Washington · Unpaid wages · Updated Oct 2026

Washington wage claims: how to get your unpaid pay

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

$17.13minimum wage in 2026
$17.13tipped cash wage
Nodaily overtime
See the rulesfinal pay if fired
3 yearstime limit to file (see details)

Where to file in Washington

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

Office
Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Employment Standards Program
Phone
866-219-7321
Languages
Free help in your preferred language; minimum wage posters in Spanish and other languages
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 Washington

  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 Washington State Department of Labor & Industries

    File a Worker Rights Complaint with L&I online, or download the Worker Rights Complaint form (F700-148-000) and mail it to Employment Standards, PO Box 44510, Tumwater, WA 98501. Say what rights were violated and include the hours you worked and the wages you are owed, plus any pay stubs or records. L&I gives your name and a copy of the complaint to the employer, investigates (usually up to 60 days), and may order the employer to pay what you are owed; either side can appeal within 30 days. Filing is free, and you can file even if you no longer work there.

  4. Watch the deadline

    File a wage complaint with L&I within 3 years of the violation; L&I cannot order wages owed more than 3 years before you filed (RCW 49.48.083). Retaliation complaints to L&I: within 180 days of the retaliation (L&I). Federal FLSA claims: 2 years (3 if willful).

Minimum wage and overtime in Washington

Washington's minimum wage is $17.13 an hour in 2026 for most workers 16 and older; 14- and 15-year-olds may be paid 85% of it. It rises to $17.73 on January 1, 2027. Employers may not count tips toward the minimum wage. Some cities are higher: in 2026, Seattle is $21.30, Tukwila $21.65 for covered employers, and Bellingham $19.13.

Minimum wage (2026)
$17.13
Tipped cash wage
$17.13
Next change
$17.73 on January 1, 2027

Overtime

Most workers must be paid 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek (RCW 49.46.130). Washington has no daily overtime rule. Some jobs are exempt, such as certain salaried executive, administrative and professional employees.

Paydays: On a regular payday at least once a month (WAC 296-126-023).

Your final paycheck in Washington

If you are fired or laid off
At the end of the established pay period (your next regular payday).
If you quit
At the end of the established pay period (your next regular payday).
Law
RCW 49.48.010(2)

When was your final paycheck due in Washington?

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

L&I can order the employer to pay all wages owed plus 1% interest per month, and can fine employers for willful violations (RCW 49.48.083). If you sue and the employer willfully withheld your wages, it owes you twice the unpaid wages plus costs and a reasonable attorney's fee (RCW 49.52.050, 49.52.070). Any worker who wins a court judgment for wages gets reasonable attorney's fees (RCW 49.48.030).

Retaliation and immigration status

Your employer may not fire or punish you for complaining about unpaid wages, filing a complaint, or testifying; L&I says this includes threats based on your or your family's immigration status. File a retaliation complaint with L&I within 180 days (RCW 49.46.100; L&I).

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).

L&I says its services are available to every worker in Washington state and it will not ask about your immigration status; its complaint form says all employees, regardless of immigration status, have a legal right to file.

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 may not take money out of your pay unless the law requires it or you specifically agreed to it (RCW 49.48.010(3)). All tips and service charges paid to you belong to you, and the employer may not count them toward your minimum wage (L&I; RCW 49.46.020).

Good to know in Washington

  • Washington has no tip credit: tipped workers must get the full $17.13 an hour plus their tips.
  • Hours worked include opening and closing the business, required trainings and meetings (L&I).
  • L&I announces the next year's minimum wage on September 30 each year, adjusted for inflation.

Forms

Wage-theft calculator for Washington

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.

Washington overtime rule: Most workers must be paid 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek (RCW 49.46.130). Washington has no daily overtime rule. Some jobs are exempt, such as certain salaried executive, administrative and professional employees.

Penalties your employer may also owe in Washington: L&I can order the employer to pay all wages owed plus 1% interest per month, and can fine employers for willful violations (RCW 49.48.083). If you sue and the employer willfully withheld your wages, it owes you twice the unpaid wages plus costs and a reasonable attorney's fee (RCW 49.52.050, 49.52.070). Any worker who wins a court judgment for wages gets reasonable attorney's fees (RCW 49.48.030).

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 Washington’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 Washington

Where do I file a wage claim in Washington?

With Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Employment Standards Program. Phone: 866-219-7321. File a Worker Rights Complaint with L&I online, or download the Worker Rights Complaint form (F700-148-000) and mail it to Employment Standards, PO Box 44510, Tumwater, WA 98501. Say what rights were violated and include the hours you worked and the wages you are owed, plus any pay stubs or records. L&I gives your name and a copy of the complaint to the employer, investigates (usually up to 60 days), and may order the employer to pay what you are owed; either side can appeal within 30 days. Filing is free, and you can file even if you no longer work there.

What is the minimum wage in Washington in 2026?

Washington's minimum wage is $17.13 an hour in 2026 for most workers 16 and older; 14- and 15-year-olds may be paid 85% of it. It rises to $17.73 on January 1, 2027. Employers may not count tips toward the minimum wage. Some cities are higher: in 2026, Seattle is $21.30, Tukwila $21.65 for covered employers, and Bellingham $19.13.

Does Washington have daily overtime?

Most workers must be paid 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek (RCW 49.46.130). Washington has no daily overtime rule. Some jobs are exempt, such as certain salaried executive, administrative and professional employees.

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

At the end of the established pay period (your next regular payday).

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

At the end of the established pay period (your next regular payday).

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

File a wage complaint with L&I within 3 years of the violation; L&I cannot order wages owed more than 3 years before you filed (RCW 49.48.083). Retaliation complaints to L&I: within 180 days of the retaliation (L&I). Federal FLSA claims: 2 years (3 if willful).

What can my employer owe besides my wages in Washington?

L&I can order the employer to pay all wages owed plus 1% interest per month, and can fine employers for willful violations (RCW 49.48.083). If you sue and the employer willfully withheld your wages, it owes you twice the unpaid wages plus costs and a reasonable attorney's fee (RCW 49.52.050, 49.52.070). Any worker who wins a court judgment for wages gets reasonable attorney's fees (RCW 49.48.030).

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

Your employer may not fire or punish you for complaining about unpaid wages, filing a complaint, or testifying; L&I says this includes threats based on your or your family's immigration status. File a retaliation complaint with L&I within 180 days (RCW 49.46.100; L&I).

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

Small claims in Washington
Sources

Last checked: Oct 2026.

Other states