Daily Overtime and Double Time: California, Alaska, Nevada and Colorado Rules for Shift Workers

You work a 12-hour hospital shift on Tuesday and a 6-hour shift on Wednesday, and your total for the week is well under 40 hours. Do you get overtime? Under federal law, no. But in a handful of states, the length of a single day matters, and some even pay double time. This guide explains how the federal rule compares with the daily overtime rules in California, Alaska, Nevada and Colorado, based on official state sources.

In this guide:

• 1. The federal baseline: weekly, not daily
• 2. California: daily overtime and double time
• 3. Alaska: more than 8 hours in a day
• 4. Nevada: it depends on your hourly wage
• 5. Colorado: 12 hours a day or 12 hours in a row
• 6. Side-by-side comparison
• 7. A worked example (illustrative)
• 8. Keep a record of your daily hours

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The federal baseline: weekly, not daily

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires overtime of at least 1.5 times the regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. It does not set a daily limit, and it does not require double time. A long shift on its own does not trigger federal overtime. (Details in our guide to shift work and overtime pay in the U.S.)

States can go further. Where both federal and state law apply to you, you generally get the more protective rule. The four states below add a daily trigger, and some add a daily trigger only for certain workers. Many other states follow the federal weekly rule only, so check your own state labor agency.

California: daily overtime and double time

The California Labor Commissioner's Office (DLSE) states that eight hours of labor constitutes a day's work, and sets these premiums for most non-exempt employees:

• 1.5 times your regular rate for hours over 8 up to and including 12 in a workday, and for hours over 40 in a workweek.
• 1.5 times for the first 8 hours worked on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek.
• Double time (2 times) for hours over 12 in a workday, and for hours over 8 on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek.

A few points from the same DLSE page that matter for shift workers:

• Overtime is based on hours actually worked. Paid time off or holiday pay for a day you did not work does not count toward overtime.
• Shift differentials are part of the regular rate for an hourly employee, so overtime is calculated on the higher amount.
• Unauthorized overtime still has to be paid if the employer knew or should have known you worked it, though the employer may discipline you for breaking an overtime policy.
• Alternative workweek schedules (for example four 10-hour days or three 12-hour days under most Industrial Welfare Commission wage orders) are a recognized exception with their own rules. DLSE notes they do not change how the regular rate is computed.
• Exemptions exist. The overtime law does not apply to some categories of employees, and a few industries have special rules.

Alaska: more than 8 hours in a day

The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Wage and Hour Administration, says that if you work more than 8 hours in a single day and/or more than 40 hours in a single week, you must be paid time and a half for those extra hours, with a few exceptions. Its FAQ (last updated November 13, 2025) adds:

• It applies however you are paid, including piece rate and commission, unless a specific exemption applies.
• Comp time instead of overtime pay is not lawful in Alaska.
• Salary alone does not make you exempt. Executive, administrative and professional exemptions require specific criteria.
• Small employers: overtime applies when the employer has a grand total of four or more employees. An employer with three or fewer may pay straight time for all hours.

The Alaska FAQ page does not address double time or alternative schedules, so if you work a 10- or 12-hour schedule, ask your employer for the written plan and check with the Wage and Hour Administration.

Nevada: it depends on your hourly wage

Nevada's overtime statute, NRS 608.018, splits employees into two groups based on how your hourly rate compares with the state minimum wage:

• Paid less than 1.5 times the minimum wage: time and a half (1.5 times your regular rate) for more than 8 hours in any workday or more than 40 hours in any scheduled week. The daily rule does not apply if, by mutual agreement, you work a scheduled 10 hours per day for 4 calendar days within a scheduled week.
• Paid at or above 1.5 times the minimum wage: time and a half only for more than 40 hours in a scheduled week. No daily rule.

The statute also lists exemptions, including bona fide executive, administrative and professional employees, certain transportation categories, and employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement that provides otherwise. Check the current Nevada minimum wage with the Nevada Labor Commissioner, because which group you are in changes whenever it changes.

Colorado: 12 hours a day or 12 hours in a row

Colorado's Overtime and Minimum Pay Standards (COMPS) Order, Rule 4.1.1, requires time and a half for work beyond:

• 40 hours per workweek, or
• 12 hours per workday, or
• 12 consecutive hours, regardless of when the workday starts and ends.

The consecutive-hours test matters for overnight and split schedules, because 12 hours in a row can span two calendar days. Meal periods can be subtracted when counting consecutive hours, but only if they meet Colorado's meal period requirements. Under Colorado's rules, the calculation that gives you the higher pay applies, hours cannot be averaged across weeks, and employers cannot give time off instead of the overtime premium ("comp time"). Agricultural and a few other categories have special rules.

The Colorado Division of Labor Standards and Statistics issues a new COMPS Order periodically, and its own pages show different order numbers. Confirm the current order and rule text on the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment website.

Side-by-side comparison

Summary of the official sources listed below, as read on October 22, 2026. Exemptions, industry rules, alternative schedules and contracts can change the result.

Every state above also keeps the 40-hour weekly rule.

A worked example (illustrative)

These numbers are an illustration only, not a pay calculation for any real job. Assume a non-exempt employee in California earning a regular rate of $20 an hour who works a 13-hour day on a day that is not the seventh consecutive day:

• First 8 hours: 8 x $20 = $160
• Hours 9 to 12 (1.5 times): 4 x $30 = $120
• Hour 13 (2 times): 1 x $40 = $40
• Total for the day: $320

In a state that follows only the federal weekly rule, the same 13-hour day would produce no overtime on its own unless the week passed 40 hours.

Keep a record of your daily hours

With daily rules, what matters is how many hours you worked each day, and when each shift started and ended. A clear record of your scheduled shifts helps you compare them with your pay stub and ask questions if something looks off.

Shift2Cal can help you keep that record. Take a photo or upload a screenshot, PDF or CSV of your schedule; the AI reads the shifts, you check and fix them in a preview, and they sync with Apple Calendar, Google Calendar or Outlook. If your rotation repeats, save it as a recurring pattern. Shift2Cal does not calculate pay or check whether overtime is owed, but having your shift times in one place gives you something concrete to bring to payroll or an agency. Processing happens on your device, so your documents stay with you.

Related: Meal and Rest Break Laws by State and Predictive Scheduling and Fair Workweek Laws.

Sources, read on October 22, 2026:

• California Labor Commissioner's Office (DLSE), Frequently Asked Questions: Overtime (no revision date shown on the page).
• Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Wage and Hour: Employees' Frequently Asked Questions (last updated November 13, 2025).
• Nevada Legislature, NRS Chapter 608, section 608.018, Compensation for overtime.
• Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Overtime and the current COMPS Order (7 CCR 1103-1), Rule 4.1.1.
• U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Fact Sheet #23: Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA (revised October 2019).

This article is general information, not legal advice. Overtime rules depend on your state, industry, job, whether you are exempt, and any union contract, and laws and agency guidance change. For a specific situation, contact your state labor agency, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243 (1-866-4USWAGE), a union representative or an employment attorney.