Short answer. Only retail establishments with 50 or more retail employees must give shift breaks: 15 minutes for 4 to 6 consecutive hours, 30 minutes for more than 6, and another 15 minutes at 8 hours and each 4 hours after.
Maryland breaks at a glance
- Meal break
- Only retail establishments with 50 or more retail employees must give shift breaks: 15 minutes for 4 to 6 consecutive hours, 30 minutes for more than 6, and another 15 minutes at 8 hours and each 4 hours after.
- Minors (under 18)
- Minors under 18 get a 30-minute break for every 5 hours of work.
- Law
- Healthy Retail Employee Act; Maryland child labor law
- Agency
- Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry
In Maryland's words
Meal break
"there is no law requiring an employer to provide breaks, including lunch breaks."
Minors
"must receive a 30 minute break for every 5 hours of work."
Breaks by shift length in Maryland
For an adult working the hours in one stretch, Maryland's rule as we read it calls for:
| Shift | Meal break | Rest breaks |
|---|---|---|
| 3½ hours | None yet | Not confirmed |
| 4 hours | 15 minutes | Not confirmed |
| 6 hours | 15 minutes | Not confirmed |
| 6½ hours | 30 minutes | Not confirmed |
| 7½ hours | 30 minutes | Not confirmed |
| 8 hours | 30 minutes and 15 minutes | Not confirmed |
Other shift lengths: open the checker set to Maryland.
Who the Maryland rule covers
Retail businesses or franchises with 50 or more retail employees each working day for 20 or more calendar weeks, selling to customers in person. Not covered: employers with more than half their sales online, by mail or phone; employees under a collective bargaining agreement or policy with equal or better breaks; certain FLSA-exempt staff; government, corporate and office workers; and locations with 5 or fewer employees.
Waivers and exceptions in Maryland
The 15-minute break for a shift under 6 hours can be waived by written agreement.
If a Maryland employer misses a break
The Commissioner of Labor and Industry can order a civil penalty. After a prior violation within 3 years, an employee may sue in circuit court for up to three times the hourly wage, plus fees and costs.
Worth knowing in Maryland
Maryland law doesn't say whether shift breaks are paid; the Department notes that under federal law breaks under 20 minutes are work time. Outside retail and minors, Maryland has no break law.
Not stated on the Maryland pages we read: a rest break rule.
Official Maryland sources
- Maryland Department of Labor: Breaks, benefits and days off (checked November 2026)
- Maryland Department of Labor: Shift breaks, Healthy Retail Employee Act FAQs (checked November 2026)
Maryland rules as published on the pages above, checked November 2026. General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. A union contract, an industry order or a city ordinance can add to them.
Maryland break questions
Which Maryland employers must give a meal break?
Only retail establishments with 50 or more retail employees must give shift breaks: 15 minutes for 4 to 6 consecutive hours, 30 minutes for more than 6, and another 15 minutes at 8 hours and each 4 hours after. Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry puts it as "there is no law requiring an employer to provide breaks, including lunch breaks."
Can a Maryland employee skip or waive a break?
The 15-minute break for a shift under 6 hours can be waived by written agreement.
Who is covered by the Maryland break rule?
Retail businesses or franchises with 50 or more retail employees each working day for 20 or more calendar weeks, selling to customers in person. Not covered: employers with more than half their sales online, by mail or phone; employees under a collective bargaining agreement or policy with equal or better breaks; certain FLSA-exempt staff; government, corporate and office workers; and locations with 5 or fewer employees.
What breaks do minors get in Maryland?
Minors under 18 get a 30-minute break for every 5 hours of work. (Ages: under 18.)
What happens if a Maryland employer skips a required break?
The Commissioner of Labor and Industry can order a civil penalty. After a prior violation within 3 years, an employee may sue in circuit court for up to three times the hourly wage, plus fees and costs.
All states: meal and rest break laws by state · Maine · Minnesota