Short answer. Fired or laid off: Within 24 hours of the employee's demand for wages. Quit: On the first payday more than 5 days after quitting, and no later than 20 days after separation.
Minnesota final pay at a glance
- Fired or laid off
- Within 24 hours of the employee's demand for wages.
- Quit
- On the first payday more than 5 days after quitting, and no later than 20 days after separation.
- Agency
- Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry
In Minnesota's words
Fired or laid off
Hiring in another state? Employer registration in Minnesota, done for you, or a free bookkeeping health check.
"must be paid within 24 hours of the employee's demand for wages"
Quitting
"wages are due on the next pay period that is more than five days after quitting"
Example with dates
Suppose a Minnesota employee's last day is Monday, November 9, 2026 and the weekly payroll's next payday is Sunday, November 15, 2026. The final check would be due:
- Fired or laid off: Tuesday, November 10, 2026
- Quit: Sunday, November 15, 2026
Your own dates: open the calculator set to Minnesota.
Unused vacation in Minnesota
Company policy decides when vacation, sick leave and severance are due; those benefits are payable within 30 days of when they become due.
Minnesota commissions at separation
When commissions are due is controlled by the contract.
Getting the check to a former Minnesota employee
Payment goes in the usual manner unless the employee asks for it by mail; a mailed payment counts as paid on its postmark date (181.14, for quits).
If a Minnesota final paycheck is late
For a quit, if wages aren't paid within 24 hours of a written demand, the employer owes a penalty of the employee's average daily earnings for each day, up to 15 days (181.14).
Worth knowing in Minnesota
The firing clock in Minnesota starts with the employee's demand, not the last day, so an employee who asks on the last day can be paid the next day.
Official Minnesota sources
- Minnesota DLI: Employment termination (checked November 2026)
- Minnesota DLI: Wages and overtime FAQs (checked November 2026)
- Minn. Stat. 181.14: Payment to employees who quit or resign (checked November 2026)
Minnesota 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.
Minnesota final paycheck questions
How soon is a final paycheck due after a firing in Minnesota?
Within 24 hours of the employee's demand for wages. Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry puts it as "must be paid within 24 hours of the employee's demand for wages."
When does an employee who quits in Minnesota get the last check?
On the first payday more than 5 days after quitting, and no later than 20 days after separation. Notice doesn't change it on the page we checked.
Is unused vacation paid out at the end of a job in Minnesota?
Company policy decides when vacation, sick leave and severance are due; those benefits are payable within 30 days of when they become due.
What about commissions in a Minnesota final paycheck?
When commissions are due is controlled by the contract.
Can a Minnesota final paycheck be mailed or direct deposited?
Payment goes in the usual manner unless the employee asks for it by mail; a mailed payment counts as paid on its postmark date (181.14, for quits).
What does Minnesota law say about a late final paycheck?
For a quit, if wages aren't paid within 24 hours of a written demand, the employer owes a penalty of the employee's average daily earnings for each day, up to 15 days (181.14).
All states: final paycheck laws by state · Massachusetts · Missouri