Pay stub requirements in Illinois

01 — The law

What Illinois law requires

1. 01

   What counts as a pay stub

   The Act defines it as an itemized statement reflecting hours worked, rate of pay, overtime pay and overtime hours worked, gross wages earned, deductions made from the employee’s wages, and the total of wages and deductions year to date.

   820 ILCS 115/2 — definition of "pay stub" →
2. 02

   One for every pay period

   Employers keep records of the names and addresses of all employees and of wages paid each payday, and must furnish each employee with a pay stub for each pay period.

   820 ILCS 115/10 — pay stubs, retention and copies →
3. 03

   Three-year retention, paper or electronic

   A copy of each employee’s pay stub is kept for at least three years after the date of payment, regardless of whether the employment ends inside that window and regardless of whether the stub was furnished electronically or on paper.

   820 ILCS 115/10 — pay stubs, retention and copies →
4. 04

   Copies on request within 21 days

   A current employee may request copies and the employer has 21 calendar days to produce them; the employer may require the request in writing and need not grant it more than twice in 12 months. A former employee has the same right for up to one year after separation, and chooses whether to receive the copies physically or electronically.

   820 ILCS 115/10 — pay stubs, retention and copies →
5. 05

   An offer at the exit door

   An employer whose electronic stubs a former employee cannot reach for at least a full year after separation must, by the end of the final pay period, offer the departing employee a record of every stub from the preceding year — and must write down the date the offer was made and how the employee responded.

   820 ILCS 115/10 — pay stubs, retention and copies →
6. 06

   Semi-monthly pay, with two exceptions

   Every employer pays all wages earned during a semi-monthly pay period at least semi-monthly. Executive, administrative and professional employees as defined by the FLSA may be paid once a month, and commissions may be paid once a month.

   820 ILCS 115/3 — frequency of payment →
7. 07

   Payday notice posted at every place of business

   Employers post a notice at each regular place of business, accessible to all employees, showing the regular paydays and the place and time of payment, on forms supplied by the Department of Labor.

   820 ILCS 115/10 — pay stubs, retention and copies →
8. 08

   Minimum wage $15.00, with youth and tipped rates

   The Illinois Department of Labor lists $15.00 an hour for workers 18 and older, $13.00 for workers under 18 who work fewer than 650 hours in a calendar year, and $9.00 as the tipped rate.

   Illinois Department of Labor — Minimum Wage Law →

02 — Local rates

Local rates above the Illinois minimum

• Chicago

  $17.05 per hour from July 1, 2026 for employers with four or more employees, and $12.96 for tipped workers, with the employer making up the difference if tips fall short. Domestic workers and youth workers must receive the full $17.05.

  City of Chicago Office of Labor Standards — Minimum Wage →

03 — What we calculate

What this generator calculates for Illinois

State withholding for Illinois is calculated from the 2026 figures the state publishes, and our test suite holds those figures against the state's own published calculation rather than against arithmetic of ours.

04 — Questions

Frequently asked questions

Can I ask my old employer in Illinois for copies of my pay stubs?

Yes, for up to one year after you left. The employer has 21 calendar days to produce them and must give them to you in whichever format you choose, physical or electronic, but is not required to grant the request more than twice in a 12-month period.

What exactly has to be on an Illinois pay stub?

Hours worked, rate of pay, overtime pay and overtime hours worked, gross wages earned, deductions made from your wages, and the year-to-date totals for wages and deductions. That list is the statutory definition of "pay stub", added effective January 1, 2025.

My company uses an online portal I will lose access to when I leave. Then what?

The law anticipates that. If the electronic stubs will not stay reachable for a full year after you separate, your employer has to offer you a record of the last year of stubs by the end of your final pay period, and has to document that the offer was made and how you answered.

How often must Illinois employers pay?

At least semi-monthly for most employees. Executive, administrative and professional employees under the FLSA definitions may be paid monthly, and so may commissions.

Which minimum wage applies to me in Illinois?

The state rate is $15.00 an hour. If you work in Chicago for an employer with four or more employees, the city rate of $17.05 applies from July 1, 2026 — where a local rate is higher, it is the one that governs.