--- title: "Louisiana Final Paycheck Law 2026: Fifteen Days or Next Payday, Whichever Comes First" description: "Louisiana requires final wages on or before the next regular payday or within fifteen days of discharge, whichever occurs first, under La. R.S. 23:631." canonical: https://www.teamed.global/country-hiring-guides/united-states/louisiana/final-paycheck-law --- United States · Louisiana · Final pay child Served by Teamed US Inc., Delaware # When is a final paycheck due in *Louisiana*? Louisiana is an earlier-of-two state, and the fifteen-day limb is the one that bites: on a monthly payroll it will almost always govern instead of your payday. Last reviewed 1 October 2026 · Louisiana, United States guide Answer · cite this In Louisiana final wages are due **on or before the next regular payday or no later than fifteen days following the date of discharge, whichever occurs first**, under [La. R.S. 23:631](https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=83945). The same test applies on a resignation. "Whichever occurs first" is the statute's own wording and it is the opposite of Tennessee's. Fifteen days can cut your own pay cycle short rather than extend it. Work the arithmetic for your own cycle: on a fortnightly payroll the payday usually lands inside fifteen days and governs; on a monthly payroll it usually does not, so the fifteen days governs and an off-cycle payment is required. ## When must a final paycheck be paid after firing someone in Louisiana? On or before the next regular payday or within fifteen days of the discharge, whichever occurs first, under La. R.S. 23:631. The employers most likely to breach this without noticing are those running a single national monthly payroll, because nothing about their normal process looks late. Louisiana attaches penalty wages to a failure to pay under this section, so the consequence of getting the arithmetic wrong is not merely the delay. The duty to pay is separate from whether the termination itself was lawful. That is covered on the [Louisiana termination and at-will page](/country-hiring-guides/united-states/louisiana/termination-law-and-at-will-exceptions). ## Is it different if the employee resigns? No. La. R.S. 23:631 applies the same earlier-of-two test on a resignation. One test for both routes makes Louisiana simpler than the states that split them, and it means the fifteen-day cap also applies to departures you did not plan for. That is where an off-cycle payment capability earns its keep rather than being a nice-to-have. ## How does Louisiana compare with the states around it? Louisiana's construction is the mirror image of Tennessee's, and that contrast is the one worth holding on to. | State | If fired | If employee quits | Statute | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Louisiana | Next payday or within 15 days, whichever is earlier | Next payday or within 15 days, whichever is earlier | La. R.S. 23:631 | | Texas | Within 6 calendar days of discharge | Next regular payday | Tex. Lab. Code 61.014 (Texas Payday Law) | | Arkansas | Within 7 days of discharge if the employee demands payment, otherwise next regular payday | Next regular payday | Ark. Code 11-4-405 | | Mississippi | Next regular payday (no state statute; FLSA default) | Next regular payday (no state statute; FLSA default) | No Mississippi final-pay statute | | Tennessee | Next regular payday or within 21 days, whichever is later | Next regular payday or within 21 days, whichever is later | Tenn. Code 50-2-103 | The full 50-state picture is on the [final paycheck laws by state](/final-paycheck-laws-by-state) table. ## Louisiana final pay, in short Deadline if firedNext payday or within 15 days, whichever is earlier Deadline if the employee quitsNext payday or within 15 days, whichever is earlier Governing statuteLa. R.S. 23:631 Source[Primary source](https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=83945) Last verified1 October 2026 ## How much of this do you still handle if you hire in Louisiana through an EOR? None of it. The earlier-of-two arithmetic, the off-cycle payment and the records sit with the employer of record. What costs more than the deadline is everything around it: - onboarding and offboarding fees - termination charges - contracts that lock you in - FX markups on every pay run - a platform built for a company ten times your size - a ticket queue where you never learn who to contact The industry profits from keeping that hidden. Teamed calls it the Hidden Global Employment Tax, and Teamed's whole model exists to remove it. Teamed is the legal employer for your Louisiana hire. From $599 per employee per month, with zero FX markup. $0 setup, $0 exit, and you can [cancel any month](/pricing). You get a designated person and real HR and legal experts assigned within 24 hours, not a ticket. Teamed's employer cost calculator covers 94 countries and all 50 US states. ## Questions people ask about Louisiana final pay When is a final paycheck due in Louisiana if someone is fired? On or before the next regular payday or within fifteen days of the discharge, whichever occurs first, under La. R.S. 23:631. When is it due if the employee quits? No. La. R.S. 23:631 applies the same earlier-of-two test on a resignation. Is Louisiana's fifteen days "whichever is first" or "whichever is last"? First. La. R.S. 23:631 requires payment on or before the next regular payday or no later than fifteen days following the discharge, whichever occurs first, so the fifteen days can cut your own pay cycle short. Tennessee uses the opposite construction, taking whichever occurs last, which is why the two states look similar and work in opposite directions. ## Primary sources - [La. R.S. 23:631](https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=83945). Accessed 1 October 2026. A note from Tom Price-Daniel Louisiana takes whichever comes first, which is the version that catches you out. On a monthly payroll the fifteen days will beat your payday nearly every time. Work out which limb governs your cycle once, then build for it. Tom Price-Daniel · Co-founder, Teamed Louisiana hiring guide Termination and at-will exceptions Wage, overtime and meal break law Final paycheck laws by state This page summarises Louisiana final-pay rules for employers and is not legal advice. The deadlines were verified against the primary source listed above on 1 October 2026. Statutes change; check the cited source before acting on a specific termination.