Youth Labor Laws: Your Summer Primer

Compliance Human Resources State Law Updates

Graphic - Blog 2025-07-03 youth labor laws

Summer is upon us! It’s a time when many companies may hire young people or increase their working hours, as school is out. This presents a great opportunity to refresh your knowledge of youth labor laws and ensure your company’s compliance. Below is an overview of federal youth labor laws you can use as a quick reference. To summarize:

Ages 14-15: There are restrictions on the number of hours a young person can work, determined by their school schedule. They may only work certain permitted occupations.
Ages 16-17: There are no restrictions on working hours. They do, however, have some restrictions regarding hazardous jobs.
Ages 18+: No federal restrictions.

With few exceptions, employment is prohibited for people aged 13 and younger. Exceptions include working for parents in non-hazardous, family-owned businesses; acting; newspaper delivery; certain agricultural operations; and making evergreen wreaths*.

Many states have their own regulations and addendums regarding youth labor laws. The Department of Labor provides a state-by-state rundown. As a reminder, when federal and state or local laws differ, employers must follow the one that benefits the employee the most.

Federal Youth Labor Laws

Category / Age Group	14 and 15 Years Old	16 and 17 Years Old	18 Years and Older
School In Session (Hours)	Max 3 hours per school day Max 18 hours per school week Cannot work during school hours Work between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.	No federal restrictions.	No federal restrictions.
School NOT In Session (Summer or Holidays)	Max 8 hours per day Max 40 hours per week Work between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. (June 1st to Labor Day)	No federal restrictions.	No federal restrictions.
Permitted Occupations	Office and clerical work Retail sales, cashiering, bagging groceries Errands and delivery (by foot, bicycle, public transport) Clean-up work (with restrictions on power-driven equipment) Food service (with restrictions on cooking and machinery) Pumping gas, hand-washing cars (no repair work)	Any occupation not declared hazardous by the Secretary of Labor.	Any occupation (no FLSA restrictions).
Prohibited Occupations (Examples)	Manufacturing, mining, processing Any “Hazardous Occupations” (see 16-17 below) Operating most power-driven machinery (except office machines) Working from ladders or scaffolds Baking operations Working in freezers or meat coolers (except momentary retrieval) Loading/unloading trucks or conveyors	Operating power-driven machinery (e.g., meat slicers, forklifts, woodworking machines, most bakery machines) Driving a motor vehicle for business purposes (with very limited exceptions for 17-year-olds) Working in or about explosives plants Coal mining and most other mining Logging and sawmill operations Occupations involving radioactive substances Wrecking, demolition, and ship-breaking operations Roofing operations and work on or about a roof Excavation operations Operating balers or compactors (with very limited exceptions)	None (by federal child labor law).
Key factors	State laws may be stricter! Always check state and local regulations. No work during school hours (even if optional summer school). Employers are protected if they have a valid age certificate on file. Penalties for violations can be significant fines and potential imprisonment.	State laws may be stricter! Always check state and local regulations. Certain hazardous occupations have limited apprentice/student-learner exemptions. Employers are protected if they have a valid age certificate on file. Penalties for violations can be significant fines and potential imprisonment.	State laws may impose other restrictions (e.g., licensing for certain professions).

Disclaimer: This table provides a summary of federal child labor laws under the FLSA. It is not exhaustive, and state laws often impose additional or stricter requirements. Employers should consult relevant federal and state statutes, regulations, visit with your Nextep HR Business Partner, and seek the advice of legal counsel to ensure full compliance.

* Yes, the evergreen wreath-making exemption is oddly specific to us, too! It’s a holdover from historical regulations surrounding “homework” when the FLSA was passed in 1938. Making evergreen wreaths in particular was a cottage industry and non-hazardous work. Therefore, the FLSA wanted to recognize the importance of this tradition and its significance as a source of family income. It remains a specific exemption to youth labor laws today.