For employers

Child labor compliance checklist

A small employer's plain-English checklist for hiring a 14, 15, 16, or 17-year-old. Federal FLSA rules always apply; most states layer stricter requirements on top. The stricter rule wins. Use this page as the index, then drill into your state's page for the full statute citation and the actual hour caps that apply.

Universal federal floor (every state)

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) quick reference covers the federal floor. Six rules apply to every minor employed anywhere in the US:

1Verify the minor's age in writing. Driver's license, certified birth certificate, federal passport, or state-issued school age certificate. Keep a copy on file before the first day of work.
2Apply the stricter of federal vs. state hour caps. Federal floor for 14-15-year-olds: 3h on a school day, 8h on a non-school day, 18h/week during school, 40h/week during breaks, between 7am and 7pm (9pm June 1 – Labor Day). Many states are stricter.
3Avoid the 17 federal Hazardous Orders. No minor under 18 may work in occupations covered by HO-1 through HO-17 (motor-vehicle driving, power-driven slicers, roofing, mining, etc.). State law usually adds more.
4Obtain the state work permit if required. 31 states require a work permit or employment certificate before a minor starts work; 19 do not. See the state-by-state quick reference below.
5Post the required posters. The federal FLSA poster (Publication 1088) and your state's child-labor poster, both at the worksite where minors can see them. Most state DOLs publish the poster as a free PDF.
6Retain records for 3 years. FLSA §11(c) requires payroll, hour, and age records for at least 3 years; state retention rules can be longer (typically until 3 years after the minor turns 18 or separates).

State-by-state quick reference

Permit-requirement summary for all 50 states. Click any state to open its full page (hour caps by age band, restricted occupations, state code citation). For side-by-side comparison sortable by hour caps and other dimensions, see the comparison table.

State	Code	Permit required	Permit ages	Full rules	Employer checklist
Alabama	AL	Required	14–17	Alabama rules →	AL checklist →
Alaska	AK	Required	14–17	Alaska rules →	AK checklist →
Arizona	AZ	Not required	—	Arizona rules →	AZ checklist →
Arkansas	AR	Not required	—	Arkansas rules →	AR checklist →
California	CA	Required	12–17	California rules →	CA checklist →
Colorado	CO	Not required	—	Colorado rules →	CO checklist →
Connecticut	CT	Required	14–17	Connecticut rules →	CT checklist →
Delaware	DE	Required	14–17	Delaware rules →	DE checklist →
Florida	FL	Not required	—	Florida rules →	FL checklist →
Georgia	GA	Required	12–15	Georgia rules →	GA checklist →
Hawaii	HI	Required	14–17	Hawaii rules →	HI checklist →
Idaho	ID	Not required	—	Idaho rules →	ID checklist →
Illinois	IL	Required	14–15	Illinois rules →	IL checklist →
Indiana	IN	Not required	—	Indiana rules →	IN checklist →
Iowa	IA	Required	14–15	Iowa rules →	IA checklist →
Kansas	KS	Not required	—	Kansas rules →	KS checklist →
Kentucky	KY	Not required	—	Kentucky rules →	KY checklist →
Louisiana	LA	Required	14–17	Louisiana rules →	LA checklist →
Maine	ME	Required	14–15	Maine rules →	ME checklist →
Maryland	MD	Required	14–17	Maryland rules →	MD checklist →
Massachusetts	MA	Required	14–17	Massachusetts rules →	MA checklist →
Michigan	MI	Required	14–17	Michigan rules →	MI checklist →
Minnesota	MN	Not required	—	Minnesota rules →	MN checklist →
Mississippi	MS	Not required	—	Mississippi rules →	MS checklist →
Missouri	MO	Required	14–15	Missouri rules →	MO checklist →
Montana	MT	Not required	—	Montana rules →	MT checklist →
Nebraska	NE	Required	14–15	Nebraska rules →	NE checklist →
Nevada	NV	Required	14–15	Nevada rules →	NV checklist →
New Hampshire	NH	Required	12–15	New Hampshire rules →	NH checklist →
New Jersey	NJ	Required	14–17	New Jersey rules →	NJ checklist →
New Mexico	NM	Required	14–15	New Mexico rules →	NM checklist →
New York	NY	Required	14–17	New York rules →	NY checklist →
North Carolina	NC	Required	14–17	North Carolina rules →	NC checklist →
North Dakota	ND	Required	14–15	North Dakota rules →	ND checklist →
Ohio	OH	Required	14–17	Ohio rules →	OH checklist →
Oklahoma	OK	Not required	—	Oklahoma rules →	OK checklist →
Oregon	OR	Required	14–17	Oregon rules →	OR checklist →
Pennsylvania	PA	Required	14–17	Pennsylvania rules →	PA checklist →
Rhode Island	RI	Required	14–15	Rhode Island rules →	RI checklist →
South Carolina	SC	Not required	—	South Carolina rules →	SC checklist →
South Dakota	SD	Not required	—	South Dakota rules →	SD checklist →
Tennessee	TN	Not required	—	Tennessee rules →	TN checklist →
Texas	TX	Not required	—	Texas rules →	TX checklist →
Utah	UT	Not required	—	Utah rules →	UT checklist →
Vermont	VT	Not required	—	Vermont rules →	VT checklist →
Virginia	VA	Required	14–15	Virginia rules →	VA checklist →
Washington	WA	Required	14–17	Washington rules →	WA checklist →
West Virginia	WV	Required	14–15	West Virginia rules →	WV checklist →
Wisconsin	WI	Required	14–17	Wisconsin rules →	WI checklist →
Wyoming	WY	Not required	—	Wyoming rules →	WY checklist →

Document retention

Federal FLSA §11(c) sets a 3-year minimum for payroll, hours, and age verification records. Many states require longer retention specifically for minor-employment documents — typically until 3 years after the minor reaches age 18 or separates from the company, whichever is later.

Documents to retain for each minor employed: (1) work permit or employment certificate (states that issue them), (2) age verification copy, (3) signed parental consent or Statement of Intent to Employ (states that require it), (4) daily and weekly hour records, (5) hazardous-occupation acknowledgment (where applicable). Audit trails for occasional state DOL or US WHD inspections are built from these five.

Legal information, not legal advice

This page is a plain-English summary of public federal and state child-labor rules. It is not a substitute for legal advice. Penalties for misclassifying a minor employee, failing to obtain a required permit, or violating hour caps are real — civil penalties can reach five figures per violation and, in some states, criminal exposure for willful violation. If you are about to hire a minor and the rules are unclear, call your state DOL's child-labor section (every state has one) or consult employment counsel.

Federal FLSA quick reference — minimum ages, hour caps, and statutory citations.
Federal Hazardous Orders HO-1 → HO-17 — jobs minors cannot do.
Agricultural work carve-outs — lower ages, school-hours rule, parental-farm exemption.
Parent-owned business carve-out — § 213(c)(1)(C) exemption scope and limits.
State comparison table — side-by-side, sortable by hour cap and minimum age.

Universal federal floor (every state)

State-by-state quick reference

Document retention

Legal information, not legal advice

Related references