Short answer. Fired or laid off: Immediately, at the time of discharge, including accrued vacation. Quit without notice: Within 72 hours of quitting.
California final pay at a glance
- Fired or laid off
- Immediately, at the time of discharge, including accrued vacation.
- Quit with notice
- At the time of quitting, if the employee gave at least 72 hours' notice and leaves on the date given.
- Quit without notice
- Within 72 hours of quitting.
- Notice that counts
- At least 72 hours' notice
- Law
- Labor Code 201, 202, 203, 227.3
- Agency
- California Labor Commissioner's Office (DLSE)
In California's words
Fired or laid off
"must be paid all of his or her wages, including accrued vacation, immediately at the time of termination"
Quit with notice
"must be paid all of his or her wages, including accrued vacation, at the time of quitting"
Quit without notice
"within 72 hours of quitting"
Example with dates
Suppose a California employee's last day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026 and the weekly payroll's next payday is Monday, November 9, 2026. The final check would be due:
- Fired or laid off: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- Quit with notice: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- Quit without notice: Friday, November 6, 2026
Your own dates: open the calculator set to California.
Unused vacation in California
Accrued vacation is part of final wages and is paid with them, on the same deadline.
California commissions at separation
The employer has to work out commissions and pay them on the termination date; for a quit without 72 hours' notice, within 72 hours.
Getting the check to a former California employee
An employee who quits without notice can ask for the final check to be mailed to an address they choose. Direct deposit authorizations end at separation unless the employee voluntarily authorized final pay by direct deposit under Labor Code 213(d).
If a California final paycheck is late
Waiting time penalty when the employer willfully fails to pay: the employee's daily rate of pay for each day wages stay unpaid, up to 30 calendar days.
Worth knowing in California
Special industries (oil drilling, motion pictures, seasonal agricultural work) have their own timing on the same DLSE page.
Official California sources
- California DLSE: Paydays, pay periods, and the final wages (checked November 2026)
California rules as published on the pages above, checked November 2026. General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. A union contract or written agreement can change the timing.
California final paycheck questions
How soon is a final paycheck due after a firing in California?
Immediately, at the time of discharge, including accrued vacation. California Labor Commissioner's Office (DLSE) puts it as "must be paid all of his or her wages, including accrued vacation, immediately at the time of termination."
Does notice change the deadline when someone quits in California?
Yes. With at least 72 hours' notice: At the time of quitting, if the employee gave at least 72 hours' notice and leaves on the date given. Without it: Within 72 hours of quitting.
Is unused vacation paid out at the end of a job in California?
Accrued vacation is part of final wages and is paid with them, on the same deadline.
What about commissions in a California final paycheck?
The employer has to work out commissions and pay them on the termination date; for a quit without 72 hours' notice, within 72 hours.
Can a California final paycheck be mailed or direct deposited?
An employee who quits without notice can ask for the final check to be mailed to an address they choose. Direct deposit authorizations end at separation unless the employee voluntarily authorized final pay by direct deposit under Labor Code 213(d).
What does California law say about a late final paycheck?
Waiting time penalty when the employer willfully fails to pay: the employee's daily rate of pay for each day wages stay unpaid, up to 30 calendar days.
All states: final paycheck laws by state · Arizona · Colorado