Employment · Final Paycheck
Final Paycheck Laws in Arizona
When your last paycheck is due after you leave a job in Arizona — the deadline if you were fired, the deadline if you quit, and what happens if the check is late.
Fired vs. quit — when the check is due
The two deadlines side by side. In most states they match; in a few they don’t.
Within 7 working days, or by the end of the next regular pay period, whichever is sooner — a discharged employee is "paid wages due him within seven working days or the end of the next regular pay period, whichever is sooner" (§23-353).
On the regular payday for the pay period during which the termination occurred — no later than the next regular payday (§23-353).
Arizona is one of the few states where quitting and being fired carry different deadlines — check the side that applies to you.
If your final pay is late
The California waiting-time penalty is one of a kind — every other state uses a different remedy.
Note: this is a damages or civil-penalty remedy, not a California-style per-day waiting-time penalty. Only California’s §203 lets your daily wage keep running as a penalty until you are paid.
The full rule, with the statute
Every deadline and remedy, and how Arizona sets each.
| Situation | Deadline in Arizona | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| If you were fired | 7 work days | Within 7 working days, or by the end of the next regular pay period, whichever is sooner — a discharged employee is "paid wages due him within seven working days or the end of the next regular pay period, whichever is sooner" (§23-353). |
| If you quit | Next payday | On the regular payday for the pay period during which the termination occurred — no later than the next regular payday (§23-353). |
| Notice matters? | No | Giving notice does not change the deadline in this state. |
| Waiting-time penalty | None | No per-day continuing-wage penalty. That remedy exists only in California under §203. |
| Other late-pay remedy | Treble damages | Under §23-355, an employer that fails to pay wages due is liable for treble (3×) the amount of the unpaid wages. A late final payment under §23-353 is also a petty offense. This is not a per-day penalty. |
Deadlines here cover earned wages. Whether unused vacation or PTO must be included in a final check is a separate question that varies by state and by the employer’s written policy.
What Arizona workers get wrong
Arizona is one of the few states where quitting and being fired carry different deadlines, and the fired rule has a twist. If you are discharged, your wages are due within seven working days or by the end of the next regular pay period — whichever comes first. Note "working" days, not calendar, and note the "whichever is sooner" branch, which can pull the deadline earlier than seven days. If you quit, the deadline is simply the next regular payday. The penalty is a multiplier, not a per-day clock: under §23-355, an employer who fails to pay is liable for treble the unpaid wages, and a late final payment is also a petty offense.
Common questions
When is my final paycheck due if I am fired in Arizona?
Within 7 working days, or by the end of the next regular pay period, whichever is sooner, under A.R.S. §23-353. Note these are working days, not calendar days.
When do I get my final check if I quit in Arizona?
On the regular payday for the pay period during which you left — no later than the next regular payday.
What are treble damages for unpaid wages in Arizona?
Under §23-355, an employer that fails to pay wages due is liable for three times the unpaid amount. A late final payment is also a petty offense.
Does "7 working days" mean calendar days in Arizona?
No. It is seven working (business) days — and if the end of the next regular pay period comes first, that earlier date controls.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.