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MA · Employer compliance

Hire a minor in Massachusetts: 6-step compliance checklist

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets a floor; Massachusetts adds its own rules. The stricter of the two always wins. This page walks through the six checks every Massachusetts employer must complete before a 14-, 15-, 16-, or 17-year-old starts work — sourced from the US DOL Massachusetts state page and Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 149 §§ 56-104.

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 Massachusetts the state work permit (Permit to Work / Youth Employment 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 Massachusetts hour caps

    Use the stricter rule for the employee’s age band and school-in-session status. Below are Massachusetts’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 · 48 hr / week

    06:00 – 22:00

    School out (summer)

    9 hr / day · 48 hr / week

    06:00 – 23:30

  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.

    Massachusetts 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)
    • Operating elevators and other power-driven hoists(HO-7)
    • Working in connection with mining, logging, or sawmilling(HO-2 and HO-4)
    • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16

  4. Obtain the Massachusetts work permit

    The minor obtains a Promise of Employment from the prospective employer, then applies at their school superintendent's office. A parent or guardian must sign for minors under 18. Permits are job-specific and must be reissued for each new employer.

    Form
    Permit to Work / Youth Employment Permit
    Issued by
    School district (Youth Employment Permit)
    Applies to ages
    14–17
    Massachusetts permit info page →Download Massachusetts work permit (PDF)

    How to apply for the Massachusetts work permit →

  5. Post the required notices

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