Can my employer withhold my final paycheck?

An employer can dispute how much is owed in good faith, and can make lawful deductions (taxes, court-ordered garnishments, deductions you authorized in writing). What an employer cannot do is hold your earned wages as leverage — for a signed release, a returned laptop (except in the few states whose statutes allow it, like South Dakota, or with a signed policy in Tennessee), or out of dissatisfaction with how you left.

The deadline depends on your state: see the complete state table. The penalties for missing it are real — California continues your daily wages for up to 30 days, Massachusetts trebles the amount automatically, Arkansas doubles it seven days past the payday, and D.C. adds 10% per working day.

What to do: put the request in writing (in several states — Missouri, Minnesota, Utah, Colorado — a written demand is what starts the penalty clock), then file a wage claim with your state labor agency, linked from every state page in our law library.