MI · agricultural-work rules for minors
Michigan 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. Michigan layers state-specific rules on top of that framework — whichever is stricter binds the employer (FLSA § 218(a)). This page covers the Michigan ag-work floor: minimum ages on and off the family farm, hazardous-occupation cutoffs, school-hours rules, the parental-farm exemption as Michigan treats it, and the exact state-code citation.
Quick facts
- Min age off-parent farm
- 13+
- 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
- Michigan Youth Employment Standards Act, MCL §§ 409.101-409.124
- Last verified
Michigan vs the federal FLSA floor
Each row compares Michigan'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)).
| Dimension | Federal floor | Michigan | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Min age off parent farm | 12 with parental consent / 14 without | 13+ | Stricter than FLSA |
| Min age for Ag HO work | 16+ (Ag HO-1 to Ag HO-11) | 16+ | Matches FLSA |
| Parent-owned farm exemption | No min age; preempts Ag HOs | Mirrors federal | Matches FLSA |
| Daily / weekly hour cap | No cap outside school hours | No state cap | Matches FLSA |
How Michigan actually regulates farm work
Michigan's Youth Employment Standards Act (MCL §§ 409.101-409.124) exempts farm work from the act's general age, hour, and work-permit requirements, provided the employment does not violate a Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity standard. "Farm work" includes practices performed on a farm incident to or in conjunction with farming operations — preparation for market and delivery to storage, market, or carriers for transport. One state-specific age tier: a minor 13 years of age or older may be employed in seed-production operations (detasseling, roguing, hoeing, or similar acts in the production of seed) only during school vacation periods or when the minor is not regularly enrolled in school. For all other agricultural work, federal FLSA § 213(c) governs: 14+ off-parent farm outside school hours; 12 with parental consent on small farms; the federal parent-owned farm exemption applies; 16+ for federal Ag HO-1 through Ag HO-11. Important distinction: "agricultural processing" by an agricultural processor (cleaning, sorting, or packaging fruits or vegetables for a food processor other than the producing farmer) is NOT exempt — the full state act and work-permit requirement apply.
Citation
Michigan Youth Employment Standards Act, Act 90 of 1978, MCL §§ 409.101-409.124 — farm-work exemption from work-permit and hour-cap provisions
Where to verify Michigan'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
- California ag-work rules →
- Hawaii ag-work rules →
- Washington ag-work rules →
- Oregon ag-work rules →
- Minnesota ag-work rules →
- Massachusetts ag-work rules →
- New York ag-work rules →
- Florida ag-work rules →
- Wisconsin ag-work rules →
- Texas ag-work rules →
- North Carolina ag-work rules →
- Iowa ag-work rules →
- Illinois ag-work rules →