MD · Employer compliance
Hire a minor in Maryland: 6-step compliance checklist
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets a floor; Maryland adds its own rules. The stricter of the two always wins. This page walks through the six checks every Maryland employer must complete before a 14-, 15-, 16-, or 17-year-old starts work — sourced from the US DOL Maryland state page and Maryland Code, Labor and Employment §§ 3-201 to 3-218.
Last verified:
Minimum work age
14
State work permit
Required (14–17)
Restricted occupations on file
5
Stricter than federal?
Yes
Verify the minor's age
Before scheduling the first shift, get documentary proof of the employee’s date of birth. In Maryland the state work permit (Maryland Work Permit (Form MW-1)) doubles as the age certificate — the issuing authority verifies the birth date when the permit is issued.Apply the stricter of federal or Maryland hour caps
Use the stricter rule for the employee’s age band and school-in-session status. Below are Maryland’s state-specific caps for the two main age bands.
Ages 14–15
School in session
4 hr / day · 23 hr / week
07:00 – 20:00
School out (summer)
8 hr / day · 40 hr / week
07:00 – 21:00
Ages 16–17
School in session
12 hr / day · No state limit / week
No state limit
School out (summer)
12 hr / day · No state limit / week
No state limit
Block hazardous and restricted occupations
The 17 federal Hazardous Orders (HO-1 to HO-17) prohibit minors under 18 from specific non-agricultural occupations — meat processing, power tools, roofing, mining, certain driving roles, and more. See the full federal HO list.
Maryland adds the following restrictions on top of the federal floor:
- All federal hazardous orders HO-1 through HO-17(29 CFR Part 570)
- Operating power-driven meat-processing machines(HO-10)
- Roofing operations and work on or about a roof(HO-16)
- Door-to-door sales for minors under 18 without bonded supervisor
- Selling alcoholic beverages or working in a bar (under 18)
Obtain the Maryland work permit
The minor applies online at the Maryland Department of Labor portal with proof of age, an employer offer, and a parent or guardian's electronic signature. The permit is job-specific and emailed to the minor and employer. A new permit is required for each job.
- Form
- Maryland Work Permit (Form MW-1)
- Issued by
- Maryland Department of Labor (online)
- Applies to ages
- 14–17
Post the required notices
Display the federal FLSA Youth Employment poster and the Maryland state child-labor poster where employees can see them. Both are free downloads from the US DOL Wage & Hour Division and the Maryland labor agency. Failure to post is one of the most common citations issued during WHD audits.Keep records for at least 3 years
Federal FLSA §11(c) sets a 3-year minimum for payroll, hours, age verification, and (where applicable) the Maryland work permit. Many states require longer retention specifically for minor-employment documents — typically until 3 years after the minor turns 18. Keep: payroll + hours, age verification, the state permit, parental consent forms (where applicable), and any time-off / training records.