Short answer. Fired or laid off: Within 6 calendar days of discharge. Quit: On the next regularly scheduled payday after the effective date of resignation.
Texas final pay at a glance
- Fired or laid off
- Within 6 calendar days of discharge.
- Quit
- On the next regularly scheduled payday after the effective date of resignation.
- Law
- Texas Payday Law
- Agency
- Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)
In Texas's words
Fired or laid off
"due within six (6) calendar days of discharge"
Quitting
"due on the next regularly-scheduled payday following the effective date of resignation"
Example with dates
Suppose a Texas employee's last day is Wednesday, November 11, 2026 and the weekly payroll's next payday is Tuesday, November 17, 2026. The final check would be due:
- Fired or laid off: Tuesday, November 17, 2026
- Quit: Tuesday, November 17, 2026
Your own dates: open the calculator set to Texas.
Unused vacation in Texas
Only if the employer promised it in a written policy or agreement; the policy's wording controls what's owed.
Texas commissions at separation
Depends on the terms of the commission or bonus agreement.
Worth knowing in Texas
TWC says it is not legal to hold a final paycheck past the deadline.
Not stated on the Texas pages we read: how the check is delivered, a late-pay penalty.
Official Texas sources
- TWC: Final Pay (Texas Guidebook for Employers) (checked November 2026)
- TWC: Accrued Leave Payouts (checked November 2026)
- TWC: Texas Payday Law (checked November 2026)
Texas 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.
Texas final paycheck questions
How soon is a final paycheck due after a firing in Texas?
Within 6 calendar days of discharge. Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) puts it as "due within six (6) calendar days of discharge."
When does an employee who quits in Texas get the last check?
On the next regularly scheduled payday after the effective date of resignation. Notice doesn't change it on the page we checked.
Is unused vacation paid out at the end of a job in Texas?
Only if the employer promised it in a written policy or agreement; the policy's wording controls what's owed.
What about commissions in a Texas final paycheck?
Depends on the terms of the commission or bonus agreement.
All states: final paycheck laws by state · Oregon · Utah