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IN · Employer compliance

Hire a minor in Indiana: 6-step compliance checklist

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets a floor; Indiana adds its own rules. The stricter of the two always wins. This page walks through the six checks every Indiana employer must complete before a 14-, 15-, 16-, or 17-year-old starts work — sourced from the US DOL Indiana state page and Indiana Code §§ 20-33-3-1 to 20-33-3-43 (Child Labor).

Last verified:

Minimum work age

14

State work permit

Not required

Restricted occupations on file

5

Stricter than federal?

Mirrors federal

  1. Verify the minor's age

    Before scheduling the first shift, get documentary proof of the employee’s date of birth. Because Indiana does not require a state work permit for minors in this age range, the employer is responsible for age verification directly — collect a copy of a birth certificate, state ID, driver’s license, or US passport, and retain it with payroll records.

  2. Apply the stricter of federal or Indiana hour caps

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

    9 hr / day · 40 hr / week

    06:00 – 22:00

    School out (summer)

    9 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.

    Indiana 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 (servers) or 21 (bartenders)

  4. No work permit required in Indiana

    Indiana does not require a state-issued work permit for minors in the standard non-ag age range covered here. The employer is still responsible for verifying age and applying the federal FLSA + state hour caps in steps 1–2. Confirm against the state DOL page if hiring outside the standard 14–17 band (e.g. agricultural work or under 14).

    What Indiana employers must keep on file →

  5. Post the required notices

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