AL · Employer compliance
Hire a minor in Alabama: 6-step compliance checklist
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets a floor; Alabama adds its own rules. The stricter of the two always wins. This page walks through the six checks every Alabama employer must complete before a 14-, 15-, 16-, or 17-year-old starts work — sourced from the US DOL Alabama state page and Alabama Code §§ 25-8-31 to 25-8-60 (Child Labor Law).
Last verified:
Minimum work age
14
State work permit
Required (14–17)
Restricted occupations on file
5
Stricter than federal?
Yes
Verify the minor's age
Before scheduling the first shift, get documentary proof of the employee’s date of birth. In Alabama the state work permit (Class I or Class II Eligibility-to-Work Form) doubles as the age certificate — the issuing authority verifies the birth date when the permit is issued.Apply the stricter of federal or Alabama hour caps
Use the stricter rule for the employee’s age band and school-in-session status. Below are Alabama’s state-specific caps for the two main age bands.
Ages 14–15
School in session
3 hr / day · 18 hr / week
07:00 – 19:00
School out (summer)
8 hr / day · 40 hr / week
07:00 – 21:00
Ages 16–17
School in session
No state limit / day · No state limit / week
05:00 – 00:00
School out (summer)
No state limit / day · No state limit / week
No state limit
Block hazardous and restricted occupations
The 17 federal Hazardous Orders (HO-1 to HO-17) prohibit minors under 18 from specific non-agricultural occupations — meat processing, power tools, roofing, mining, certain driving roles, and more. See the full federal HO list.
Alabama adds the following restrictions on top of the federal floor:
- All federal hazardous orders HO-1 through HO-17(29 CFR Part 570)
- Operating power-driven meat-processing machines(HO-10)
- Roofing operations and work on or about a roof(HO-16)
- Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision
- Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 19
Obtain the Alabama work permit
Alabama uses an employer-based permit system: the employer (not the minor) applies online to the Alabama Department of Labor for a Child Labor Certificate covering all minors at that worksite. The minor presents an Eligibility-to-Work form signed by a parent/guardian and the minor's school. Permits are renewed annually.
- Form
- Class I or Class II Eligibility-to-Work Form
- Issued by
- Alabama Department of Labor (Child Labor Division), online
- Applies to ages
- 14–17
Post the required notices
Display the federal FLSA Youth Employment poster and the Alabama state child-labor poster where employees can see them. Both are free downloads from the US DOL Wage & Hour Division and the Alabama labor agency. Failure to post is one of the most common citations issued during WHD audits.Keep records for at least 3 years
Federal FLSA §11(c) sets a 3-year minimum for payroll, hours, age verification, and (where applicable) the Alabama work permit. Many states require longer retention specifically for minor-employment documents — typically until 3 years after the minor turns 18. Keep: payroll + hours, age verification, the state permit, parental consent forms (where applicable), and any time-off / training records.