The deadline, and what it depends on
By your next regular payday or within 14 calendar days of your last day, whichever comes later.
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.
The 14 days is a floor, not a cap: if your next normal payday falls later than that, the later date is the deadline. A court may reduce or refuse the liquidated damages where the employer shows it acted in good faith with reasonable grounds. The state can separately fine the employer $100 to $1,000 per offence, and each missed paycheck is its own offence.
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. Kentucky counts vested vacation pay as wages, so vacation that has vested under your employer's policy belongs in the final check. Severance and earned bonuses count as wages too. Nothing requires an employer to offer vacation in the first place. Check your handbook or offer letter for what it promises.
What happens if they are late
Liquidated damages equal to the unpaid wages, on top of the wages themselves.
How to file a claim in Kentucky
File a Wage and Hour complaint with the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet, Division of Wages and Hours — wages@ky.gov or (502) 564-3534. Actions must be brought within 3 years. 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 Kentucky.
- File the wage claim. Keep copies of pay stubs and your schedule — the time card calculator can total the unpaid hours for you.
Kentucky final paycheck: common questions
Can they hold my last check until I return my equipment?
No. In Kentucky 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. Kentucky counts vested vacation pay as wages, so vacation that has vested under your employer's policy belongs in the final check. Severance and earned bonuses count as wages too. Nothing requires an employer to offer vacation in the first place. 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 Kentucky. It is due by your next regular payday or within 14 calendar days of your last day, whichever comes later, 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 Kentucky if I am fired?
By your next regular payday or within 14 calendar days of your last day, whichever comes later. 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 Kentucky?
Liquidated damages equal to the unpaid wages, on top of the wages themselves. File a Wage and Hour complaint with the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet, Division of Wages and Hours — wages@ky.gov or (502) 564-3534. Actions must be brought within 3 years.
Spotted something wrong? Report an error.
Kentucky overtime rules and calculator →
Other states that also tie the deadline to your next payday: Arizona, Delaware and Illinois.
Worked across a state line? Indiana final paycheck law and Missouri final paycheck law.