NC · agricultural-work rules for minors
North Carolina 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. North Carolina layers state-specific rules on top of that framework — whichever is stricter binds the employer (FLSA § 218(a)). This page covers the North Carolina ag-work floor: minimum ages on and off the family farm, hazardous-occupation cutoffs, school-hours rules, the parental-farm exemption as North Carolina treats it, and the exact state-code citation.
Quick facts
- Min age off-parent farm
- 12 (FLSA floor)
- 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
- NC General Statutes §§ 95-25.5 and 95-25.5A (Wage and Hour Act)
- Last verified
North Carolina vs the federal FLSA floor
Each row compares North Carolina'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 | North Carolina | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Min age off parent farm | 12 with parental consent / 14 without | 12 (FLSA floor) | Matches 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 North Carolina actually regulates farm work
North Carolina exempts agricultural employment from its state youth-employment provisions: per N.C.G.S. § 95-25.14(a)(1), any person employed in agriculture as defined under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act is exempt from the state Wage and Hour Act's youth-employment requirements. The NC Department of Labor confirms agricultural employers are not required to obtain a state Youth Employment Certificate to employ youth under 18. Federal FLSA § 213(c) and federal Ag HO-1 through Ag HO-11 (29 CFR § 570.71) govern: minimum age 14 for off-family-farm ag outside school hours; 12 with parental consent on small farms; a 10-11 hand-harvest short-season waiver; the federal parent-owned farm exemption applies (no minimum age, parental waiver of Ag HOs for under-16). 16+ minimum for federal Ag HOs. Important carryover: § 95-25.5's prohibition on federally-declared hazardous occupations still binds even when other state youth-employment provisions are bypassed — meaning a minor cannot work in any FLSA-declared hazardous ag job within NC.
Citation
N.C.G.S. §§ 95-25.5 (Youth Employment), 95-25.14(a)(1) (Wage and Hour Act — agriculture exemption)
Where to verify North Carolina'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 →
- Michigan ag-work rules →
- Wisconsin ag-work rules →
- Texas ag-work rules →
- Iowa ag-work rules →
- Illinois ag-work rules →