California Overtime Calculator and Time Tracking Rules
Overtime in California is daily and weekly: 1.5x past 8 hours in a day or 40 in a week, and 2x past 12 in a day. The California minimum wage is $16.90 an hour. Use the free calculator below, check the state's wage and hour rules, and see how Clox tracks your crew's hours.
JULY 5, 2026 · BY THE CLOX TEAM
If you run an hourly crew in California, two questions come up every payroll: how much do you owe once someone crosses into overtime, and are you following the state's rules. California layers daily overtime on top of the weekly rule: 1.5 times the regular rate past 8 hours in a day and past 40 hours in a week, and double time past 12 hours in a day. The California minimum wage is $16.90 an hour. This page gives you a free California overtime calculator, a plain summary of the state's wage and hour rules, and a look at how Clox tracks your crew's hours.
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Free California overtime calculator
Enter the hours worked each day of the week and the pay rate to see the regular, overtime, and double-time split. The math follows California's layered rules, including daily overtime and the seventh-day premium.
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California wage and hour rules
Here's the short version of the rules an hourly California employer runs into. Each figure has a source below, and the rules change over time, so confirm anything you rely on with the state.
$16.90/hr statewide (effective Jan 1, 2026, indexed annually). Many cities set higher local minimums, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego among them, so check the city where the work happens. No lower tipped wage: tips never count toward the minimum in California.
1.5x after 40 straight-time hours in a workweek, layered with the daily rules below. Hours already paid as daily overtime do not also count toward the 40.
Yes, and it is the rule California is known for: 1.5x past 8 hours in a workday, 2x past 12. On the seventh consecutive day of a workweek, the first 8 hours pay 1.5x and hours past 8 pay 2x. A validly adopted alternative workweek schedule (for example 4/10s) changes the daily thresholds. Time-clock rounding is disfavored here: California courts have rejected rounding in several settings and Camp v. Home Depot is under California Supreme Court review as of August 2026, so exact-minute records are the safe practice.
A missed or late meal period owes one extra hour of pay at the regular rate for that day (Labor Code 512, 226.7).
A missed rest break owes one extra hour of pay for that day. Reporting-time pay also applies: an employee who reports as scheduled and is sent home early is owed half the scheduled shift, at least 2 and at most 4 hours, with exceptions for acts of God and utility failures.
On quitting without notice, within 72 hours. Late final wages accrue waiting-time penalties of a full day's wages per day, up to 30 days (Labor Code 201 to 203). Keep payroll records 3 years (Labor Code 1174) and personnel records 4 years (SB 807).
Confirm before you rely on these
Rates verified August 2026. The state minimum wage adjusts each January 1 and many cities adjust their own rates on January 1 or July 1, so confirm the local rate for the city where the work happens. The calculator assumes a standard workweek and non-exempt hourly work; a validly adopted alternative workweek schedule changes the daily thresholds. This is general information, not legal or payroll advice. Check the California labor department for the current rules, and talk to a professional for your situation.
Sources: dir.ca.gov, dir.ca.gov, dir.ca.gov, dir.ca.gov.
How long to keep time records
Federal law requires keeping time cards 2 years and payroll records 3 years, and some states go longer. California requires 3 years for payroll records and 4 years for personnel records. The full breakdown is in how long to keep timesheets and payroll records.
Three California rules deserve their own reading: reporting-time pay when a crew is sent home early, the vehicle tracking and monitoring notice rules that touch GPS time clocks, and why time-clock rounding is a risk here rather than a convenience.
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Track California hours accurately with Clox
A calculator is only as accurate as the hours you put into it. Clox is time tracking built for field and trade crews, so your crew's hours are recorded accurately in the first place, then the overtime is figured for you.
- Your crew clocks in with one tap on their phone, and it works offline, so a dead zone on the job doesn't lose a punch.
- Lock clock-in to a geofenced worksite so a punch has to happen on site. It's a strong deterrent, not a foolproof guarantee, because the location comes from the phone.
- Overtime is calculated automatically on California's daily and weekly rules, so you're not doing this math by hand every Friday.
- Export payroll-ready files for QuickBooks, Gusto, ADP, and Paychex when the week is done.
If your crew moves between addresses during the day, settle how you handle drive time between job sites before you run the numbers. Those hours can count toward the weekly total, and leaving them untracked understates the overtime you owe.
You can see the plans on the pricing page, or start a free trial. It's 14 days free, no credit card to start, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
More state guides: Arizona time tracking, Washington time tracking.