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HI · agricultural-work rules for minors

Hawaii agricultural work rules for minors

Federal FLSA § 213(c) lets minors work in agriculture at younger ages than in other industries, with no federal hour cap outside school hours. Hawaii layers state-specific rules on top of that framework — whichever is stricter binds the employer (FLSA § 218(a)). This page covers the Hawaii ag-work floor: minimum ages on and off the family farm, hazardous-occupation cutoffs, school-hours rules, the parental-farm exemption as Hawaii treats it, and the exact state-code citation.

Quick facts

Min age off-parent farm
10+
Min age for ag-hazardous work
16+
Parent-owned farm exemption
Mirrors federal § 213(c)
State daily / weekly hour cap
Yes
State statute
Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 390 (Child Labor)
Last verified

Hawaii vs the federal FLSA floor

Each row compares Hawaii's rule to the federal floor under 29 USC § 213(c) and 29 CFR §§ 570.70 – 570.72. When the state is stricter, the state rule binds the employer; when the state is looser or silent, the federal floor still applies (§ 218(a)).

Hawaii agricultural-work rules compared to the federal FLSA floor.
DimensionFederal floorHawaiiDelta
Min age off parent farm12 with parental consent / 14 without10+Looser than FLSA
Min age for Ag HO work16+ (Ag HO-1 to Ag HO-11)16+Matches FLSA
Parent-owned farm exemptionNo min age; preempts Ag HOsMirrors federalMatches FLSA
Daily / weekly hour capNo cap outside school hoursState cap appliesStricter than FLSA

How Hawaii actually regulates farm work

Hawaii has unusual crop-specific agricultural carve-outs reflecting its plantation history. Coffee harvest: minors under 14 (effectively 10+) may work in coffee harvesting during non-school periods, capped at 6 hours per day, 30 hours per week, for no more than 5 consecutive days — uniquely permissive at the 10-13 age band. Pineapple harvest: minors 15 (but not yet 16) may work in pineapple harvesting from June 1 through the day before Labor Day for up to 48 hours per week and 8 hours per day. General agricultural work: minimum age 14 outside school hours (mirrors federal '14 without parental consent' tier), 16 during school hours (or 16 if not legally required to attend school). A Certificate of Employment (CL-1 for 14-15, CL-2 for 16-17) is required for ag work for minors under 18 — Hawaii is one of the few states that retains a state employment certificate for agriculture. The standard family-member parent-employed exemption applies. Federal Ag HO-1 to Ag HO-11 govern at 16+ off the family farm, with the federal student-learner and 4-H tractor-certification carve-outs at 14-15.

Citation

HRS §§ 390-2, 390-5 (Hawaii Child Labor Law; coffee and pineapple harvest carve-outs)

Where to verify Hawaii's ag-work enforcement

Ag-work rulemaking is an active area at both the US DOL Wage & Hour Division and state labor agencies. Before relying on these rules for hiring, scheduling, or harvest-season planning, confirm with the primary sources below.

Other states with distinctive ag-work rules

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