The deadline, and what it depends on
By your next regularly scheduled payday. The date depends on your pay schedule, not on when you were let go.
It depends on your pay schedule, not on the day you left. Two people who leave on the same day can have deadlines a week or more apart.
Final wages are due on or before the day you would have been paid had the job continued, whether you quit or were let go.
What “next regular payday” means
“Next regular payday” means the next date your employer would normally have paid you had you stayed. It is not a fixed number of days: paid weekly, it is at most a week away; paid monthly, it can be a month.
That is why the calculator asks for your pay schedule first. Take any recent payday from a pay stub and it works out the date for you.
Unused PTO — is it owed?
Usually, yes. Unused earned vacation is payable unless your employer has a written policy limiting it and told you about that policy when you were hired. Without such a policy you are entitled to its cash value. So the question is whether you were told in writing, before you left, that unused time would be lost. If not, it is owed with your final wages.
What happens if they are late
If wages are still unpaid 2 weeks after they were due, you can sue. Where there was no bona fide dispute, the court may award up to 3 times the wages plus attorney's fees (LE § 3-507.2).
How to file a claim in Maryland
File a wage claim with the Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry, or sue once 2 weeks have passed since the wages were due. Filing is free, and you do not need a lawyer.
- Ask in writing first. Email creates a dated record.
- Send a short demand letter naming the amount, the deadline, and any penalty that applies in Maryland.
- File the wage claim. Keep copies of pay stubs and your schedule — the time card calculator can total the unpaid hours for you.
Maryland final paycheck: common questions
Can they hold my last check until I return my equipment?
No. In Maryland your final wages are due by the deadline on this page whether or not you have returned a laptop, uniform or keys. Your employer can ask for the equipment back or pursue its cost separately, but federal law bars deductions for it that would cut your pay below minimum wage or eat into overtime.
Do I get paid for unused vacation?
Usually, yes. Unused earned vacation is payable unless your employer has a written policy limiting it and told you about that policy when you were hired. Without such a policy you are entitled to its cash value. So the question is whether you were told in writing, before you left, that unused time would be lost. If not, it is owed with your final wages.
What if I quit without notice?
No. Quitting without notice does not forfeit anything you earned in Maryland. Your final pay is due by your next regular payday, exactly as if you had given notice. Notice only changes the timing, and only where state law says so.
When is my final paycheck due in Maryland if I am fired?
By your next regularly scheduled payday. The date depends on your pay schedule, not on when you were let go. Everything you earned is due on that deadline, along with any unused vacation your state or your policy makes payable.
What happens if my final paycheck is late in Maryland?
If wages are still unpaid 2 weeks after they were due, you can sue. Where there was no bona fide dispute, the court may award up to 3 times the wages plus attorney's fees (LE § 3-507.2). File a wage claim with the Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry, or sue once 2 weeks have passed since the wages were due.
Spotted something wrong? Report an error.
Other states that also tie the deadline to your next payday: Illinois, New Jersey and New York.
Worked across a state line? Pennsylvania final paycheck law, Virginia final paycheck law and District of Columbia final paycheck law.