Overtime laws by state: all 50 states and DC.
Federal law pays time and a half after 40 hours a week. Some states count the day as well, and a few set their own thresholds — every rule below is checked against that state's own statute or labor department.
Every state's overtime rule
Verified against the US Department of Labor state table, 14 Sep 2026, and each state's own law. 4 states go beyond the federal week.
| State | Overtime starts | State-specific rule | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Alabama overtime rules |
| Alaska | 40 hrs/week | After 8 hrs a day | Alaska overtime rules |
| Arizona | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Arizona overtime rules |
| Arkansas | 40 hrs/week | The Four-Employee Rule | Arkansas overtime rules |
| California | 40 hrs/week | After 8 hrs a day, double time after 12 | California overtime rules |
| Colorado | 40 hrs/week | After 12 hrs a day | Colorado overtime rules |
| Connecticut | 40 hrs/week | The Seventh-Day Rule | Connecticut overtime rules |
| Delaware | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Delaware overtime rules |
| District of Columbia | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | District of Columbia overtime rules |
| Florida | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Florida overtime rules |
| Georgia | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Georgia overtime rules |
| Hawaii | 40 hrs/week | The $4,000 Rule | Hawaii overtime rules |
| Idaho | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Idaho overtime rules |
| Illinois | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Illinois overtime rules |
| Indiana | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Indiana overtime rules |
| Iowa | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Iowa overtime rules |
| Kansas | 40 hrs/week | The 46-Hour Rule | Kansas overtime rules |
| Kentucky | 40 hrs/week | Seventh-Day Rule | Kentucky overtime rules |
| Louisiana | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Louisiana overtime rules |
| Maine | 40 hrs/week | The 80-Hour Cap | Maine overtime rules |
| Maryland | 40 hrs/week | The 48-Hour Rule | Maryland overtime rules |
| Massachusetts | 40 hrs/week | The Exemption List | Massachusetts overtime rules |
| Michigan | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Michigan overtime rules |
| Minnesota | 48 hrs/week | The 48-Hour Rule | Minnesota overtime rules |
| Mississippi | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Mississippi overtime rules |
| Missouri | 40 hrs/week | The 52-Hour Rule | Missouri overtime rules |
| Montana | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Montana overtime rules |
| Nebraska | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Nebraska overtime rules |
| Nevada | 40 hrs/week | After 8 hrs a day | Nevada overtime rules |
| New Hampshire | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | New Hampshire overtime rules |
| New Jersey | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | New Jersey overtime rules |
| New Mexico | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | New Mexico overtime rules |
| New York | 40 hrs/week | Spread of Hours Rule | New York overtime rules |
| North Carolina | 40 hrs/week | The 45-Hour Rule | North Carolina overtime rules |
| North Dakota | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | North Dakota overtime rules |
| Ohio | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Ohio overtime rules |
| Oklahoma | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Oklahoma overtime rules |
| Oregon | 40 hrs/week | The 10-Hour Mill Rule | Oregon overtime rules |
| Pennsylvania | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Pennsylvania overtime rules |
| Rhode Island | 40 hrs/week | The Sunday Premium | Rhode Island overtime rules |
| South Carolina | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | South Carolina overtime rules |
| South Dakota | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | South Dakota overtime rules |
| Tennessee | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Tennessee overtime rules |
| Texas | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Texas overtime rules |
| Utah | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Utah overtime rules |
| Vermont | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Vermont overtime rules |
| Virginia | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Virginia overtime rules |
| Washington | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Washington overtime rules |
| West Virginia | 40 hrs/week | The Six-Employee Rule | West Virginia overtime rules |
| Wisconsin | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Wisconsin overtime rules |
| Wyoming | 40 hrs/week | Weekly only | Wyoming overtime rules |
States that count the day, not just the week
In these states a long shift can earn overtime in a week that never reaches 40 hours.
How to read your state's rule
Three things decide what you are owed, in this order. First, the weekly threshold — 40 hours almost everywhere, because no state may set a higher bar for workers federal law covers. Second, any daily rule: four states start overtime partway through a long shift. Third, the regular rate your overtime is multiplied by, which rises when you earn a bonus, a shift differential or a second pay rate in the same week.
That last one is where most underpayments happen, and it is federal, so it applies in every state. The overtime calculator works it out, and each state guide below shows the rule the state adds on top.
Overtime by state: common questions
Which states have daily overtime?
Four: California and Alaska pay time and a half after 8 hours in a day, Colorado after 12, and Nevada after 8 for workers earning less than one and a half times the state minimum wage. California also pays double time past 12 hours. Everywhere else, only the weekly total counts toward overtime.
Is the overtime threshold 40 hours in every state?
Almost. Federal law sets 40 hours as the floor and no state may go above it for workers the federal law covers. A few state statutes carry a higher figure — Kansas 46 hours, Minnesota 48 — but those apply only to employers outside federal coverage, so in practice 40 hours is the line nearly everywhere.
What if my state has no overtime law of its own?
You are still owed overtime. In states without their own statute, the federal Fair Labor Standards Act applies directly: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. The practical difference is where you complain — those states send unpaid overtime to the US Department of Labor rather than handling it themselves.
Does being paid a salary mean no overtime?
No. A salary only matters if the job also meets a federal exemption test, which turns on your duties as well as your pay. Salaried workers in most non-managerial roles are still owed time and a half after 40 hours, and the salary is converted to an hourly rate to work out what that is.
Which law applies if the state and federal rules differ?
Whichever is better for you. An employer covered by both must follow the rule that pays more, so a state daily overtime rule adds to the federal weekly rule rather than replacing it. That is why a long Tuesday in California earns overtime even in a week that never reaches 40 hours.
Related pages
Same rules, different question.