Minimum PTO by state
There is no federal minimum. 20 states and the District of Columbia make employers give paid sick leave, and three of them give paid leave people can use for anything.
Which US states require paid time off?
No federal law requires paid vacation or sick leave. As of October 27, 2026, 20 states and the District of Columbia require employers to give paid sick leave, and Illinois, Maine and Nevada require paid leave that can be used for any reason. Most set about 40 hours (5 days) a year, earned at 1 hour for every 30 worked. Missouri dropped its law in August 2025.
The rule follows where each person works, not where the company is based. A five-person remote team with people in California, New York and Texas owes paid sick leave in two of those three states.
20 states and the District of Columbia that require paid leave
Each row is from that state’s own labor department page or law, checked on October 27, 2026. “Any reason” means the leave can be used for vacation too.
| State | Type | How much | Who it covers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 40 hours a year (under 15 full-time employees) or 56 hours (15 or more) | All employers, with listed exemptions; in effect since July 1, 2025 | Alaska Department of Labor, paid sick leave FAQ |
| Arizona | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 40 hours a year (15 or more employees) or 24 hours (under 15) | All employers | Arizona Revised Statutes 23-372 |
| California | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 30 worked; the employer must let you use at least 40 hours or 5 days a year, whichever is more | All employers, for people who work 30 or more days a year in California | California Labor Commissioner, paid sick leave FAQ |
| Colorado | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 48 hours a year | All employers since January 1, 2022 | Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (SB 20-205) |
| Connecticut | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 40 hours a year | Employers with 11 or more Connecticut employees in 2026; 1 or more from January 1, 2027 | Connecticut Department of Labor, paid sick leave FAQs |
| District of Columbia | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 37 worked, up to 7 days (100 or more employees); 1 per 43, up to 5 days (25 to 99); 1 per 87, up to 3 days (24 or fewer) | All employers | DC Code 32-531.02 |
| Illinois | Paid leave, any reason | 1 hour per 40 worked; up to 40 hours a year, usable for any reason | Employers of all sizes, except those covered by Chicago or Cook County rules | Illinois Department of Labor, Paid Leave for All Workers Act |
| Maine | Paid leave, any reason | 1 hour per 40 worked; up to 40 hours a year, usable for any reason | Employers with more than 10 employees for more than 120 days a year | Maine Department of Labor, earned paid leave |
| Maryland | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 40 hours a year | Paid at employers with 15 or more employees; unpaid below 15 | Maryland Department of Labor, earned sick and safe leave |
| Massachusetts | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 40 hours a year | Paid at employers with 11 or more employees; unpaid below 11 | Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 149, section 148C |
| Michigan | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 72 hours of use a year (11 or more employees) or 40 hours (10 or fewer) | All employers; small businesses since October 1, 2025 | Michigan Compiled Laws 408.963 (Earned Sick Time Act) |
| Minnesota | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 30 worked; at least 48 hours a year | Employees expected to work at least 80 hours a year in Minnesota | Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, earned sick and safe time |
| Nebraska | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 40 hours a year (11 to 19 employees) or 56 hours (20 or more) | Employers with 11 or more employees; in effect since October 1, 2025 | Nebraska Department of Labor, paid sick time FAQs |
| Nevada | Paid leave, any reason | 0.01923 hours per hour worked (about 40 hours a year full time), usable without giving a reason; the employer may cap use at 40 hours a year | Employers with 50 or more employees in Nevada | Nevada Revised Statutes 608.0197 |
| New Jersey | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 40 hours a year | Employers of all sizes | New Jersey Department of Labor, earned sick leave |
| New Mexico | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 64 hours of use a year | All private employers, any size | New Mexico Workforce Solutions, Healthy Workplaces Act guide |
| New York | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 56 hours a year (100 or more employees) or 40 hours (5 to 99) | All employers; with 4 or fewer, 40 hours paid only if net income is over $1 million, otherwise unpaid | New York State, paid sick leave |
| Oregon | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 40 hours a year | Paid at employers with 10 or more Oregon employees (6 or more with a Portland location); unpaid below that | Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, sick time |
| Rhode Island | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 35 worked; up to 40 hours a year | Paid at employers with 18 or more employees; unpaid at 17 or fewer | Rhode Island General Laws 28-57-5 |
| Vermont | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 52 worked; the employer may cap it at 40 hours a year | All employers, for people averaging 18 or more hours a week | Vermont Statutes, title 21, section 482 |
| Washington | Paid sick leave | 1 hour per 40 worked; no yearly cap on use; at least 40 unused hours carry over | All employers | Washington Labor and Industries, paid sick leave |
Missouri: Its paid sick time law was repealed; employers are no longer required to provide it from August 28, 2025. (Missouri Department of Labor)
State laws only. Some cities and counties set their own rules, and state paid family and medical leave programs are separate. Laws change: check the linked source before you write a policy. This is not legal advice.
Is there a federal minimum?
No. The US Department of Labor says: “The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations, sick leave or federal or other holidays.” (US Department of Labor, vacation leave). Paid vacation in the US is set by the employer, and averages 11 days after one year (see how many PTO days is normal).
What is the minimum PTO in California?
At least 40 hours or 5 days of paid sick leave a year, whichever is more, earned at 1 hour per 30 worked. California requires no paid vacation, but its Labor Commissioner says earned and unused vacation must be paid out when someone leaves (vacation FAQ).
Does unlimited PTO count?
California addresses it directly. Its Labor Commissioner says that for employers with unlimited paid time off plans, showing paid sick leave as “unlimited” on the pay stub or written notice meets the record-keeping rule (California paid sick leave FAQ). The other state pages above do not say how unlimited plans are treated, so check with the state before relying on one.
A policy that meets the law can still leave people without real rest. Write a minimum into it with the unlimited PTO policy template, and see whether unlimited PTO is a trap.
Setting PTO for a team across states
- List the state each person works in.
- Find the highest requirement among them in the table above. For most teams that is 40 to 56 hours of sick leave a year.
- Give everyone at least that, so one policy covers the whole team.
- Keep one record of the time people take, so you can show it if asked. The free PTO tracker spreadsheet does that without accruals.