Rules for scheduling minors aged 14 to 17
Under federal law, 14- and 15-year-olds may work only outside school hours: no more than 3 hours on a school day, 18 hours in a school week, 8 hours on a non-school day and 40 hours in a non-school week, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day). Federal law sets no hour limits for 16- and 17-year-olds but bars them from hazardous jobs, and several states add hour and night limits for them.
Federal hour limits for 14- and 15-year-olds
| Limit | When school is in session | When school is not in session |
|---|---|---|
| Per day | 3 hours (including Fridays) | 8 hours |
| Per week | 18 hours | 40 hours |
| Time of day (all year) | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day | |
| During school hours | Not allowed | — |
Source: 29 CFR 570.35; the 9 p.m. limit follows the calendar dates in 570.35(a)(6), not the school schedule. A "week when school is in session" is any week the local public school district is in session for at least one day or partial day, and the week is the same fixed workweek you use for payroll.
Example: a 15-year-old during a school week
Monday to Friday, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. = 3 hours × 5 days = 15 hours. Saturday can be up to 8 hours as a non-school day, but the 18-hour school-week cap leaves only 3 more hours. A Saturday shift of 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. brings the week to exactly 18 hours. A 7:30 p.m. close is not allowed outside June 1 through Labor Day.
16- and 17-year-olds
Federal law sets no limit on hours or time of day for 16- and 17-year-olds; it restricts only hazardous occupations (DOL Fact Sheet #43). States can be stricter. The DOL's state table (as of July 15, 2025) lists, for example:
| State | 16–17 hours (day–week–days) | 16–17 night limits |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 6–30 school day/week (6–40 with parental permission and at least a 2.0 GPA) | 11 p.m. (1 a.m. Friday and Saturday) to 6 a.m. when school is in session |
| Michigan | 10–48 non-school day/week; 10/24 school day/week | 10:30 p.m. (11:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and vacations) to 6:30 a.m. if attending school |
| New York | 8–48–6; school weeks: 4 hours before a school day, 8 on Friday–Sunday or holidays, 28 a week, if enrolled | 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. while school is in session, with permission exceptions |
| Pennsylvania | 10–48–6 non-school; 8–28–6 school day/week | 12 a.m. (1 a.m. before a non-school day) to 6 a.m. if enrolled in day school |
| Washington | 8–48–6 non-school; 4–20–6 school day/week | 10 p.m. Sunday–Thursday (midnight Friday–Saturday) to 7 a.m.; adult supervision after 8 p.m. in restaurants and retail |
The DOL's alert on that page: where state law is less restrictive than federal law, federal law applies; where it is more restrictive, state law applies.
Jobs 14- and 15-year-olds may and may not do
| Permitted (Fact Sheet #43) | Prohibited (Fact Sheet #43) |
|---|---|
| Most office, retail and food service work | Baking |
| Bagging groceries, stocking shelves, cashiering | Operating power-driven machinery other than office machines |
| Limited cooking: electric or gas grills with no open flame, deep fryers with automatic basket raising and lowering | Work in freezers or meat coolers |
| Cleaning cooking equipment if surfaces are 100°F or cooler | Work from ladders or scaffolds |
Hazardous jobs barred for everyone under 18
There are 17 Hazardous Occupations Orders. The ones a store, café, salon or auto shop runs into (Fact Sheet #43):
- Driving motor vehicles on public roads (17-year-olds may drive cars or small trucks in daylight under strict limits)
- Forklifts and other power-driven hoisting equipment
- Power-driven meat-processing machines, including meat slicers
- Power-driven bakery machines (16- and 17-year-olds may run certain small countertop mixers under conditions)
- Balers and compactors
- Roofing and work on or about roofs
Before you publish a schedule with minors on it
- Record each minor's date of birth; the FLSA requires it on payroll records for anyone under 19 (29 CFR 516.2).
- Mark which weeks the local school district is in session.
- Check daily hours, weekly hours and the latest end time against the federal table and your state's row.
- Check break rules: 35 jurisdictions have separate meal provisions for minors (break laws by state).
State-by-state pages: labor laws by state. For fair hour allocation, see scheduling part-time employees.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check your state labor department for current rules.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check your state labor department for current rules.
Questions
How many hours can a 15-year-old work on a school day?
3 hours, including Fridays, and no more than 18 hours in a school week (29 CFR 570.35).
How late can a 14-year-old work?
7 p.m., except from June 1 through Labor Day, when the federal limit is 9 p.m. (29 CFR 570.35(a)(6)); some states set different times.
Are there federal hour limits for 16-year-olds?
No. Fact Sheet #43 says 16- and 17-year-olds may work unlimited hours in non-hazardous jobs, but states such as Pennsylvania and Washington set limits.
Can a 16-year-old use a meat slicer?
No. Power-driven meat-processing machines are covered by a Hazardous Occupations Order for all workers under 18.
Which rule applies if state and federal law differ?
The stricter one. The DOL state child labor page says the more restrictive law applies.
Sources
- eCFR 29 CFR 570.35 Hours of work for minors 14 and 15 (checked 2026-11-12)
- US DOL WHD Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions for Nonagricultural Occupations (revised December 2016) (checked 2026-11-12)
- US DOL WHD: Selected State Child Labor Standards, Non-farm (as of July 15, 2025) (checked 2026-11-12)
- eCFR 29 CFR 516.2 Records for employees subject to minimum wage and overtime (checked 2026-11-12)
- US DOL WHD: Meal Period Requirements Under State Law for Adult Employees (revised January 1, 2023) (checked 2026-11-12)