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ME · Employer compliance

Hire a minor in Maine: 6-step compliance checklist

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets a floor; Maine adds its own rules. The stricter of the two always wins. This page walks through the six checks every Maine employer must complete before a 14-, 15-, 16-, or 17-year-old starts work — sourced from the US DOL Maine state page and Maine Revised Statutes Title 26 Chapter 7 (§§ 771-781) (Employment of Minors).

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 Maine the state work permit (Maine Work Permit) doubles as the age certificate — the issuing authority verifies the birth date when the permit is issued.

  2. Apply the stricter of federal or Maine hour caps

    Use the stricter rule for the employee’s age band and school-in-session status. Below are Maine’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 · 24 hr / week

    07:00 – 22:15

    School out (summer)

    10 hr / day · 50 hr / week

    05:00 – 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.

    Maine 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
    • Logging and sawmilling for minors under 18

  4. Obtain the Maine work permit

    Minors 14-15 obtain a Work Permit from their school superintendent. The minor presents the employer's Statement of Intent to Employ along with proof of age and parental consent. The permit is job-specific. 16- and 17-year-olds do not need a permit but must keep age verification on file with the employer.

    Form
    Maine Work Permit
    Issued by
    Local school superintendent (Work Permit)
    Applies to ages
    14–15
    Maine permit info page →Download Maine work permit (PDF)

    How to apply for the Maine work permit →

  5. Post the required notices

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