About this site
What Teenwork is, where the data comes from, and what it is not
Federal and state teen labor laws disagree just often enough that parents, teens, and small employers routinely get the wrong answer from the first page of search results. Teenwork is a single place to get the correct answer for your state in two clicks.
What this site does
Pick a state, a teen's age, and whether school is in session and Teenwork answers four questions: can they legally work, how many hours per day and week, what is the latest legal end time, and is a work permit required. Every answer is sourced from the state's own labor code section (cited inline) and cross-checked against the US Department of Labor Wage & Hour Division state page.
The site currently covers 50 US states. The comparison table shows every state side by side; the FAQ explains how federal and state rules interact and walks through the narrow exceptions (agriculture, family business, entertainment).
Where the data comes from
Each state page draws from three sources, in order of priority when they disagree:
- The state's labor code itself. We cite the specific statute section (e.g., CA Labor Code §§ 1285–1312) on every state page with a link to the legislature's official online publication so you can read the law directly.
- The state department of labor's child-labor / youth employment page. States publish a summary of their own statute, which is the most common place agencies fix small drafting ambiguities through administrative guidance.
- The US Department of Labor Wage & Hour Division. Federal FLSA rules (the floor that always applies) and a state-by-state summary table that is useful as a sanity check. Linked from every state page.
When a state's own statute and the DOL summary disagree, we go with the statute and note the discrepancy. A state legislature is the only body that can change the law; DOL summaries occasionally lag amendments by months.
Update cadence
State teen labor law changes when a state legislature passes an amendment — historically a slow process measured in years, with a recent uptick (2023–2025) of state-level bills relaxing hour caps or permitted occupations. Teenwork is re-verified on a rolling schedule and ad hoc when legislative changes are reported. The state-code citation on each page is the source of truth: if you want to confirm a rule is still in force on a given date, open the linked statute on the state legislature's site and check the "Effective" or "Last amended" field there.
Legal information, not legal advice
Teenwork publishes plain-English summaries of public child-labor statutes and regulatory guidance. It is not a law firm, does not represent clients, and the information here is not a substitute for legal advice from a licensed attorney in your state. If a specific question matters for hiring, scheduling, or compliance — ask the state department of labor directly or consult counsel.
Federal FLSA child-labor rules always apply on top of state rules, and the stricter of the two wins. Where state law is silent, the federal default applies. Where federal law is silent, the state rule (if any) applies.
Spot something wrong?
If a number on a Teenwork state page does not match the state's current labor code, the linked state department of labor page is the authoritative place to confirm — and to report the discrepancy to the agency that actually administers the rule. The state DOL contact link is on every state page in the "Where these rules come from" section. We update Teenwork after the state publishes the correction.