Short answer. Fired or laid off: In full within 72 hours of the discharge. Quit without notice: By the next regular payday, through regular channels or by mail if requested.
New Hampshire final pay at a glance
- Fired or laid off
- In full within 72 hours of the discharge.
- Quit with notice
- Within 72 hours, if the employee gave at least one pay period's notice.
- Quit without notice
- By the next regular payday, through regular channels or by mail if requested.
- Notice that counts
- At least one pay period's notice
- Law
- RSA 275:44
- Agency
- New Hampshire Department of Labor
In New Hampshire's words
Fired or laid off
Hiring in another state? Employer registration in New Hampshire, done for you, or a free bookkeeping health check.
"in full within 72 hours"
Quit with notice
"within 72 hours"
Quit without notice
"next regular payday"
Example with dates
Suppose a state 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: Saturday, November 14, 2026
- Quit with notice: Saturday, November 14, 2026
- Quit without notice: Tuesday, November 17, 2026
Your own dates: open the calculator set to New Hampshire.
Unused vacation in New Hampshire
Vacation pay counts as wages, when due, if it's a matter of the employer's practice or policy, or both (RSA 275:43 V), so the employer's policy decides whether unused vacation is paid at separation. A Department of Labor hearing decision applied this to unused vacation at separation.
Getting the check to a former New Hampshire employee
Final pay can be mailed to the employee at the employee's discretion (Lab 803.01(e)).
If a New Hampshire final paycheck is late
If the employer willfully and without good cause fails to pay on time, liquidated damages of 10% of the unpaid wages per day (Sundays and holidays excluded), up to the amount of the unpaid wages.
Worth knowing in New Hampshire
Layoffs and suspensions for a labor dispute are paid by the next regular payday. Benefit fund contributions owed must reach the fund by its next payment date.
Not stated on the New Hampshire pages we read: commissions.
Official New Hampshire sources
- NH RSA 275:44: Employees separated from payroll before pay days (checked November 2026)
- NH Code of Administrative Rules, Lab 800: Payment of Wages (checked November 2026)
- New Hampshire Department of Labor: Decision of the Hearing Officer, Case No. 63630 (RSA 275:43, vacation pay) (checked November 2026)
The state 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.
New Hampshire final paycheck questions
How soon is a final paycheck due after a firing in New Hampshire?
In full within 72 hours of the discharge. New Hampshire Department of Labor puts it as "in full within 72 hours."
Does notice change the deadline when someone quits in New Hampshire?
Yes. With at least one pay period's notice: Within 72 hours, if the employee gave at least one pay period's notice. Without it: By the next regular payday, through regular channels or by mail if requested.
Is unused vacation paid out at the end of a job in New Hampshire?
Vacation pay counts as wages, when due, if it's a matter of the employer's practice or policy, or both (RSA 275:43 V), so the employer's policy decides whether unused vacation is paid at separation. A Department of Labor hearing decision applied this to unused vacation at separation.
Can a New Hampshire final paycheck be mailed or direct deposited?
Final pay can be mailed to the employee at the employee's discretion (Lab 803.01(e)).
What does New Hampshire law say about a late final paycheck?
If the employer willfully and without good cause fails to pay on time, liquidated damages of 10% of the unpaid wages per day (Sundays and holidays excluded), up to the amount of the unpaid wages.
All states: final paycheck laws by state · Missouri · Oregon