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IL · Employer compliance

Hire a minor in Illinois: 6-step compliance checklist

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets a floor; Illinois adds its own rules. The stricter of the two always wins. This page walks through the six checks every Illinois employer must complete before a 14-, 15-, 16-, or 17-year-old starts work — sourced from the US DOL Illinois state page and Illinois Child Labor Law of 2024, 820 ILCS 206/1 et seq..

Last verified:

Minimum work age

14

State work permit

Required (14–15)

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 Illinois the state work permit (Employment Certificate) doubles as the age certificate — the issuing authority verifies the birth date when the permit is issued.

  2. Apply the stricter of federal or Illinois hour caps

    Use the stricter rule for the employee’s age band and school-in-session status. Below are Illinois’s state-specific caps for the two main age bands.

    Ages 14–15

    School in session

    3 hr / day · 24 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

    8 hr / day · 48 hr / week

    06:00 – 22:00

    School out (summer)

    8 hr / day · 48 hr / week

    06:00 – 00:00

  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.

    Illinois 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)
    • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16
    • Roofing operations and work on or about a roof(HO-16)
    • Excavation operations(HO-17)

  4. Obtain the Illinois work permit

    Under the Child Labor Law of 2024 (effective January 1, 2025), 14- and 15-year-olds must obtain an Employment Certificate from their school superintendent before starting work. The minor presents a Statement of Intent to Employ from the employer, plus proof of age. 16- and 17-year-olds no longer need a state-issued permit but employers must keep age verification on file.

    Form
    Employment Certificate
    Issued by
    School superintendent or designated issuing officer
    Applies to ages
    14–15
    Illinois permit info page →Download Illinois work permit (PDF)

    How to apply for the Illinois work permit →

  5. Post the required notices

    Display the federal FLSA Youth Employment poster and the Illinois state child-labor poster where employees can see them. Both are free downloads from the US DOL Wage & Hour Division and the Illinois 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 Illinois 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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