Anyone under 18 who wants to work in Maryland needs a Maryland minor work permit before their first shift. The permit is free, applied for online through the Maryland Department of Labor, and tied to one specific employer, so a new permit is required every time the minor changes jobs.1Maryland Department of Labor. Employment of Minors (Work Permit)
Who Needs a Permit
If you’re under 18 and the job is located in Maryland, you need a permit, even if you live in another state.1Maryland Department of Labor. Employment of Minors (Work Permit) The Department of Labor does not issue permits to anyone younger than 14, which effectively closes most jobs to children under that age.
Some work falls outside the permit system entirely. Maryland law exempts farm work, household chores for a family, working in a parent’s business, newspaper delivery, caddying, volunteering for a nonprofit, and serving as a counselor at a certified youth camp, as long as the work happens outside school hours and doesn’t involve manufacturing, mining, or a hazardous occupation.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Labor and Employment 3-203 – Scope of Subtitle Work as an entertainer, model, or performer runs on a different track: a separate special permit issued by the Commissioner of Labor, available to children of any age.3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Labor and Employment 3-207 – Special Permits for Entertainers, Models, and Performers
How to Apply
Applications start on the Maryland Department of Labor’s online Employment Certificate portal. Before opening the form, gather the minor’s full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number, plus the employer’s business name, address, a supervisor’s phone number, and a description of the tasks the minor will perform.1Maryland Department of Labor. Employment of Minors (Work Permit) Missing a field means starting over.
Submitting the form is only step one. Once the permit generates, print it and collect three original signatures: the minor’s, a parent or legal guardian’s, and the employer’s. The signed paper permit has to reach the employer before the minor’s first day of work.1Maryland Department of Labor. Employment of Minors (Work Permit) All three signatures are required; the permit isn’t valid without them.
The employer keeps the signed permit on file for three years.1Maryland Department of Labor. Employment of Minors (Work Permit) Because each permit covers one employer, a minor who changes jobs has to apply again for the new employer. The old permit doesn’t transfer.
Hour Limits for Ages 14 and 15
The youngest workers face the tightest schedule limits. Both state and federal rules apply, and the stricter rule controls. In practice, that gives 14- and 15-year-olds these caps:4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Labor and Employment 3-211 – Work Hours – Minors Under 161Maryland Department of Labor. Employment of Minors (Work Permit)
- School days: up to 3 hours
- Non-school days: up to 8 hours
- School weeks: up to 18 hours total
- Non-school weeks: up to 40 hours total
Time-of-day rules also apply. Workers in this age group cannot start before 7:00 a.m. From the day after Labor Day through the day before Memorial Day, they have to stop by 8:00 p.m. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the cutoff moves to 9:00 p.m.5New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Code Labor and Employment 3-211 – Work Hours – Minors Under 16 After 5 consecutive hours on the clock, minors under 16 get at least a 30-minute non-working break.1Maryland Department of Labor. Employment of Minors (Work Permit)
Hour Limits for Ages 16 and 17
Older minors get much more scheduling room, but two limits still apply. The combined total of school hours and work hours in one day cannot exceed 12, so a 16-year-old who spent 7 hours in class can work only 5 hours that day. And the minor must get at least 8 consecutive hours of non-work, non-school time in every 24-hour period.1Maryland Department of Labor. Employment of Minors (Work Permit) Employers most often miss the rest requirement when a minor closes a store late and has early classes.
No statewide evening curfew or weekly hour cap applies to 16- and 17-year-olds under Maryland law. Prohibited-occupation rules still apply, and the 12-hour combined limit gets tight during the school year.
Jobs Minors Can’t Do
Some work is off-limits to every worker under 18. Under state law, no minor can work in or around hazardous substance manufacturing, blast furnaces, distilleries, railroads, or electrical wiring projects, and none can clean, oil, or wipe machinery.6Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Labor and Employment 3-213 – Prohibited Employment Federal rules add explosives manufacturing and storage, coal and metal mines, and most power-driven equipment, including forklifts, woodworking machines, metal-forming equipment, meat slicers, and commercial bakery mixers.7U.S. Department of Labor. What Jobs Are Off-Limits for Kids? Selling alcohol is banned outright for anyone under 18.8Justia. Maryland Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Code 3-503
Workers under 16 face a longer list on top of those. They cannot work in manufacturing or processing rooms, construction or scaffolding, airports, brickyards, lumberyards, or mechanical occupations. Power-driven machinery is also off-limits, except for office machines and vocational training equipment. Environments with acids, dyes, gases, lye, or paint are prohibited as well.6Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Labor and Employment 3-213 – Prohibited Employment These rules push younger minors toward retail, food service, and office jobs.
Pay
Maryland employers must pay workers under 18 at least 85% of the applicable minimum wage. With the statewide minimum at $15.00 per hour, that floor works out to $12.75 per hour. Some counties set higher local minimums; Montgomery County reaches $17.65 for larger employers as of mid-2025. The 85% calculation runs off whichever minimum wage governs the location where the minor actually works.9Maryland Department of Labor. Maryland Minimum Wage and Overtime Law
Employer Penalties
Violating Maryland’s minor employment laws is a misdemeanor. Standard violations, such as letting a minor work without a valid permit or outside permitted hours, carry fines up to $1,000, up to 90 days in jail, or both. More serious violations, generally those involving hazardous work or deliberate disregard of the protections, carry fines up to $10,000, up to one year of imprisonment, or both.10Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Labor and Employment 3-216 – Prohibited Acts and Penalties The penalties fall on the employer or any person who allowed the violation, never on the minor.