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HI · Employer compliance

Hire a minor in Hawaii: 6-step compliance checklist

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets a floor; Hawaii adds its own rules. The stricter of the two always wins. This page walks through the six checks every Hawaii employer must complete before a 14-, 15-, 16-, or 17-year-old starts work — sourced from the US DOL Hawaii state page and Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 390 (Child Labor).

Last verified:

Minimum work age

14

State work permit

Required (14–17)

Restricted occupations on file

5

Stricter than federal?

Yes

  1. Verify the minor's age

    Before scheduling the first shift, get documentary proof of the employee’s date of birth. In Hawaii the state work permit (Hawaii Certificate of Employment (CL-1 or CL-2)) doubles as the age certificate — the issuing authority verifies the birth date when the permit is issued.

  2. Apply the stricter of federal or Hawaii hour caps

    Use the stricter rule for the employee’s age band and school-in-session status. Below are Hawaii’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

    10 hr / day · No state limit / week

    06:00 – 00:30

    School out (summer)

    10 hr / day · No state limit / week

    06:00 – 00:30

  3. 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.

    Hawaii 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 18 without bonded supervisor
    • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 18

  4. Obtain the Hawaii work permit

    Every minor under 18 must obtain a Certificate of Employment from the DLIR before starting work. The minor and parent or guardian apply through the DLIR with proof of age and the employer's signed offer. CL-1 is for 14-15-year-olds, CL-2 for 16-17. Certificates are job-specific.

    Form
    Hawaii Certificate of Employment (CL-1 or CL-2)
    Issued by
    Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR)
    Applies to ages
    14–17
    Hawaii permit info page →Download Hawaii work permit (PDF)

    How to apply for the Hawaii work permit →

  5. Post the required notices

    Display the federal FLSA Youth Employment poster and the Hawaii state child-labor poster where employees can see them. Both are free downloads from the US DOL Wage & Hour Division and the Hawaii labor agency. Failure to post is one of the most common citations issued during WHD audits.

  6. 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 Hawaii 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.

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