Alabama · Unpaid wages · Updated Oct 2026

Alabama wage claims: how to get your unpaid pay

Not paid for all your hours, no overtime, or no final paycheck? Here is Alabama’s minimum wage, the final-paycheck rules, the deadlines and where to file, in plain English.

$7.25minimum wage in 2026
$2.13tipped cash wage
Nodaily overtime
No state deadlinefinal pay if fired
See belowtime limit to file (see details)

Where to file in Alabama

Alabama has no state wage-claim program.

Federal office
US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
Phone
1-866-487-9243

The Wage and Hour Division takes complaints about the federal minimum wage and overtime in every state. For other unpaid pay, such as a promised rate above the minimum wage or a final paycheck, you can sue your employer, often in small claims court.

US DOL: how to file Small claims court in Alabama

How to file a wage claim in Alabama

  1. Gather your records

    Dates and hours worked, your pay rate, pay stubs or bank deposits, texts or schedules, and the employer's name and address.

  2. Ask in writing first (optional)

    A demand letter gives your employer a deadline to pay and shows you tried. Use the free letter on this page.

  3. File with the US Department of Labor or go to court

    Call the Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243 about minimum wage and overtime. Alabama has no state law on wages and hours, and the Alabama Department of Labor does not take unpaid-wage claims. You file with the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division: call 1-866-487-9243 or contact the Birmingham District Office (205-536-8570) or the Montgomery Area Office (334-223-7450). An investigator decides whether to investigate, reviews the employer's records, interviews workers in private, and asks the employer to pay any back wages owed. Filing is free and complaints are confidential. You can also sue in court under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

  4. Watch the deadline

    No state wage-claim deadline because Alabama has no state wage law. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, you generally have 2 years to recover unpaid minimum wage or overtime, or 3 years if the violation was willful (29 U.S.C. § 255).

Minimum wage and overtime in Alabama

Alabama has no state minimum wage law. Employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

Minimum wage (2026)
$7.25
Tipped cash wage
$2.13

Overtime

Alabama has no state overtime law. Under federal law, covered workers get 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. There is no daily overtime.

Your final paycheck in Alabama

If you are fired or laid off
No Alabama law sets a deadline. Federal law also does not require an immediate final paycheck; you should be paid by the next regular payday.
If you quit
No Alabama law sets a deadline. Expect payment by the next regular payday.

When was your final paycheck due in Alabama?

Enter how your job ended and your last day of work. We show your state’s rule and, when the rule is a simple number of days or your next payday, the date.

Enter your last day of workThe result appears when you pick a date.

Dates are approximate: we skip weekends for business and working days but not holidays. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.

Penalties your employer may owe

No state penalties. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, you can recover back wages plus an equal amount as liquidated (double) damages, and attorney's fees and court costs if you sue (29 U.S.C. § 216(b)).

Retaliation and immigration status

No Alabama wage-law retaliation protection. Federal law makes it illegal to fire or punish you for filing a wage complaint or cooperating with a U.S. Department of Labor investigation (29 U.S.C. § 215(a)(3)).

Federal law also makes it illegal to fire or punish you for filing a wage complaint or cooperating in an investigation (US DOL Fact Sheet #77A).

The US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division enforces federal wage law without regard to immigration status, and its services are free and confidential whether you are documented or not (US DOL).

Good to know in Alabama

  • The Alabama Department of Labor says Alabama has no state laws on wage and hour issues, so employers must follow federal rules enforced by the U.S. Wage and Hour Division.
  • Alabama does have state child labor laws, enforced by the Alabama Department of Labor's Child Labor Division.

Wage-theft calculator for Alabama

Work out what you should have been paid: at least the minimum wage for every hour, plus overtime. Then compare it with what you got.

If a higher city or county minimum wage applies where you work, enter that rate if it is more than you were promised.

Before taxes, if you know it. Leave it empty to see only what you were owed.

Fill in your pay, hours and weeksThe result appears as you type.

Alabama overtime rule: Alabama has no state overtime law. Under federal law, covered workers get 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. There is no daily overtime.

Penalties your employer may also owe in Alabama: No state penalties. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, you can recover back wages plus an equal amount as liquidated (double) damages, and attorney's fees and court costs if you sue (29 U.S.C. § 216(b)).

Tipped workers: this calculator does not count tips. In many states your employer may pay a lower cash wage if your tips make up the difference to the minimum wage; see your state’s page.

An estimate from the numbers you enter and Alabama’s rules, not legal advice. Nothing you type in this calculator is sent anywhere.

Free demand letter for unpaid wages

A short, firm letter asking your employer to pay what it owes by a deadline. Many workers get paid at this step, and in some states a written demand starts penalties or makes the employer pay your attorney fees later. Fill this in, then download the letter as PDF or Word (or copy it), sign it, keep a copy and send it in a way you can prove, such as certified mail or an email you keep.

When you download or copy the letter, the details you typed are saved on our server. See our privacy policy.

The name on your pay stubs, checks or the business sign. If you only know the owner’s name, use that.

Use the calculator above if you are not sure.

We suggest 10 days.

What were you not paid? (required)

One or two sentences with dates, hours and amounts.

Questions about wage claims in Alabama

Where do I file a wage claim in Alabama?

Alabama has no state wage-claim program. Contact the US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243 about minimum wage and overtime, or go to court.

What is the minimum wage in Alabama in 2026?

Alabama has no state minimum wage law. Employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

Does Alabama have daily overtime?

Alabama has no state overtime law. Under federal law, covered workers get 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. There is no daily overtime.

When is my final paycheck due in Alabama if I'm fired?

No Alabama law sets a deadline. Federal law also does not require an immediate final paycheck; you should be paid by the next regular payday.

When is my final paycheck due in Alabama if I quit?

No Alabama law sets a deadline. Expect payment by the next regular payday.

How long do I have to file a wage claim in Alabama?

No state wage-claim deadline because Alabama has no state wage law. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, you generally have 2 years to recover unpaid minimum wage or overtime, or 3 years if the violation was willful (29 U.S.C. § 255).

What can my employer owe besides my wages in Alabama?

No state penalties. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, you can recover back wages plus an equal amount as liquidated (double) damages, and attorney's fees and court costs if you sue (29 U.S.C. § 216(b)).

Can my employer fire me for filing a wage claim in Alabama?

No Alabama wage-law retaliation protection. Federal law makes it illegal to fire or punish you for filing a wage complaint or cooperating with a U.S. Department of Labor investigation (29 U.S.C. § 215(a)(3)).

Employer still won't pay? Small claims court is often the next step for amounts under the state limit.

Small claims in Alabama
Sources

Last checked: Oct 2026.

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