Short answer. Fired or laid off: On the day of discharge. Quit: Missouri law has no requirement for when wages are due after a quit. If they aren't paid by the next regular pay period, they can be collected by legal action.
Missouri final pay at a glance
- Fired or laid off
- On the day of discharge.
- Quit
- Missouri law has no requirement for when wages are due after a quit. If they aren't paid by the next regular pay period, they can be collected by legal action.
- Law
- RSMo 290.110
- Agency
- Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards
In Missouri's words
Fired or laid off
"Wages are due at the time of termination."
Quitting
"There are no requirements under Missouri law"
Example with dates
Suppose a Missouri employee's last day is Sunday, November 8, 2026 and the weekly payroll's next payday is Saturday, November 14, 2026. The final check would be due:
- Fired or laid off: Sunday, November 8, 2026
- Quit: The official page says there's no state requirement for this case.
Your own dates: open the calculator set to Missouri.
Missouri commissions at separation
The discharge rule doesn't apply to employees paid mainly on commission whose duties include collections or stock that must be audited to find the amount due.
Getting the check to a former Missouri employee
The employee can send a written request (the Department suggests certified mail, return receipt requested); the employer has 7 days to respond.
If a Missouri final paycheck is late
If wages don't arrive within 7 days of the written request, wages continue at the same rate until paid, for no more than 60 days.
Worth knowing in Missouri
Claims under $5,000 can go to small claims court; larger ones to circuit court.
Not stated on the Missouri pages we read: vacation payout.
Official Missouri sources
- Missouri Labor: If an employee is terminated when are his or her final wages due? (checked November 2026)
- Missouri Labor: If an employee quits his job, when are the final wages due to him? (checked November 2026)
- RSMo 290.110: Payment due discharged employee, exceptions, penalty for delay (checked November 2026)
Missouri 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.
Missouri final paycheck questions
How soon is a final paycheck due after a firing in Missouri?
On the day of discharge. Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards puts it as "Wages are due at the time of termination."
When does an employee who quits in Missouri get the last check?
Missouri law has no requirement for when wages are due after a quit. If they aren't paid by the next regular pay period, they can be collected by legal action. Notice doesn't change it on the page we checked.
What about commissions in a Missouri final paycheck?
The discharge rule doesn't apply to employees paid mainly on commission whose duties include collections or stock that must be audited to find the amount due.
Can a Missouri final paycheck be mailed or direct deposited?
The employee can send a written request (the Department suggests certified mail, return receipt requested); the employer has 7 days to respond.
What does Missouri law say about a late final paycheck?
If wages don't arrive within 7 days of the written request, wages continue at the same rate until paid, for no more than 60 days.
All states: final paycheck laws by state · Minnesota · New Hampshire