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IL · agricultural-work rules for minors

Illinois 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. Illinois layers state-specific rules on top of that framework — whichever is stricter binds the employer (FLSA § 218(a)). This page covers the Illinois ag-work floor: minimum ages on and off the family farm, hazardous-occupation cutoffs, school-hours rules, the parental-farm exemption as Illinois 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
None (FLSA floor)
State statute
Illinois Child Labor Law of 2024, 820 ILCS 206/1 et seq.
Last verified

Illinois vs the federal FLSA floor

Each row compares Illinois'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)).

Illinois agricultural-work rules compared to the federal FLSA floor.
DimensionFederal floorIllinoisDelta
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 hoursNo state capMatches FLSA

How Illinois actually regulates farm work

Illinois exempts agricultural pursuits from the state Child Labor Law: minors of any age may work on a family farm where they live with the farmer-parent at the farmer's principal place of residence. For non-family agricultural employment, minors aged 10 and older may work during school vacations or outside school hours — substantially looser than the federal floor of 14 (or 12 with parental consent on small farms). No minor under 12 (except family-farm members) may be employed in any agriculture-connected occupation under the act. Because the state Child Labor Law does not apply to ag work, Illinois imposes no state hour caps and no state hazardous-occupation list on agriculture; federal Ag HO-1 through Ag HO-11 (29 CFR § 570.71) still govern, requiring age 16+ for tractors over 20 PTO HP, harvesters, and other dangerous farm machinery. The state Employment Certificate requirement for 14-15-year-olds also does not apply to agricultural work.

Citation

820 ILCS 206 (Illinois Child Labor Law of 2024) — agricultural pursuits exemption (carried forward from prior 820 ILCS 205/2)

Where to verify Illinois'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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