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KY · Employer compliance

Hire a minor in Kentucky: 6-step compliance checklist

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets a floor; Kentucky adds its own rules. The stricter of the two always wins. This page walks through the six checks every Kentucky employer must complete before a 14-, 15-, 16-, or 17-year-old starts work — sourced from the US DOL Kentucky state page and Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 339 (Child Labor).

Last verified:

Minimum work age

14

State work permit

Not required

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. Because Kentucky 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 Kentucky hour caps

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

    6 hr / day · 30 hr / week

    06:00 – 22:30

    School out (summer)

    8 hr / day · 40 hr / week

    06:00 – 01:00

  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.

    Kentucky 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
    • Working in coal or other mining operations (any minor)

  4. No work permit required in Kentucky

    Kentucky 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 Kentucky employers must keep on file →

  5. Post the required notices

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