diff --git a/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreation.stories.tsx b/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreation.stories.tsx
index 1449cf2b7a..798033ac60 100644
--- a/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreation.stories.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreation.stories.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@ const mockEmployees = [
   { label: 'John Doe', value: 'uuid-3' },
 ]
 
+// Fixed rather than derived from today so the stories render deterministically.
+const mockDateBounds = {
+  minCheckDate: new Date(2026, 8, 4),
+  minCheckOnlyDate: new Date(2026, 8, 2),
+}
+
 const defaultFormValues = {
   reason: 'bonus',
   isCheckOnly: false,
@@ -72,12 +78,24 @@ export default {
 
 export const Default = () => {
   const taxWithholding = useTaxWithholdingState()
-  return <OffCycleCreationPresentation employees={mockEmployees} {...taxWithholding} />
+  return (
+    <OffCycleCreationPresentation
+      employees={mockEmployees}
+      {...mockDateBounds}
+      {...taxWithholding}
+    />
+  )
 }
 
 export const CorrectionSelected = () => {
   const taxWithholding = useTaxWithholdingState('regular')
-  return <OffCycleCreationPresentation employees={mockEmployees} {...taxWithholding} />
+  return (
+    <OffCycleCreationPresentation
+      employees={mockEmployees}
+      {...mockDateBounds}
+      {...taxWithholding}
+    />
+  )
 }
 CorrectionSelected.decorators = [
   (Story: React.ComponentType) => (
@@ -91,7 +109,13 @@ CorrectionSelected.decorators = [
 
 export const CheckOnlyMode = () => {
   const taxWithholding = useTaxWithholdingState()
-  return <OffCycleCreationPresentation employees={mockEmployees} {...taxWithholding} />
+  return (
+    <OffCycleCreationPresentation
+      employees={mockEmployees}
+      {...mockDateBounds}
+      {...taxWithholding}
+    />
+  )
 }
 CheckOnlyMode.decorators = [
   (Story: React.ComponentType) => (
diff --git a/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreation.test.tsx b/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreation.test.tsx
index a112123a1e..9ee602dce9 100644
--- a/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreation.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreation.test.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { screen, waitFor, within } from '@testing-library/react'
 import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event'
 import { createOffCyclePayPeriodDateFormSchema } from '../OffCyclePayPeriodDateForm/OffCyclePayPeriodDateFormTypes'
@@ -132,6 +132,61 @@ describe('OffCycleCreation', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  // The payment date carried no minDate, so the ACH lead-time rule existed only as a
+  // submit-time error while legacy gws-flows disables invalid dates in the picker
+  // (SDK-1274). System time is pinned because the bound is derived from today.
+  describe('payment date minimum', () => {
+    // Wed Sep 2 2026 + 2 business days (the mocked paymentSpeedDays) = Fri Sep 4 2026.
+    const TODAY = new Date(2026, 8, 2)
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      vi.useFakeTimers({ shouldAdvanceTime: true })
+      vi.setSystemTime(TODAY)
+    })
+
+    afterEach(() => {
+      vi.useRealTimers()
+    })
+
+    const openPaymentDateCalendar = async (user: ReturnType<typeof userEvent.setup>) => {
+      const group = await waitFor(() => screen.getByRole('group', { name: 'Payment date' }))
+      await user.click(within(group).getByRole('button'))
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        expect(screen.getByRole('dialog')).toBeInTheDocument()
+      })
+      return screen.getAllByRole('gridcell')
+    }
+
+    const cellFor = (cells: HTMLElement[], day: string) =>
+      cells.find(cell => cell.textContent.trim() === day)
+
+    it('disables dates before the ACH lead time', async () => {
+      const user = userEvent.setup({ advanceTimers: vi.advanceTimersByTime })
+      renderComponent()
+
+      const cells = await openPaymentDateCalendar(user)
+
+      expect(cellFor(cells, '3')).toHaveAttribute('aria-disabled', 'true')
+      expect(cellFor(cells, '4')).not.toHaveAttribute('aria-disabled')
+    })
+
+    it('relaxes the minimum to today when check-only is selected', async () => {
+      const user = userEvent.setup({ advanceTimers: vi.advanceTimersByTime })
+      renderComponent()
+
+      const checkOnly = await waitFor(() =>
+        screen.getByRole('checkbox', { name: /check-only payroll/i }),
+      )
+      await user.click(checkOnly)
+
+      const cells = await openPaymentDateCalendar(user)
+
+      // Today becomes selectable; the day before it stays out of range.
+      expect(cellFor(cells, '2')).not.toHaveAttribute('aria-disabled')
+      expect(cellFor(cells, '1')).toHaveAttribute('aria-disabled', 'true')
+    })
+  })
+
   describe('payrollType initialization', () => {
     it('defaults to bonus reason when no payrollType is provided', async () => {
       renderComponent()
diff --git a/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreation.tsx b/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreation.tsx
index 81a03de443..dd1057039f 100644
--- a/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreation.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreation.tsx
@@ -232,6 +232,8 @@ function Root({ dictionary, companyId, payrollType = 'bonus' }: OffCycleCreation
         <OffCycleCreationPresentation
           employees={employees}
           isPending={isPending}
+          minCheckDate={minCheckDate}
+          minCheckOnlyDate={today}
           taxWithholdingConfig={taxWithholdingConfig}
           isTaxWithholdingModalOpen={isTaxWithholdingModalOpen}
           onTaxWithholdingEditClick={handleTaxWithholdingEditClick}
diff --git a/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreationPresentation.tsx b/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreationPresentation.tsx
index 8ae3f252cc..bb3dcdf5f7 100644
--- a/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreationPresentation.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreationPresentation.tsx
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ import { Flex, RadioGroupField, SwitchField, MultiSelectComboBoxField } from '@/
 export function OffCycleCreationPresentation({
   employees,
   isPending,
+  minCheckDate,
+  minCheckOnlyDate,
   taxWithholdingConfig,
   isTaxWithholdingModalOpen,
   onTaxWithholdingEditClick,
@@ -89,7 +91,10 @@ export function OffCycleCreationPresentation({
           <Heading as="h3">{t('payPeriodSectionTitle')}</Heading>
           <Text variant="supporting">{t('payPeriodSectionDescription')}</Text>
         </Flex>
-        <OffCyclePayPeriodDateFormPresentation />
+        <OffCyclePayPeriodDateFormPresentation
+          minCheckDate={minCheckDate}
+          minCheckOnlyDate={minCheckOnlyDate}
+        />
       </Flex>
 
       <hr className={styles.divider} />
diff --git a/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreationTypes.ts b/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreationTypes.ts
index 6bbf2aa27b..6a03d9e37c 100644
--- a/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreationTypes.ts
+++ b/src/components/Payroll/OffCycleCreation/OffCycleCreationTypes.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ export interface OffCycleCreationPresentationProps {
   employees: MultiSelectComboBoxOption[]
   /** Whether the off-cycle create mutation is in flight. */
   isPending?: boolean
+  /** Earliest selectable payment date for direct deposit (today plus the ACH lead time). */
+  minCheckDate: Date
+  /** Earliest selectable payment date when the payroll is check-only (today). */
+  minCheckOnlyDate: Date
   /** Current tax withholding configuration shown in the table. */
   taxWithholdingConfig: OffCycleTaxWithholdingConfig
   /** Whether the tax withholding edit modal is open. */
diff --git a/src/components/Payroll/OffCyclePayPeriodDateForm/OffCyclePayPeriodDateFormPresentation.tsx b/src/components/Payroll/OffCyclePayPeriodDateForm/OffCyclePayPeriodDateFormPresentation.tsx
index aa2319e499..63c4d8e283 100644
--- a/src/components/Payroll/OffCyclePayPeriodDateForm/OffCyclePayPeriodDateFormPresentation.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Payroll/OffCyclePayPeriodDateForm/OffCyclePayPeriodDateFormPresentation.tsx
@@ -1,13 +1,35 @@
+import { useFormContext, useWatch } from 'react-hook-form'
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next'
+import type { OffCyclePayPeriodDateFormData } from './OffCyclePayPeriodDateFormTypes'
 import styles from './OffCyclePayPeriodDateFormPresentation.module.scss'
 import { useI18n } from '@/i18n'
 import { CheckboxField, DatePickerField } from '@/components/Common'
 
 /** @internal */
-export function OffCyclePayPeriodDateFormPresentation() {
+export interface OffCyclePayPeriodDateFormPresentationProps {
+  /** Earliest selectable payment date for direct deposit (today plus the ACH lead time). */
+  minCheckDate: Date
+  /** Earliest selectable payment date when the payroll is check-only (today). */
+  minCheckOnlyDate: Date
+}
+
+/** @internal */
+export function OffCyclePayPeriodDateFormPresentation({
+  minCheckDate,
+  minCheckOnlyDate,
+}: OffCyclePayPeriodDateFormPresentationProps) {
   useI18n('Payroll.OffCyclePayPeriodDateForm')
   const { t } = useTranslation('Payroll.OffCyclePayPeriodDateForm')
 
+  const { control } = useFormContext<OffCyclePayPeriodDateFormData>()
+  const isCheckOnly = useWatch({ control, name: 'isCheckOnly' })
+
+  // Mirrors the resolver's own `isCheckOnly ? today : minCheckDate` so the picker and the
+  // validation agree. Without a minDate the rule existed only as a submit-time error, and
+  // legacy gws-flows disables invalid dates in the picker (SDK-1274). Checking "check-only"
+  // has to widen the bound back to today, live.
+  const checkDateMinimum = isCheckOnly ? minCheckOnlyDate : minCheckDate
+
   return (
     <div className={styles.root}>
       <div className={styles.dateFields}>
@@ -16,7 +38,12 @@ export function OffCyclePayPeriodDateFormPresentation() {
       </div>
 
       <div className={styles.checkDateField}>
-        <DatePickerField name="checkDate" label={t('checkDateLabel')} isRequired />
+        <DatePickerField
+          name="checkDate"
+          label={t('checkDateLabel')}
+          isRequired
+          minDate={checkDateMinimum}
+        />
       </div>
 
       <CheckboxField