Texas Pay Stub Requirements

Current as of November 1, 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Texas does have a pay stub statute, but it reaches surprisingly few employers. Most Texas employers have no state-law duty to issue stubs. They do have firm rules on paydays, deductions and final pay, and stubs remain the main way employees prove their income.

The short answer

Texas Labor Code § 62.003 requires a written earnings statement at the end of each pay period. But § 62.151 says Chapter 62, which contains § 62.003, does not apply to a person covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. FLSA coverage is broad. It covers enterprises with at least $500,000 in annual sales or business, hospitals, schools and government agencies. It also covers individual employees whose work regularly involves interstate commerce, such as making calls to other states or handling records of interstate transactions.

So the state stub rule mainly reaches small employers outside FLSA coverage. For everyone else, federal law applies. The U.S. Department of Labor says the FLSA requires accurate records of hours and wages but does not require pay stubs.

What § 62.003 requires when it applies

For employers covered by Chapter 62, the earnings statement must be signed by the employer or the employer's agent and must show:

1. the employee's name;
2. the rate of pay;
3. the total pay earned during the pay period;
4. each deduction and its purpose;
5. the pay after all deductions; and
6. the total hours worked, if paid by the hour, or units produced, if paid by the piece.

The statement may be in any form the employer chooses, and the information may appear on a check voucher or bank draft. "Pay period" means the period for which wages are regularly paid under the employment agreement.

The Texas Payday Law rules every employer follows

The Texas Payday Law, Chapter 61, applies to private employers whether or not they issue stubs:

Rule	What it says
How often	Employees exempt from FLSA overtime: at least monthly. Everyone else: at least twice a month, with pay periods as nearly equal as possible (§ 61.011)
Paydays	Must be designated and posted in conspicuous places at work. Without designation, paydays are the 1st and 15th (§ 61.012)
Form of payment	U.S. currency, a negotiable instrument, or electronic transfer to an account the employee designates or a payroll card account (§ 61.016)
Direct deposit	An employer adopting direct deposit must notify affected employees in writing at least 60 days before it starts (§ 61.017)
Deductions	Only by court order, under state or federal law, or with the employee's written authorization for a lawful purpose (§ 61.018)
Final pay	Discharged: no later than the sixth day after discharge. Quit: by the next regularly scheduled payday (§ 61.014)
Wage claims	File with the Texas Workforce Commission within 180 days after the wages were due (§ 61.051)

The deduction rule is where stubs help employers most. A stub that names each deduction and its purpose, matched to the employee's written authorization, is the clearest record that a deduction was lawful.

What a Texas pay stub shows

Texas has no state income tax, so a Texas stub is simpler than most:

Example: a salaried employee paid $3,000 semimonthly in 2026, single with a standard W-4.

Line	Amount
Gross pay	$3,000.00
Federal income tax	$292.08
Social Security, 6.2%	$186.00
Medicare, 1.45%	$43.50
State income tax	None in Texas
Net pay	$2,478.42

The federal figure comes from the IRS percentage method: $3,000 × 24 = $72,000, minus $8,600, is $63,400 a year. The 2026 single table gives $5,800 plus 22% of the amount over $57,900, or $7,010, and $7,010 ÷ 24 = $292.08. Texas unemployment tax is paid by the employer and doesn't appear on the employee's stub.

Why Texas stubs still matter

• Proof of income. Landlords and lenders ask for stubs whatever state law requires. See pay stubs for rental applications and loan applications.
• Wage claims. If pay is disputed, the Texas Workforce Commission examines what was paid and deducted. Stubs and payroll records are the evidence on both sides.
• Deductions. A stub that lists each deduction backs up the written authorizations § 61.018 requires.
• Employee expectations. Most workers expect a stub with each payday, and it heads off questions about net pay.

Making a Texas stub with PayStubShop

Choose Texas in our generator and the stub shows federal income tax under the 2025 or 2026 IRS Publication 15-T percentage method, Social Security up to the wage base and Medicare, with no state income tax line. Paydays can be weekly, biweekly, semimonthly or monthly. Every stub includes a free direct deposit advice slip, and you see the full math on a free preview. One stub is $6.99.

If you're an employer covered by § 62.003, note that the statute requires the statement to be signed by the employer or its agent, so sign the stubs you issue.

For other states' rules, see pay stub laws by state, and for deadlines when employment ends, final paycheck rules.