Daily Overtime States: California, Alaska, Colorado & Nevada
Built & reviewed by Nandu Kannan · Overtime rules cited to primary statutes
Federal law only cares about your week: 1.5× after 40 hours, no matter how brutal any single day was. Four states decided that a long day deserves premium pay on its own. If you work in California, Alaska, Colorado, or Nevada, your daily schedule — not just your weekly total — determines your overtime. This guide covers each state's exact rule, the statute behind it, and what the same shift pays in each state. (For the other 46 states and D.C., see overtime laws by state.)
Side-by-side comparison
| State | Daily overtime | Daily double time | 7th-day premium | Condition | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 1.5× after 8 h/day | 2× after 12 h/day | Yes — 1.5× first 8 h, 2× after | None | CA Labor Code §510 |
| Alaska | 1.5× after 8 h/day | — | No | Employers with 4+ employees | Alaska Stat. §23.10.060 |
| Colorado | 1.5× after 12 h/day (or 12 consecutive h) | — | No | None | Colorado COMPS Order #38 |
| Nevada | 1.5× after 8 h/day | — | No | Only if you earn < 1.5× NV minimum wage | Nevada NRS §608.018 |
All four states also pay 1.5× after 40 hours in a workweek. Daily and weekly overtime are not stacked on the same hours.
California: the strongest overtime law in the country
California Labor Code §510 layers three protections on top of each other:
- 1.5× for hours over 8 and up to 12 in a workday, and for hours over 40 in the workweek.
- 2× (double time) for hours over 12 in a workday.
- 7th consecutive day: work all seven days of one workweek and the seventh day pays 1.5× for the first 8 hours and 2× beyond 8 — regardless of your weekly total.
Example ($20/hour, one 14-hour day): 8 regular ($160) + 4 overtime at $30 ($120) + 2 double time at $40 ($80) = $360 for the day. Federally, that same day pays $280 if the week stays under 40 hours. Run any schedule through the California overtime calculator, which applies all three layers plus the 7th-day rule, or the double time calculator for the 2× hours alone.
Alaska: 8 hours a day, plain and simple
Alaska Stat. §23.10.060 requires 1.5× after 8 hours in a day and after 40 hours in a week — the same daily trigger as California, without the double-time and 7th-day layers. The law applies to employers with four or more employees, and a voluntary flexible-hours plan (e.g., a 4/10 schedule approved under the statute) can lawfully waive daily overtime.
Example ($25/hour, five 10-hour days): each day = 8 regular + 2 overtime, so the week is 40 regular + 10 OT = $1,000 + 10 × $37.50 = $1,375. Under federal rules the same week (50 hours) pays $1,000 + 10 × $37.50 = $1,375 too — but shift the same 50 hours into four 12.5-hour days and Alaska pays more OT sooner. Check your own pattern in the Alaska overtime calculator.
Colorado: the 12-hour trigger
Colorado's COMPS Order #38 sets overtime at 1.5× for whichever is greater: hours over 40 in a workweek, over 12 in a workday, or over 12 consecutive hours regardless of where the workday line falls. That last clause is unique — a shift running 11 p.m. to noon crosses two "workdays" but still earns overtime after the 12th consecutive hour.
Example ($22/hour, three 13-hour days = 39 hours): no weekly OT (under 40), but each day has 1 hour past 12, so 3 OT hours: 36 × $22 + 3 × $33 = $891. A federal-rule state pays $858 for the same week. The Colorado overtime calculator applies the greater-of logic for you.
Nevada: daily overtime with a wage condition
Nevada NRS §608.018 pays 1.5× after 8 hours in a 24-hour period — but only for employees earning less than 1.5× the Nevada minimum wage. Above that cutoff, only the 40-hour weekly rule applies. This makes Nevada the only conditional daily-overtime state: two coworkers on different wages can work identical 10-hour shifts and only one earns daily overtime. Employees who agree to a 4-day, 10-hour schedule are also outside the daily rule.
Example (qualifying worker at $14/hour, four 10-hour days + one 4-hour day = 44 hours): daily OT = 2 hours × 4 days = 8 hours, leaving 36 straight-time hours (no extra weekly OT). Pay: 36 × $14 + 8 × $21 = $672. A non-qualifying coworker gets weekly-only OT: 40 × $14 + 4 × $21 = $644. See where you fall with the Nevada overtime calculator and the current state floor on minimum wage by state.
How daily and weekly overtime interact
The rules never pay twice for the same hour. The standard sequence (the one the California DLSE uses, and the one our overtime calculator implements): classify each day's hours into regular / daily OT / daily double time first, then count only the regular hours against the weekly 40. Five 10-hour days in California is exactly 40 straight-time hours + 10 daily OT hours — not 10 daily OT plus another 10 weekly OT.
Track it, then check it
Daily-overtime math is unforgiving of sloppy records, because every punch matters, not just the weekly sum. Log your shifts in the time card calculator or timesheet calculator, run the week through your state's overtime page, and compare against your stub — then see the after-tax effect in the paycheck calculator. A quick reference for the 1.5× rate at any wage: the time and a half calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Which states require daily overtime pay?
Four: California (1.5× after 8 hours/day, 2× after 12), Alaska (1.5× after 8 hours/day), Colorado (1.5× after 12 hours/day or 12 consecutive hours), and Nevada (1.5× after 8 hours/day, only for employees earning less than 1.5× the state minimum wage). All four also keep the standard 1.5× after 40 hours/week. Oregon adds daily overtime after 10 hours, but only in manufacturing, mills, and canneries.
Do daily and weekly overtime stack?
No. Hours already counted as daily overtime are not counted again toward the weekly 40-hour threshold. The standard method (used by the California DLSE) applies daily overtime first, then checks the remaining straight-time hours against 40. You are paid the rule that benefits you most, not both on the same hour.
How does California double time work?
You earn 2× your regular rate for hours beyond 12 in a single workday, and for hours beyond 8 on the 7th consecutive day worked in one workweek (CA Labor Code §510). Example: a 14-hour day = 8 regular + 4 overtime at 1.5× + 2 double time at 2×.
Who qualifies for Nevada daily overtime?
Only employees earning less than 1.5 times the Nevada minimum wage qualify for the 8-hour daily rule (NRS §608.018). Earn at or above that cutoff and only the 40-hour weekly rule applies. Nevada also measures the 8 hours within a rolling 24-hour period, which matters for back-to-back shifts.
Does working a 12-hour shift in Colorado trigger overtime?
Working exactly 12 hours does not — Colorado overtime starts after 12 hours in a workday, after 12 consecutive hours of work, or after 40 hours in the workweek, whichever produces more pay (COMPS Order #38). A 13-hour shift earns 1 hour at 1.5× even in an otherwise short week.
What if I work 4 ten-hour days (a 4/10 schedule)?
Federally and in Colorado: zero overtime — 40 hours total, no day over 12. In California and Alaska: 2 overtime hours per day, 8 total, unless the schedule runs under a properly adopted alternative workweek (California allows 4/10 schedules without daily OT only after a formal employee election). Nevada similarly allows agreed 4/10 schedules without daily overtime.
General information based on CA Labor Code §510, Alaska Stat. §23.10.060, Colorado COMPS Order #38, and Nevada NRS §608.018, current as of June 2026. Exemptions, alternative workweek schedules, and industry rules can change the outcome — confirm with your state labor office. Not legal or payroll advice.