does not require it.
What if I quit without notice?
No. Quitting without notice does not forfeit anything you earned in Idaho. It is due by your next regular payday or within 10 business days of your last day, whichever comes first, 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 Idaho if I am fired?
By your next regular payday or within 10 business days of your last day, 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 Idaho?
Your wages continue at the same rate until you are paid in full or for 15 days, whichever is less — but the penalty can never exceed $750, and drops to $500 if the wages are paid before a lien is filed. The Department awards it only where it finds the wages were withheld willfully, arbitrarily and without just cause (Idaho Code § 45-607, § 45-617(4)).
Spotted something wrong? Report an error.
Idaho overtime rules and calculator →
Other states that also tie the deadline to your next payday: Arizona, Arkansas and Delaware.
Worked across a state line? Montana final paycheck law and Nevada final paycheck law.