Resignation letter: free templates and samples.

What to include in a resignation letter

• The date you send it, at the top (in an email, the timestamp does this).
• A clear statement that you're resigning and from which position. "Please accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation" is plain and unmistakable.
• Your last day, written as a date: "My last day will be Friday, November 13, 2026." A date leaves no room for different ways of counting.
• A short thank-you. One or two sentences is enough, and it should be true.
• An offer to help with the transition — finishing a project, writing handover notes, training a colleague. Be specific if you can, and only offer what you'll actually do.
• Your signature. On a printed letter, sign above your typed name; in an email, your typed name is enough.

That's all it needs. A reason is optional (see what not to say), and questions about your final paycheck, unused vacation or benefits are better sent to HR separately so they get a written answer.

How to write a resignation letter, step by step

1. Check your paperwork first. Read your offer letter, employment contract, union agreement or employee handbook for a required notice period, and for rules that tie things like vacation payout or rehire eligibility to giving notice.
2. Pick your last day. Count from the day you'll hand in the letter. If you have a new job, confirm its start date in writing before you resign.
3. Tell your manager first, in person or on a video call, and keep it short: you're leaving, your last day, and that you'll help with the handover. They shouldn't learn about it from a letter or from HR.
4. Send the letter the same day to your manager, and to HR if that's your company's process. Use the template above or one of the templates by situation.
5. Keep a copy of the letter and note when and how you sent it.
6. Write the handover: your open work, key contacts, where files live and which shared accounts need a new owner. Then work your notice period the way you'd want to be remembered.

How much notice to give in the US

Two weeks is the custom, not a federal rule. Most US jobs are "at-will": every state except Montana presumes employment is at-will, which means an employee can leave at any time, for any reason or none ^{Source 1}. No federal law sets a notice period for quitting. Outside protected situations like discrimination or retaliation, how a job ends is governed by whatever contract or labor agreement you have ^{Source 2}. State labor agencies say the same — Texas, for example, requires no advance notice of resignation ^{Source 5}.

So where does "two weeks" come from? It's a long-standing professional courtesy that gives your employer time to plan the handover. Giving it protects your reference and your reputation, and many company policies ask for it.

When you may need to give more — or follow different rules:

• A contract or union agreement that names a notice period. If you signed one, follow it or ask what happens if you can't.
• Company policy. Some employers pay out unused vacation, or keep you eligible for rehire, only if you give the notice their handbook asks for.
• Senior roles and some professions usually give longer notice. Teachers often have contract and end-of-school-year rules, and nurses need to plan around patient care and the unit schedule.

Your employer may also end things sooner. At-will works both ways: an employer can accept your resignation effective immediately. Whether you're paid for the notice period you didn't get to work depends on state law and company policy — in Texas, for example, it isn't required unless policy promises it ^{Source 5}. Ask HR in writing if this matters to you.

Final pay depends on your state. Federal law doesn't require an immediate final paycheck, but some states set deadlines ^{Source 3}. In California, for instance, giving at least 72 hours' notice means you're owed your final wages on your last day ^{Source 4}. Your state labor department's website has the rule where you work.

Not legal advice. This page is general information for US employees, not legal advice. Notice rules can come from your contract, a union agreement, company policy or state law — if you're unsure, check those or ask an employment attorney.

What not to say in a resignation letter

Your letter usually ends up in your personnel file, and it may be read by people you've never met. Leave out:

• Complaints about your manager, coworkers, pay or workload. If there's a real problem, raise it with HR or in an exit interview, where it can be addressed.
• Comparisons with your new job, its title or its pay. You don't have to name your new employer at all.
• A long explanation. "I've decided to move on" or "for personal reasons" is complete.
• Vague dates. "In about two weeks" invites a disagreement; a date doesn't.
• Promises you won't keep, like being available after you leave, unless you mean it and have agreed the terms.
• Anything emotional you wrote in the moment. Write it, wait a day if you can, then reread it.

If you're leaving because of harassment, unsafe conditions or unpaid wages, keep the letter neutral and deal with those issues through the proper channels — HR, your state labor department or an employment attorney. The immediate resignation page has more on leaving quickly.

Resignation letter sample

Here is the template filled in by a fictional customer support specialist. Notice how little it needs: the role, a specific last day, one real detail in the thank-you and a concrete handover plan.

Letter or email: how to send it

Email is normal now, especially for remote and hybrid jobs. Use a clear subject line like "Resignation — [Your Name]", put the letter in the body, and send it to your manager, adding HR if that's the process. The resignation email page has versions written for email.

A printed or PDF letter suits more formal workplaces, or when your company asks for a signed copy. Use the same structure, sign above your typed name, and hand it over after the conversation with your manager.

Either way, keep it to one page or less, in a plain font, with no attachments other than a handover document if you've already written one.

Resignation letter templates by situation

Each page below has one to three versions you can copy or download as Word, when to use it, and tips for that situation.

• Two weeks notice letter →The standard US notice letter, in three versions.
• Short resignation letter →Two or three lines that still cover the basics.
• Resignation email →Subject lines and email-ready versions.
• Immediate resignation letter →When you can't work a notice period.
• Resignation for personal reasons →Leave without oversharing.
• Retirement letter →Announce your retirement and plan the handover.
• Teacher resignation letter →Contract and school-year timing.
• Nurse resignation letter →Handoff, scheduling and patient care.
• Resignation for a new job →Leaving for another role, gracefully.
• Resignation for a career change →Moving to a new field or back to school.
• Resignation due to relocation →Moving away, with or without a remote option.
• Part-time job resignation →Retail, restaurant and student jobs.

Write yours with the free generator

If you'd rather start from your own details, the free resignation letter generator writes two versions from your name, your manager's name, the company, your position, your last day and the tone you choose. It uses only what you type — any version that adds a date or number you didn't give is dropped — and you can copy it or download it as a Word file. No account needed.