Indiana · Unpaid wages · Updated Oct 2026

Indiana wage claims: how to get your unpaid pay

Not paid for all your hours, no overtime, or no final paycheck? Here is Indiana’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
Next paydayfinal pay if fired
2 yearstime limit to file (see details)

Where to file in Indiana

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

Office
Indiana Department of Labor (IDOL), Wage and Hour Division
Phone
317-232-2655
Claim limit
IDOL's claim page lists no dollar limit. By law the Labor Commissioner can take over (by assignment) and sue only on wage claims under $6,000 (Ind. Code § 22-2-9-5).
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 Indiana

  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 Indiana Department of Labor

    File a wage claim with the Indiana Department of Labor online or on paper (State Form 2069). List the dates and hours you were not paid, show how you calculated the amount, sign it, and attach documents. IDOL sends the claim to your employer, who has 2 weeks to pay you or dispute it, plus 1 more week after a final notice. If the employer disputes, IDOL decides based on Indiana law; if the employer does not answer or IDOL cannot decide, it sends you your file and suggests you see a lawyer or go to court. It can take up to 90 days. Filing is free, but IDOL says it cannot guarantee you will be paid.

  4. Watch the deadline

    Lawsuits about wages: 2 years after the unpaid payday, unless your pay is set by a written contract (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-1). Lawsuits for unpaid state minimum wage: 3 years (Ind. Code § 22-2-2-9). IDOL's claim page lists no separate filing deadline. Federal FLSA claims: 2 years, 3 if willful.

Minimum wage and overtime in Indiana

Indiana's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, the same as the federal rate (Ind. Code § 22-2-2-4). It applies to employers with at least 2 employees. Workers under 20 may be paid $4.25 for their first 90 days. Most Indiana jobs are covered by federal law; the state law covers some jobs federal law does not. Cities and counties may not set a higher minimum wage (§ 22-2-2-10.5). No increase is scheduled.

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

Overtime

Indiana's minimum wage law requires 1.5 times your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, with many exceptions (Ind. Code § 22-2-2-3). Federal overtime rules cover most workers. Indiana has no daily overtime.

Paydays: At least twice a month, or every two weeks if you ask. Each payday must cover all wages earned up to no more than 10 business days before payday (Ind. Code § 22-2-5-1). Farm workers are exempt (§ 22-2-5-3).

Your final paycheck in Indiana

If you are fired or laid off
By the regular payday for the pay period in which you were let go.
If you quit
By the next usual and regular payday. If you left without giving your employer your address, the employer's penalty clock starts only after you ask for the wages (10 business days) or give an address.
Law
Ind. Code § 22-2-9-2 (separation by employer); § 22-2-5-1(b) (quitting)

When was your final paycheck due in Indiana?

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

If your employer pays late or withholds wages, a court must order the wages plus your reasonable attorney's fees and court costs. If the employer did not act in good faith, the court must add liquidated damages of two times the wages due (Ind. Code § 22-2-5-2). For unpaid state minimum wage, the employer owes the unpaid amount plus an equal amount, plus attorney's fees and costs (§ 22-2-2-9), and can be fined (§ 22-2-2-11).

Retaliation and immigration status

IDOL warns that Indiana law gives no job protection if you are fired for filing a wage claim against your current employer. The state minimum wage law does make it an infraction to fire or punish you for suing for, or demanding, wages owed under that law (Ind. Code § 22-2-2-11(a)(1)); it covers only jobs under the state minimum wage law.

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

You may agree in writing to deductions only for certain listed things, such as uniforms or required equipment (no more than $2,500 a year or 5% of weekly disposable earnings), training, pay advances, or goods you ask to buy (Ind. Code § 22-2-6-2). Deductions may not drop your pay below the federal minimum wage. If your employer takes a tip credit, your cash wage must be at least $2.13 an hour and tips plus wage must reach $7.25 (§ 22-2-2-4(d)).

Good to know in Indiana

  • Warning from IDOL: Indiana law provides no job protection if you are fired for filing a wage claim against your current employer.
  • IDOL will not process claims for holiday, sick, severance or bonus pay, claims against an employer with no Indiana location, or claims you are already pursuing in court.
  • If your employer acted in bad faith, a court must award double your unpaid wages plus attorney's fees (Ind. Code § 22-2-5-2).

Forms

Wage-theft calculator for Indiana

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.

Indiana overtime rule: Indiana's minimum wage law requires 1.5 times your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, with many exceptions (Ind. Code § 22-2-2-3). Federal overtime rules cover most workers. Indiana has no daily overtime.

Penalties your employer may also owe in Indiana: If your employer pays late or withholds wages, a court must order the wages plus your reasonable attorney's fees and court costs. If the employer did not act in good faith, the court must add liquidated damages of two times the wages due (Ind. Code § 22-2-5-2). For unpaid state minimum wage, the employer owes the unpaid amount plus an equal amount, plus attorney's fees and costs (§ 22-2-2-9), and can be fined (§ 22-2-2-11).

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 Indiana’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 Indiana

Where do I file a wage claim in Indiana?

With Indiana Department of Labor (IDOL), Wage and Hour Division. Phone: 317-232-2655. File a wage claim with the Indiana Department of Labor online or on paper (State Form 2069). List the dates and hours you were not paid, show how you calculated the amount, sign it, and attach documents. IDOL sends the claim to your employer, who has 2 weeks to pay you or dispute it, plus 1 more week after a final notice. If the employer disputes, IDOL decides based on Indiana law; if the employer does not answer or IDOL cannot decide, it sends you your file and suggests you see a lawyer or go to court. It can take up to 90 days. Filing is free, but IDOL says it cannot guarantee you will be paid.

What is the minimum wage in Indiana in 2026?

Indiana's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, the same as the federal rate (Ind. Code § 22-2-2-4). It applies to employers with at least 2 employees. Workers under 20 may be paid $4.25 for their first 90 days. Most Indiana jobs are covered by federal law; the state law covers some jobs federal law does not. Cities and counties may not set a higher minimum wage (§ 22-2-2-10.5). No increase is scheduled.

Does Indiana have daily overtime?

Indiana's minimum wage law requires 1.5 times your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, with many exceptions (Ind. Code § 22-2-2-3). Federal overtime rules cover most workers. Indiana has no daily overtime.

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

By the regular payday for the pay period in which you were let go.

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

By the next usual and regular payday. If you left without giving your employer your address, the employer's penalty clock starts only after you ask for the wages (10 business days) or give an address.

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

Lawsuits about wages: 2 years after the unpaid payday, unless your pay is set by a written contract (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-1). Lawsuits for unpaid state minimum wage: 3 years (Ind. Code § 22-2-2-9). IDOL's claim page lists no separate filing deadline. Federal FLSA claims: 2 years, 3 if willful.

What can my employer owe besides my wages in Indiana?

If your employer pays late or withholds wages, a court must order the wages plus your reasonable attorney's fees and court costs. If the employer did not act in good faith, the court must add liquidated damages of two times the wages due (Ind. Code § 22-2-5-2). For unpaid state minimum wage, the employer owes the unpaid amount plus an equal amount, plus attorney's fees and costs (§ 22-2-2-9), and can be fined (§ 22-2-2-11).

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

IDOL warns that Indiana law gives no job protection if you are fired for filing a wage claim against your current employer. The state minimum wage law does make it an infraction to fire or punish you for suing for, or demanding, wages owed under that law (Ind. Code § 22-2-2-11(a)(1)); it covers only jobs under the state minimum wage law.

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

Small claims in Indiana
Sources

Last checked: Oct 2026.

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