NV · Employer compliance
Hire a minor in Nevada: 6-step compliance checklist
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets a floor; Nevada adds its own rules. The stricter of the two always wins. This page walks through the six checks every Nevada employer must complete before a 14-, 15-, 16-, or 17-year-old starts work — sourced from the US DOL Nevada state page and Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 609 (Employment of Minors).
Last verified:
Minimum work age
14
State work permit
Required (14–15)
Restricted occupations on file
5
Stricter than federal?
Yes
Verify the minor's age
Before scheduling the first shift, get documentary proof of the employee’s date of birth. In Nevada the state work permit (Nevada Permit to Work for Minors Under 16) doubles as the age certificate — the issuing authority verifies the birth date when the permit is issued.Apply the stricter of federal or Nevada hour caps
Use the stricter rule for the employee’s age band and school-in-session status. Below are Nevada’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
8 hr / day · 48 hr / week
No state limit
School out (summer)
8 hr / day · 48 hr / week
No state limit
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.
Nevada 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)
- Gaming or casino work for minors under 21 (gaming floor)
- Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision
Obtain the Nevada work permit
Minors under 16 must obtain a Permit to Work from the district court in the county where they live. The minor's parent or guardian presents proof of age and the application; the court verifies the minor's school enrollment before issuing. 16- and 17-year-olds do not need a permit; the employer keeps age verification on file.
- Form
- Nevada Permit to Work for Minors Under 16
- Issued by
- District court (Permit to Work)
- Applies to ages
- 14–15
Post the required notices
Display the federal FLSA Youth Employment poster and the Nevada state child-labor poster where employees can see them. Both are free downloads from the US DOL Wage & Hour Division and the Nevada labor agency. Failure to post is one of the most common citations issued during WHD audits.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 Nevada 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.