Short answerIn Maryland, non-compete clauses are unenforceable for most employees — a wage/income threshold voids them, with limited exceptions. In the 1 Maryland ruling we track, courts struck or narrowed the covenant in 1. Void below a statutory wage threshold — Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. §3-716.
Based on 1 verified holding from court opinions and regulatory actions, here is the breakdown for non-compete clauses in Maryland:
- Struck / unenforceable: 1 ruling
🔔 Get alerted free when Maryland non-compete clause law changes →
Full rulings
Struck / unenforceableconfidence: medium
“Such a sweeping nationwide restriction cannot be enforced.”
Covenant language at issue“While [employee is] employed by Seneca One and for 12 months after, the termination of [her] employment for any reason, [she] will not directly or indirectly, for [herself] or on behalf of any other person or entity, engage or attempt to engage in the same or similar Business as Seneca One in any of…”
View the source opinion ↗ 214 F. Supp. 3d 457
Informational only — not legal advice. Enforceability is fact-specific; consult licensed counsel before acting.
Academic baseline · Bishara/Johnson
NCA Enforceability Index
7.9/10
as of 2014
Higher = historically more enforcer-friendly. Peer-reviewed 7-dimension framework — 6 of 7 coded for this state (Harvard Dataverse DOI 10.7910/DVN/37A0L2):
- Statutory Basis: 5.0/10 — Explicit NCA statute → more enforcer-friendly
- Protectable Interests: 7.0/10 — How broadly courts define protectable interests
- Burden of Proof: 5.0/10 — Who must prove (un)reasonableness
- Consideration at Hire: 10.0/10 — Whether hiring alone validates an NCA signed at hire
- Consideration Post-Hire: 10.0/10 — Whether continued employment validates a mid-career NCA
- Enforcement vs. Terminated: 6.0/10 — Whether NCAs bind fired employees, not just quitters
Historical context, not the current rule. This is the Bishara/Johnson academic
index through ~2014; many states have changed their non-compete statutes since. For the live picture, rely on
the verified rulings above — not this baseline. Informational only, not legal advice.
Disclaimer: This is an automated, informational early-warning signal derived from primary sources. It is NOT legal advice and creates no attorney-client relationship. Enforceability is fact- and jurisdiction-specific and changes over time; consult a licensed attorney before acting.
Get alerted when Maryland law changes a clause like yours
A new Maryland ruling can flip enforceability overnight. Join the early list — we'll tell you the moment a court moves the risk on a non-compete clause in Maryland. Informational alerts only; consult counsel before acting.
✓ You're on the list — we'll be in touch the moment something relevant changes in Maryland.
We couldn't add you just now — please check your connection and try again.
← Check your own non-compete clause free