Arkansas · Unpaid wages · Updated Oct 2026

Arkansas wage claims: how to get your unpaid pay

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

$11.00minimum wage in 2026
$2.63tipped cash wage
See belowdaily overtime
Not confirmedfinal pay if fired
See belowtime limit to file (see details)

We could not confirm all of Arkansas’s rules yet. We could not confirm the filing deadline and the final paycheck rule from an official source. Check with the state labor office before you rely on this page, or contact the US Department of Labor at 1-866-487-9243.

Where to file in Arkansas

Wage claims in Arkansas go to this state office. Filing is usually free.

Office
Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing, Division of Labor - Labor Standards Section
Phone
501-682-4599
Claim limit
$2,000. You cannot file a wage claim if you are owed more than $2,000 or you earn more than $50,000 a year; you also cannot split the amount between the Division and a court. Otherwise you can use your own lawyer or small claims court.
File onlineOfficial wage claim page

For federal minimum wage and overtime you can also contact the US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: 1-866-487-9243. How federal claims work.

How to file a wage claim in Arkansas

  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 Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing

    If you are owed $2,000 or less, you can file a wage claim online through the Department's Citizen Portal (create an account first). The Labor Standards Section investigates, gives your employer notice and a chance to contest at an administrative hearing, and issues a wage determination; you can also ask for a hearing if you disagree. The process usually takes at least 90 days, and the Division can take legal action to collect valid claims. If minimum wage or overtime is the problem (not a final paycheck), use the separate minimum wage and overtime complaint on the Department's site.

Minimum wage and overtime in Arkansas

Arkansas's minimum wage is $11.00 an hour (since January 1, 2021). It covers employers with 4 or more employees. If your employer is covered by both state and federal law, it must pay the higher rate. No increase is scheduled.

Minimum wage (2026)
$11.00
Tipped cash wage
$2.63

Overtime

You must get 1.5 times your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Arkansas has no daily overtime: working more than 8 hours in a day does not by itself mean overtime. Paid hours you did not actually work (holidays, sick days) do not count toward the 40. Some employees are exempt.

Paydays: At least twice a month (semi-monthly), according to the U.S. Department of Labor's state payday table.

Your final paycheck in Arkansas

We could not confirm Arkansas’s final-paycheck rule from an official source. Ask the state labor office. Under federal law, employers do not have to pay a former worker immediately; if your regular payday has passed and you have not been paid, contact the Wage and Hour Division or the state labor department (US DOL: Last paycheck).

When was your final paycheck due in Arkansas?

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

The Division of Labor can fine an employer $50 to $1,000 for each violation of the Minimum Wage Act, including paying less than the minimum wage and retaliating against a worker; each day a violation continues can count separately (11 CAR § 11-1103). Damages owed directly to the worker (such as double wages) could not be confirmed in an official source.

Retaliation and immigration status

The Division can fine an employer that willfully fires or discriminates against you because you complained to your employer or the Division about minimum wage or overtime, started a proceeding, or testified (11 CAR § 11-1103(a)(7)).

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).

Deductions and tips

Tipped workers must get at least $2.63 an hour in cash wages, and tips must bring them up to $11.00; if they do not, the employer must make up the difference. Deductions for breakage, cash or inventory shortages, or fines for lateness or quitting may not bring your pay below minimum wage, and a mandatory service charge is not a tip (Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing; 11 CAR Part 11).

Good to know in Arkansas

  • Independent contractors who physically did the work can also file a wage claim, not only employees.
  • If your claim is for vacation pay, sick pay, holiday pay, a bonus or severance, you must give the Division a copy of the company policy that promises that pay.

Forms

Wage-theft calculator for Arkansas

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.

Arkansas overtime rule: You must get 1.5 times your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Arkansas has no daily overtime: working more than 8 hours in a day does not by itself mean overtime. Paid hours you did not actually work (holidays, sick days) do not count toward the 40. Some employees are exempt.

Penalties your employer may also owe in Arkansas: The Division of Labor can fine an employer $50 to $1,000 for each violation of the Minimum Wage Act, including paying less than the minimum wage and retaliating against a worker; each day a violation continues can count separately (11 CAR § 11-1103). Damages owed directly to the worker (such as double wages) could not be confirmed in an official source.

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 Arkansas’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 Arkansas

Where do I file a wage claim in Arkansas?

With Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing, Division of Labor - Labor Standards Section. Phone: 501-682-4599. If you are owed $2,000 or less, you can file a wage claim online through the Department's Citizen Portal (create an account first). The Labor Standards Section investigates, gives your employer notice and a chance to contest at an administrative hearing, and issues a wage determination; you can also ask for a hearing if you disagree. The process usually takes at least 90 days, and the Division can take legal action to collect valid claims. If minimum wage or overtime is the problem (not a final paycheck), use the separate minimum wage and overtime complaint on the Department's site.

What is the minimum wage in Arkansas in 2026?

Arkansas's minimum wage is $11.00 an hour (since January 1, 2021). It covers employers with 4 or more employees. If your employer is covered by both state and federal law, it must pay the higher rate. No increase is scheduled.

Does Arkansas have daily overtime?

You must get 1.5 times your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Arkansas has no daily overtime: working more than 8 hours in a day does not by itself mean overtime. Paid hours you did not actually work (holidays, sick days) do not count toward the 40. Some employees are exempt.

What can my employer owe besides my wages in Arkansas?

The Division of Labor can fine an employer $50 to $1,000 for each violation of the Minimum Wage Act, including paying less than the minimum wage and retaliating against a worker; each day a violation continues can count separately (11 CAR § 11-1103). Damages owed directly to the worker (such as double wages) could not be confirmed in an official source.

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

The Division can fine an employer that willfully fires or discriminates against you because you complained to your employer or the Division about minimum wage or overtime, started a proceeding, or testified (11 CAR § 11-1103(a)(7)).

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

Small claims in Arkansas
Sources

Last checked: Oct 2026.

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