On this page
- What Child Labor Laws Are and Who Enforces Them
- Federal Child Labor Laws Under the FLSA
- Jobs Minors Can't Do Under the 17 Hazardous Occupations Orders
- Federal Child Labor Rules for Farm Jobs
- The Federal Youth Minimum Wage for Workers Under 20
- State Child Labor Laws and Recent Changes
- Common Child Labor Mistakes Employers Make
- Penalties for Violating Child Labor Laws
- How to Stay Compliant With Child Labor Laws
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Tips for Hiring Minors
If you hire anyone under 18, child labor laws decide how many hours they can work, what time they can start and finish, and which jobs they can do. The rules change with the worker's age and with whether school is in session.
Mistakes are common. In fiscal years 2023 and 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor found 9,822 minors employed in violation of federal child labor laws and assessed more than $23.2 million in penalties, according to its report to Congress.
This guide covers the federal rules for each age group, the jobs minors can't do, the youth minimum wage, current penalties, and recent state law changes. It's written for restaurants, retail stores, seasonal businesses and any small business that hires teens.
Key Takeaways
- Under federal law, 14 is the minimum age for most non-farm jobs, and 14 and 15 year olds can only work outside school hours.
- During a school week, 14 and 15 year olds can work up to 3 hours a day and 18 hours a week, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day).
- Federal law doesn't limit hours for 16 and 17 year olds, but no one under 18 can do the 17 jobs the Department of Labor has declared hazardous.
- You can pay a worker under 20 a youth minimum wage of $4.25 an hour for their first 90 calendar days, unless your state requires more.
- The maximum federal penalty in 2026 is $16,035 per child labor violation, or $72,876 when a violation causes a minor's serious injury or death.
- When your state's rule is stricter than the federal rule, you have to follow the stricter one.
What's New for 2026
Federal penalties stayed the same. The Department of Labor kept its 2025 maximums for 2026: $16,035 per violation, $72,876 when a violation causes serious injury or death, and $145,752 when that violation is willful or repeated.
Federal hours and job rules are unchanged. The limits for 14 and 15 year olds and the 17 Hazardous Occupations Orders still apply as described below.
States keep changing their own rules. Indiana stopped requiring employers to register their minor employees on July 1, 2026, and several other states have changed hours or work permit rules since 2023. See the state section below.
What Child Labor Laws Are and Who Enforces Them
Child labor laws are federal and state rules that limit the jobs minors can do, the hours they can work, and the conditions they work in. Their purpose is to protect the health, safety and schooling of workers under 18.
The main federal law is the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division enforces it. For a full overview written for teens, parents and employers, visit the DOL YouthRules site.
Every state also has its own child labor law. When the federal and state rules both apply to your business, you follow whichever one is stricter.
Federal Child Labor Laws Under the FLSA
The FLSA sets the minimum rules for employing minors in non-farm jobs. What a minor can do depends on their age. Here's a quick reference based on DOL Fact Sheet #43.
| Age | Federal hour limits | Federal job limits |
|---|---|---|
| Under 14 | Can't work in most jobs covered by the FLSA | Only exempt work, such as delivering newspapers, acting, casual babysitting or working in a business wholly owned by their parents |
| 14 and 15 | Outside school hours only, with daily, weekly and time-of-day limits | Only jobs on the approved list, such as retail, office work and some food service |
| 16 and 17 | No federal limits | Can't do any of the 17 hazardous occupations |
| 18 and older | No child labor limits | No child labor limits |
Work Hour Limits for 14 and 15 Year Olds
Fourteen and 15 year olds can't work during school hours. Outside school hours, these federal limits apply:
| Condition | Federal limit |
|---|---|
| School day (including Fridays) | Up to 3 hours |
| School week | Up to 18 hours |
| Non-school day | Up to 8 hours |
| Non-school week | Up to 40 hours |
| Time of day | Between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. From June 1 through Labor Day, they can work until 9 p.m. |
Here's how the weekly limit plays out for a 15-year-old cashier during a normal school week.
Monday to Thursday: 4 shifts × 3 hours = 12 hours
Saturday: 1 shift × 6 hours = 6 hours
Total for the school week: 18 hours (right at the federal limit)
Adding a 3-hour Friday shift would bring the week to 21 hours, which is 3 hours over the limit.
Rules for 16 and 17 Year Olds
Under federal law, 16 and 17 year olds can work any number of hours, at any time of day, in jobs that aren't hazardous. Some states do limit their hours or how late they can work, so check your state's rules too.
Driving is one of the hazardous occupations. Sixteen year olds can't drive on the job, and 17 year olds can drive only in limited situations.
Rules for Workers Under 14
Children under 14 generally can't work in jobs covered by the FLSA. The exceptions include delivering newspapers to customers, acting or performing, casual babysitting, and minor chores around a private home.
Children of any age can work in a business wholly owned by their parents. Parents still can't employ children under 16 in mining or manufacturing, or anyone under 18 in a hazardous occupation.
Jobs Minors Can't Do Under the 17 Hazardous Occupations Orders
The Department of Labor has issued 17 Hazardous Occupations Orders. No one under 18 can do these jobs, even with a parent's permission. Here's the full list from Fact Sheet #43.
| Order | Work that's off-limits to anyone under 18 |
|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing or storing explosives |
| 2 | Driving a motor vehicle or working as an outside helper on one |
| 3 | Coal mining |
| 4 | Forest fire fighting and prevention, timber tract and forestry work, logging and sawmilling |
| 5 | Using power-driven woodworking machines |
| 6 | Exposure to radioactive substances and ionizing radiation |
| 7 | Operating power-driven hoisting equipment, such as forklifts and cranes |
| 8 | Using power-driven metal-forming, punching and shearing machines |
| 9 | Mining other than coal |
| 10 | Using power-driven meat-processing machines, such as meat slicers, and work in slaughtering and meat packing |
| 11 | Using power-driven bakery machines |
| 12 | Using balers, compactors and power-driven paper-products machines |
| 13 | Manufacturing brick, tile and related products |
| 14 | Using power-driven circular saws, band saws, guillotine shears, chain saws, reciprocating saws, wood chippers and abrasive cutting discs |
| 15 | Wrecking, demolition and ship-breaking |
| 16 | Roofing and work on or about a roof |
| 17 | Trenching and excavation |
Apprentices and student-learners who are at least 16 and enrolled in approved programs have a limited exemption from some of these orders.
WATCH OUT
Several of these orders show up in ordinary small businesses. A deli meat slicer, a cardboard baler or trash compactor, a power-driven dough mixer and driving on the job are all off-limits to employees under 18 (17 year olds can drive only in narrow situations).
Jobs 14 and 15 Year Olds Can and Can't Do
Fourteen and 15 year olds face tighter limits. They can only do jobs on the federal list of permitted work. Anything not on that list isn't allowed.
Permitted work includes:
- Most retail, office and food service jobs, such as cashiering, bagging groceries and stocking shelves.
- Some kitchen work, including cooking on electric or gas grills without an open flame and using deep fryers that raise and lower the baskets automatically.
- Cleaning cooking equipment and handling grease, as long as the surfaces and grease are 100°F or cooler.
- Lifeguarding at traditional pools and water parks, for certified 15 year olds.
Prohibited work includes:
- Any of the 17 hazardous occupations listed above.
- Operating power-driven machinery, other than office machines.
- Baking, and working in freezers or meat coolers.
- Working from ladders or scaffolds.
- Most jobs in construction, manufacturing, warehousing and transportation.
- Door-to-door sales, sign waving and youth peddling.
Federal Child Labor Rules for Farm Jobs
Farm work has its own, looser federal rules, set out in DOL Fact Sheet #40:
- Ages 16 and older: Can do any farm job at any time.
- Ages 14 and 15: Can work outside school hours in farm jobs that aren't declared hazardous.
- Ages 12 and 13: Can work outside school hours in non-hazardous jobs, either with written parental consent or on a farm where a parent also works.
- Under 12: Can work outside school hours in non-hazardous jobs with parental consent, but only on farms where no employee is covered by the federal minimum wage.
- Family farms: Children of any age can do any job, at any time, on a farm owned or operated by their parents.
On farms, the hazardous job age is 16. Examples include operating a tractor over 20 PTO horsepower, working from heights over 20 feet and handling certain toxic chemicals. Fourteen and 15 year olds who complete approved 4-H or vocational agriculture training can use some of the equipment they were trained on.
The Federal Youth Minimum Wage for Workers Under 20
Federal law lets you pay employees under 20 a youth minimum wage of $4.25 an hour during their first 90 consecutive calendar days with your business, according to DOL Fact Sheet #32. After 90 days, or once the worker turns 20 (whichever comes first), you must pay at least the full minimum wage.
The 90 days are calendar days, so weekends and days off count. The clock doesn't pause if the worker leaves and comes back.
Start date: June 2 (day 1)
June 2 to June 30: 29 days
July 1 to July 31: 31 days (60 days so far)
August 1 to August 30: 30 days (90 days total)
The youth wage period ends August 30. Starting August 31, the full minimum wage applies.
WATCH OUT
You can't fire workers, cut their hours or reduce their pay to make room for youth-wage workers. Your state may also set a higher minimum wage, and then the state rate applies. Check your state's rules before you use the $4.25 rate.
State Child Labor Laws and Recent Changes
Many states have stricter rules than federal law. Some limit the hours of 16 and 17 year olds, require breaks for minors, or require work permits. When state and federal rules differ, the stricter rule wins. For example, a state law that lets 14 year olds work later doesn't override the federal 7 p.m. school-year limit.
Since 2023, several states have changed their child labor laws. Here are four changes confirmed on official state sites.
| State | Year | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 2023 | The Youth Hiring Act (Act 195) repealed the state employment certificate. Children under 16 no longer need state permission to work. (Arkansas Division of Labor) |
| Iowa | 2023 | Workers under 16 can work 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the school year (11 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day), up to 6 hours on a school day and 28 hours a week. They need a 30-minute break once a shift reaches 5 hours. (Iowa DIAL) |
| Florida | 2024 | Starting July 1, 2024, 16 and 17 year olds can work up to 30 hours in a school week, and a parent or the school superintendent can waive that cap. They can work more than 8 hours before a school day if the workday is a Sunday or holiday. (Florida Senate) |
| Indiana | 2025 and 2026 | Since January 1, 2025, the state's hour limits for 14 and 15 year olds match the federal limits, and 16 and 17 year olds can work the same hours as adults. As of July 1, 2026, employers no longer have to register their minor employees with the state. (Indiana Department of Labor) |
WATCH OUT
A looser state law doesn't change the federal rules. Iowa lets 14 and 15 year olds work until 9 p.m. on school nights and 6 hours on a school day, but if the FLSA covers your business, the federal limits of 7 p.m. and 3 hours still apply.
Work Permits and Age Certificates for Minors
Federal law doesn't require work permits for minors, but many states do. Depending on the state, the permit may come from the state labor department or from the minor's school, and it may be required only for workers under 16 or for all workers under 18.
The Department of Labor keeps a state-by-state table of employment and age certificates, but it was last updated January 1, 2024. Before you hire, confirm the current rule on your state labor department's website, because states like Arkansas and Indiana have changed theirs.
Common Child Labor Mistakes Employers Make
Most child labor violations happen by accident. These are the mistakes that come up most often:
- Scheduling minors for too many hours: It's easy to go over the daily or weekly limit during busy weekends, school breaks or when someone calls in sick.
- Letting shifts run too late: A 15-year-old who closes at 8 p.m. on a school night in October is already past the federal 7 p.m. limit.
- Not tracking hours accurately: Without a clear record, it's hard to prove you stayed within the limits. Our Free Time Card Calculator can help you total hours by day and week.
- Assigning prohibited tasks: Letting minors use a meat slicer or a box baler, sending a 14 or 15 year old up a ladder, or having a 16-year-old drive for deliveries are all violations.
- Skipping paperwork: Not keeping proof of age or a required state work permit can cause problems in an audit.
- Ignoring state rules: Your state may set its own limits on hours, breaks or permits on top of the federal rules.
Most of these problems come from unclear processes. Clear schedules and accurate time records catch them before they turn into violations.
TIMECLICK TIP
Use custom user roles in TimeClick to keep minors from clocking in outside their legal hours. It adds a layer of protection against accidental violations.
Penalties for Violating Child Labor Laws
The Department of Labor can assess a civil money penalty for child labor violations. Here are the 2026 maximums from the DOL civil penalties page.
| Type of violation | Maximum civil penalty (2026) |
|---|---|
| Child labor violation | $16,035 |
| Violation that causes a minor's serious injury or death | $72,876 |
| Willful or repeated violation that causes a minor's serious injury or death | $145,752 |
Each violation can carry its own penalty, so the total can add up quickly when several minors or several violations are involved. The DOL may reduce a penalty based on the size of the business.
Public enforcement actions can also hurt your reputation with customers and make it harder to hire.
How to Stay Compliant With Child Labor Laws
You don't need a complicated system to follow child labor laws. A few steady habits cover most of the risk.
- Verify age with documentation: Collect proof of age, such as a birth certificate or government ID. Federal recordkeeping rules require you to record the date of birth of every employee under 19.
- Get any required work permit: Check whether your state requires a permit or certificate before the minor's first shift.
- Know the hour limits: Keep a quick-reference chart of the allowed hours by age, and update it when school starts and ends.
- List the tasks minors can't do: Mark equipment such as slicers, balers, compactors and mixers as off-limits to employees under 18.
- Use a time tracking system: Track hours automatically and flag possible violations with a tool like TimeClick.
- Post required notices: Display the federal FLSA poster and any youth employment poster your state requires. Indiana, for example, requires employers of 14 and 15 year olds to post their maximum hours.
- Review federal and state laws: State rules can be stricter and change often, so check them before each school year and each summer.
TIMECLICK TIP
Set up alerts in your time tracking software so managers know when a minor is scheduled for too many hours in a day or week. It's a simple way to catch problems before they happen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are quick answers to the questions employers ask most often about hiring minors.
What is the youngest age a child can legally work in the U.S.?
For most non-farm jobs, the federal minimum age is 14. Younger children can deliver newspapers, act or perform, babysit casually, or work in a business wholly owned by their parents. On farms, children can start younger with parental consent.
How many hours can a 15-year-old work per week?
Up to 18 hours in a school week and up to 40 hours in a week when school isn't in session. On school days, the limit is 3 hours, and on non-school days it's 8 hours. Your state may set stricter limits.
Are 16-year-olds allowed to work full-time?
Under federal law, yes, as long as the job isn't one of the 17 hazardous occupations. Some states limit hours for 16 and 17 year olds during the school year. Florida, for example, caps them at 30 hours in a school week unless a parent or the school superintendent waives the cap.
Do I need a work permit to hire a minor?
Federal law doesn't require one, but many states do. Some states require a permit for every worker under 18, others only for workers under 16, and a few, like Arkansas, don't require one at all. Check your state labor department's website before the first shift.
Can a 14 or 15 year old work in a restaurant kitchen?
Yes, with limits. They can do some food prep and cooking on electric or gas grills without an open flame, and use deep fryers that lower and raise the baskets automatically. They can't bake, work in freezers or meat coolers, or use power-driven machines such as meat slicers and mixers.
Can I pay a teenager less than minimum wage?
Federal law allows a youth minimum wage of $4.25 an hour for workers under 20 during their first 90 calendar days with you. If your state's minimum wage is higher and has no matching youth rate, you pay the state rate.
What records should I keep for employees under 18?
Keep the same payroll and time records you keep for every employee, plus each minor's date of birth (federal rules require it for employees under 19), proof of age, and any work permit your state requires. Accurate daily time records are your best proof that you stayed within the hour limits. Our guide to employee time tracking compliance covers the basics.
Final Tips for Hiring Minors
Hiring teens can be a great opportunity for your business and for the young people you hire. It works best when you follow the rules from the first shift.
Know the federal limits for each age group, check your state's rules before each school year and summer, keep a list of tasks minors can't do, and keep accurate time records.
For more on federal youth employment rules, see the U.S. Department of Labor's youth labor portal.
This guide is general information and isn't legal advice. For your specific situation, check with your state labor department or an employment attorney.
Managing minors on your team? TimeClick makes it easy to track hours, prevent schedule violations and stay compliant with child labor laws.
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