Tennessee · Unpaid wages · Updated Oct 2026

Tennessee wage claims: how to get your unpaid pay

Not paid for all your hours, no overtime, or no final paycheck? Here is Tennessee’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
Payday or 21 daysfinal pay if fired
See belowtime limit to file (see details)

We could not confirm all of Tennessee’s rules yet. We could not confirm the filing deadline and penalties 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 Tennessee

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

Office
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Labor Standards Unit
Phone
844-224-5818
Languages
Wage Regulations poster available in Spanish
Claim limit
At least $100 (smaller claims go to General Sessions Court); no maximum stated.
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 Tennessee

  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 Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development

    Start a wage claim online with the Labor Standards Unit. You will then get a Statement of Wage Claim Form naming your inspector; add an explanation, the amount you are owed, and your signature, and mail or email it back to that inspector. The inspector contacts your employer; if the employer doesn't fix it within about 20 calendar days, the claim goes to the Central Office for review and possible penalties, and the employer can ask for a hearing where you may need to testify. The state only takes claims from W-2 employees of private employers with at least 5 employees, for work done in Tennessee, of $100 or more, and not about tips, minimum wage, salary, or overtime; those go to the US Department of Labor (615-781-5343) or to General Sessions Court in your county.

Minimum wage and overtime in Tennessee

Tennessee has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour applies to workers covered by federal law. The state Labor Standards Unit does not handle minimum wage, tip, or overtime claims; they go to the US Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division.

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

Overtime

Tennessee has no state overtime law. Under federal law (FLSA), covered workers get 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. There is no daily overtime. Overtime claims go to the US Department of Labor.

Paydays: Private employers with 5 or more employees must set regular paydays and pay at least once a month. If you are paid monthly, wages for a month are due by the 5th of the next month. If you are paid twice a month or more, wages for the 1st-15th are due by the 5th of the next month, and wages for the rest of the month are due by the 20th of the next month (Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-2-103(a), as explained by the state). Paydays must be posted in two visible places.

Your final paycheck in Tennessee

If you are fired or laid off
By the next regular payday after you are fired, or 21 days after, whichever is later.
If you quit
Same: by the next regular payday after you quit, or 21 days after, whichever is later.
Law
Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-2-103(g)

When was your final paycheck due in Tennessee?

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).

Deductions and tips

Your employer generally cannot take money out of your pay (for uniforms, equipment, loans, or shortages) unless you signed a written agreement first, and the employer has a copy of it (Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-2-110). Your employer can hold your paycheck until you return a uniform or other property only if you signed a written policy or agreement.

Good to know in Tennessee

  • You must get a 30-minute unpaid meal or rest break if you are scheduled for 6 hours in a row, with some exceptions (Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-2-103(h)).
  • Unused vacation or sick pay only has to be paid out if your employer's policy says so.
  • Your employer can lower your pay rate, but only if it tells you before you do the work.

Forms

Wage-theft calculator for Tennessee

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.

Tennessee overtime rule: Tennessee has no state overtime law. Under federal law (FLSA), covered workers get 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. There is no daily overtime. Overtime claims go to the US Department of Labor.

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 Tennessee’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 Tennessee

Where do I file a wage claim in Tennessee?

With Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Labor Standards Unit. Phone: 844-224-5818. Start a wage claim online with the Labor Standards Unit. You will then get a Statement of Wage Claim Form naming your inspector; add an explanation, the amount you are owed, and your signature, and mail or email it back to that inspector. The inspector contacts your employer; if the employer doesn't fix it within about 20 calendar days, the claim goes to the Central Office for review and possible penalties, and the employer can ask for a hearing where you may need to testify. The state only takes claims from W-2 employees of private employers with at least 5 employees, for work done in Tennessee, of $100 or more, and not about tips, minimum wage, salary, or overtime; those go to the US Department of Labor (615-781-5343) or to General Sessions Court in your county.

What is the minimum wage in Tennessee in 2026?

Tennessee has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour applies to workers covered by federal law. The state Labor Standards Unit does not handle minimum wage, tip, or overtime claims; they go to the US Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division.

Does Tennessee have daily overtime?

Tennessee has no state overtime law. Under federal law (FLSA), covered workers get 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. There is no daily overtime. Overtime claims go to the US Department of Labor.

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

By the next regular payday after you are fired, or 21 days after, whichever is later.

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

Same: by the next regular payday after you quit, or 21 days after, whichever is later.

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

Small claims in Tennessee
Sources

Last checked: Oct 2026.

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