Unpaid Wages Demand Letter in Colorado
A letter asking an employer to pay wages you are owed, before you file a wage claim with your state labor agency or the U.S. Department of Labor. Keep copies of pay stubs, schedules and messages.
What Colorado law says
| Final paycheck if fired or laid off | Immediately. If the payroll office is not regularly open, pay is due within 6 hours after the start of its next regular workday, or within 24 hours if the payroll office is off-site (delivered to the worksite, local office or the employee's mailing address). If the employee makes a written demand or files a complaint, unpaid wages must be paid within 14 days or penalties may apply (C.R.S. § 8-4-109(3)). |
|---|---|
| Final paycheck if you quit | By the next regular payday. |
| Minimum wage | $15.16 per hour in 2026 ($12.14 for tipped employees). Some localities set higher rates; for example, Denver's 2026 minimum wage is $19.29. Employers must pay the higher local rate where it applies. Scheduled increase: $15.71 per hour ($12.69 for tipped workers) on January 1, 2027, under the annual inflation adjustment (CDLE press release, Aug. 13, 2026: https://cdle.colorado.gov/press-releases/press-release-colorado-minimum-wage-will-increase-to-1571/hour-in-2027). Denver's 2027 local rate is $19.84. |
Fill it in
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[today's date]
To: [employer name], [employer address]
From: [your name], [your address]
I worked for you as [job title] from [start date] to [end date or present]. You have not paid me $[amount owed] for [the hours, overtime, final paycheck or tips owed], covering [dates owed].
Please pay this amount by [payment deadline] by [payment method].
If I do not receive payment, I plan to file a wage claim with [state labor agency] and pursue any other remedies the law allows.
[your name] [phone or email]
Unpaid Wages Demand Letter for other states · Colorado tenant rights
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.