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NH · Employer compliance

Hire a minor in New Hampshire: 6-step compliance checklist

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets a floor; New Hampshire adds its own rules. The stricter of the two always wins. This page walks through the six checks every New Hampshire employer must complete before a 14-, 15-, 16-, or 17-year-old starts work — sourced from the US DOL New Hampshire state page and New Hampshire RSA 276-A (Youth Employment Law).

Last verified:

Minimum work age

12

State work permit

Required (12–15)

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 New Hampshire the state work permit (New Hampshire Youth Employment Certificate) doubles as the age certificate — the issuing authority verifies the birth date when the permit is issued.

  2. Apply the stricter of federal or New Hampshire hour caps

    Use the stricter rule for the employee’s age band and school-in-session status. Below are New Hampshire’s state-specific caps for the two main age bands.

    Ages 14–15

    School in session

    3 hr / day · 23 hr / week

    07:00 – 21:00

    School out (summer)

    8 hr / day · 48 hr / week

    07:00 – 21:00

    Ages 16–17

    School in session

    8 hr / day · 30 hr / week

    05:30 – 00:00

    School out (summer)

    10 hr / day · 48 hr / week

    05:30 – 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.

    New Hampshire 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 18

  4. Obtain the New Hampshire work permit

    Minors under 16 obtain a Youth Employment Certificate from their school principal. The minor presents the employer's offer plus parental consent. The certificate is job-specific. 16- and 17-year-olds need only a written employer-signed agreement and parental permission on file.

    Form
    New Hampshire Youth Employment Certificate
    Issued by
    Local school principal or designated school official
    Applies to ages
    12–15
    New Hampshire permit info page →Download New Hampshire work permit (PDF)

    How to apply for the New Hampshire work permit →

  5. Post the required notices

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