Georgia · Unpaid wages · Updated Oct 2026

Georgia wage claims: how to get your unpaid pay

Not paid for all your hours, no overtime, or no final paycheck? Here is Georgia’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
2 yearstime limit to file (see details)

Where to file in Georgia

Georgia has no state wage-claim program. US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (Georgia DOL does not take wage claims)

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 Georgia

How to file a wage claim in Georgia

  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. Georgia does not have a state program that collects unpaid wages. The Georgia Department of Labor says the US Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division handles minimum wage, overtime and hours problems. You can file a free federal complaint by calling 1-866-487-9243. You can also sue your employer in court, including magistrate (small claims) court.

  4. Watch the deadline

    Lawsuits for unpaid wages, overtime, or damages and penalties under Georgia wage-payment laws: 2 years after the right to sue arose (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-22). Federal FLSA claims for minimum wage or overtime: 2 years, or 3 years if the violation was willful.

Minimum wage and overtime in Georgia

Georgia's own minimum wage law sets $5.15 an hour, but the Georgia Department of Labor says that, with limited exceptions, the federal minimum wage of $7.25 applies. So most workers in Georgia must get at least $7.25 an hour. The state law applies only to employers with 6 or more employees and does not cover jobs already covered by the federal law (O.C.G.A. § 34-4-3). No increase is scheduled.

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

Overtime

Georgia has no state overtime law. Federal law (FLSA) applies to most workers: 1.5 times your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. There is no daily overtime.

Paydays: Most private employers of manual, mechanical or clerical workers must pay on dates that divide the month into at least two equal periods, and pay the full amount due for each period. Farming, sawmill and turpentine businesses are excluded, and so are officials and department heads paid by the month or year (O.C.G.A. § 34-7-2(b)).

Your final paycheck in Georgia

If you are fired or laid off
Georgia has no law that sets a deadline for the final paycheck.
If you quit
Georgia has no law that sets a deadline for the final paycheck.

When was your final paycheck due in Georgia?

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.

Retaliation and immigration status

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 Georgia

  • The Georgia Department of Labor does not investigate wage complaints; it sends workers to the US Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division.
  • Georgia's own minimum wage is still $5.15, but the federal $7.25 rate covers most Georgia jobs (Georgia DOL).

Wage-theft calculator for Georgia

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.

Georgia overtime rule: Georgia has no state overtime law. Federal law (FLSA) applies to most workers: 1.5 times your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. There is no daily overtime.

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 Georgia’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 Georgia

Where do I file a wage claim in Georgia?

Georgia 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 Georgia in 2026?

Georgia's own minimum wage law sets $5.15 an hour, but the Georgia Department of Labor says that, with limited exceptions, the federal minimum wage of $7.25 applies. So most workers in Georgia must get at least $7.25 an hour. The state law applies only to employers with 6 or more employees and does not cover jobs already covered by the federal law (O.C.G.A. § 34-4-3). No increase is scheduled.

Does Georgia have daily overtime?

Georgia has no state overtime law. Federal law (FLSA) applies to most workers: 1.5 times your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. There is no daily overtime.

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

Georgia has no law that sets a deadline for the final paycheck.

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

Georgia has no law that sets a deadline for the final paycheck.

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

Lawsuits for unpaid wages, overtime, or damages and penalties under Georgia wage-payment laws: 2 years after the right to sue arose (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-22). Federal FLSA claims for minimum wage or overtime: 2 years, or 3 years if the violation was willful.

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

Small claims in Georgia
Sources

Last checked: Oct 2026.

Other states