
PTO Payout Laws: Does Your State Require It When You Leave a Job?
Whether unused PTO must be paid out when you quit or get fired depends entirely on your state. A 50-state breakdown of the three legal categories.
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Whether unused PTO must be paid out when you quit or get fired depends entirely on your state. A 50-state breakdown of the three legal categories.

Pennsylvania's WPCL requires final wages by the next regular payday and imposes a 25% or $500 penalty, whichever is greater, plus a 3-year deadline to sue.

Oregon requires final wages by the end of the first business day after a firing, plus a continuing-wage penalty capped at 30 days. How the quit rule splits.

Oklahoma pays final wages on the next regular payday, backed by a 2%-per-day penalty capped at the unpaid amount. What the law requires, and what's unverified.

Ohio's own final-paycheck statute could not be confirmed this session. What the federal payday backstop requires, and how to reach Ohio's wage-hour agency.

North Dakota has no fast-track final-paycheck deadline; wages are due at the regular payday either way. PTO payout is conditional under Section 34-14-09.2.

North Carolina pays final wages on the next regular payday for any separation, and a court must generally double the unpaid amount. Vacation rules explained.

New York pays final wages on the regular payday for the termination pay period, but a willful violation can multiply damages up to 300%, Labor Law Section 198.

New Mexico's final-pay rule reportedly splits deadlines by discharge and quitting, but the statute portal could not be confirmed. Read with that caveat.

New Jersey collapses discharge, layoff, and quitting into one final-pay deadline: the regular payday for the pay period of separation. Deductions explained.

New Hampshire requires final wages within 72 hours of a discharge, and within 72 hours of quitting with a full pay period's notice. Penalties and deductions.

Nevada's final-paycheck rule splits by how you leave: immediate if fired (NRS 608.020), earlier of payday or 7 days if you quit (NRS 608.030), with penalties.