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Final Paycheck Laws in Maryland

In Maryland, final wages are due on the day the employee would have been paid if employment had continued, whether the employee quits or is fired, and accrued leave must be paid unless a written policy limits it and the employee was notified.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Maryland at a glance

Deadline if fired
Next regular payday
Deadline if employee quits
Next regular payday
Accrued vacation paid out
Yes, unless a written policy limits payout
Accrued leave is owed unless the employer has a written policy limiting it, notified the employee of it, and the policy denies payout.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Maryland

When is a final paycheck due in Maryland if the employee is fired or laid off?

Deadline if fired in Maryland: Next regular payday.

When is a final paycheck due in Maryland if the employee quits?

Deadline if employee quits in Maryland: Next regular payday.

Does Maryland law require employers to pay out accrued vacation when a job ends?

Yes, unless a written policy limits payout. Accrued vacation paid out in Maryland: yes, unless a written policy limits payout. Accrued leave is owed unless the employer has a written policy limiting it, notified the employee of it, and the policy denies payout.

Where do the Maryland final paycheck laws come from?

The rules above come from Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. 3-505. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Note the exact last day of work and how the job ended, since the deadline often runs from that date and may differ for a firing, a layoff or a resignation. Some statutes also change the deadline when an employee quits without giving notice.

Read the employer's written vacation or paid time off policy and any employment contract. Where state law leaves vacation payout to the employer, the policy terms usually decide whether unused time is paid out or forfeited.

If a final paycheck is late or short, the state labor department usually accepts wage claims, often without a lawyer. Some statutes add penalties for late payment, such as extra daily wages, so keep pay stubs, timesheets and any written communication about the final pay.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.