Meal and Rest Break Laws in Maryland

Maryland requires shift breaks only for employees at larger retail establishments: 15 minutes for 4 to 6 consecutive hours, 30 minutes for more than 6 hours, and another 15 minutes for each additional 4 hours.

Last checked October 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Meal break required: Retail establishments only; Applies to retail employers with 50 or more retail employees in Maryland. Restaurants, wholesalers, office workers, FLSA-exempt staff and sites with 5 or fewer employees are excluded.
Meal break rule: 30 minutes for more than 6 consecutive hours (retail); Working breaks are allowed only by mutual written agreement where the work prevents relief or the employee may eat while working.
Rest break required: Retail establishments only
Rest break rule: 15 minutes for 4 to 6 hours; 15 more per extra 4 hours; The 15-minute break for shifts of 6 hours or less can be waived by written agreement. Retail establishments with 50 or more retail employees only.

Sources

Last checked October 2026

The rules in Maryland

Does Maryland law require meal breaks for adult employees?

Retail establishments only. Meal break required in Maryland: retail establishments only. Applies to retail employers with 50 or more retail employees in Maryland. Restaurants, wholesalers, office workers, FLSA-exempt staff and sites with 5 or fewer employees are excluded.

How long is the required meal break in Maryland, and when is it due?

Meal break rule in Maryland: 30 minutes for more than 6 consecutive hours (retail). Working breaks are allowed only by mutual written agreement where the work prevents relief or the employee may eat while working.

Does Maryland law require rest breaks for adult employees?

Retail establishments only. Rest break required in Maryland: retail establishments only.

How long are required rest breaks in Maryland, and when are they due?

Rest break rule in Maryland: 15 minutes for 4 to 6 hours; 15 more per extra 4 hours. The 15-minute break for shifts of 6 hours or less can be waived by written agreement. Retail establishments with 50 or more retail employees only.

Where do the Maryland meal and rest break laws come from?

The rules above come from Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. 3-710. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

Outside covered retail establishments, Maryland has no general meal or rest break requirement for adults.

What this means in practice

Put the break schedule in writing, for example in an employee handbook, and apply it consistently. State rules often depend on shift length, so the policy should say when a break is due and how long it lasts.

Under federal rules, short rest breaks are generally counted as paid work time, while a bona fide meal period during which the employee is fully relieved of duty usually does not have to be paid. If an employee is asked to stay at the workstation or answer calls, the meal period may count as work time.

Check whether a state rule covers your industry and workforce. Break laws can treat minors, health care workers, nursing mothers or employees under a collective bargaining agreement differently, and city ordinances may add requirements.

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

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