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FLSA · 29 CFR Part 570 Subpart E

Federal hazardous orders HO-1 to HO-17 — jobs minors cannot do

The Fair Labor Standards Act defines 17 hazardous occupations orders (HOs) that prohibit minors from working in specific dangerous jobs. These are the federal floor — every state incorporates them by reference. States can add stricter rules, but they cannot loosen these for non-agricultural minors. Below is each HO in plain English, with the minimum legal age, narrow apprentice carve-outs, and a cross-reference to states that flag the same restriction in their own code.

Hazardous orders list

HO-1

Manufacturing and storing explosives

Min age 18

Minors may not work in any plant that manufactures or stores explosives or articles containing explosive components, even in jobs that don't directly handle the explosives.

Example jobs

  • Producing fireworks or pyrotechnics
  • Loading ammunition or detonators
  • Handling magazine inventory at an explosives storage facility

Federal citation

29 CFR § 570.51

HO-2

Driving a motor vehicle and outside helper

Min age 17

Minors under 17 may not drive on the job at all. 17-year-olds may drive on public roads only under tightly limited conditions (daylight hours, no more than one-third of work day, no transporting passengers for hire, no more than two trips/day, vehicle ≤ 6,000 lbs, holds a valid license, etc.). Acting as an outside helper (riding outside the cab) is prohibited up to age 18.

Example jobs

  • Delivery driving for restaurants or couriers
  • Driving a company truck or van
  • Riding outside the cab to load or unload cargo

Federal citation

29 CFR § 570.52

Narrow exception

17-year-olds may drive on public roads only if all federal conditions are met (see 29 CFR § 570.52). The DOT regulates interstate commercial driving — 18 minimum, often 21.

HO-3

Coal mining

Min age 18

All occupations in or about coal mines are prohibited for minors under 18, with the exception of work in offices or repair shops that are physically separated from the mine.

Example jobs

  • Underground coal mining
  • Surface coal-mine equipment operation
  • Coal preparation plant work

Federal citation

29 CFR § 570.53

HO-4

Logging and sawmilling

Min age 18

Most occupations in forest work, logging, and sawmill operation are off-limits for minors under 18 due to falling-object, chainsaw, and heavy-machinery hazards.

Example jobs

  • Felling trees or operating a chainsaw
  • Operating logging equipment (skidders, loaders, log trucks)
  • Working in a sawmill cutting or stacking lumber

Federal citation

29 CFR § 570.54

HO-5

Power-driven woodworking machines

Min age 18

Operating, feeding, off-bearing, setting up, adjusting, repairing, or cleaning any power-driven woodworking machine is prohibited for minors under 18.

Example jobs

  • Operating a table saw, jointer, planer, or shaper
  • Feeding stock into a power-driven router or moulder
  • Cleaning blades on a wood-cutting machine while energized

Federal citation

29 CFR § 570.55

Narrow exception

Bona fide apprentices and student-learners may perform some tasks under written agreement and direct supervision (see 29 CFR § 570.50(b)).

HO-6

Exposure to radioactive substances

Min age 18

Any occupation that exposes a minor to radioactive material or ionizing radiation above the legal limit for the public is prohibited under 18.

Example jobs

  • Working in nuclear-medicine or industrial-radiography facilities
  • Handling radioactive isotopes in a lab
  • Operating X-ray or fluoroscopy equipment in a clinical setting

Federal citation

29 CFR § 570.57

HO-7

Power-driven hoisting apparatus, including forklifts

Min age 18

Operating, riding on, or assisting an operator of a power-driven hoisting apparatus — forklifts, cranes, derricks, hoists, elevators (except passenger and freight elevators), and high-lift trucks — is prohibited under 18.

Example jobs

  • Driving a forklift in a warehouse or grocery stockroom
  • Operating a hoist or crane on a construction site
  • Riding on a freight elevator as the operator

Federal citation

29 CFR § 570.58

Narrow exception

17-year-old apprentices and student-learners may operate certain hoists under a registered apprenticeship or vocational program (see 29 CFR § 570.58).

States that explicitly cite HO-7

HO-8

Power-driven metal forming, punching, and shearing machines

Min age 18

Operating, setting up, adjusting, repairing, or cleaning power-driven metal-forming, punching, or shearing machines is prohibited under 18.

Example jobs

  • Operating a power press, press brake, or punch press
  • Running a power shear or alligator shear
  • Bending or forming sheet metal on a power roll

Federal citation

29 CFR § 570.59

Narrow exception

Apprentices and student-learners may perform some tasks under written agreement and direct supervision.

HO-9

Mining (other than coal)

Min age 18

All occupations at metal mines, quarries, aggregate operations, and underground non-coal mines are off-limits for minors under 18. Office work physically separated from the mine is allowed.

Example jobs

  • Quarry blasting or rock crushing
  • Underground hard-rock mining
  • Surface aggregate extraction and processing

Federal citation

29 CFR § 570.61

HO-10

Power-driven meat-processing machines and slaughtering

Min age 18

Operating, setting up, adjusting, repairing, or cleaning power-driven meat slicers, grinders, choppers, saws, or any slaughtering work is prohibited under 18. This also covers cleaning the heads and bowls of meat-processing equipment.

Example jobs

  • Operating or cleaning a deli meat slicer
  • Running a meat grinder, chopper, or band saw
  • Slaughtering, butchering, or eviscerating livestock or poultry

Federal citation

29 CFR § 570.61

Narrow exception

Apprentices and student-learners under a registered program may perform some tasks (very narrow).

States that explicitly cite HO-10

HO-11

Power-driven bakery machines

Min age 18

Operating, setting up, adjusting, repairing, or cleaning power-driven bakery machines — mixers, dough sheeters, rollers, dividers — is prohibited under 18.

Example jobs

  • Operating a horizontal or vertical dough mixer
  • Running a dough sheeter, divider, or rounder
  • Cleaning the bowl of an energized commercial mixer

Federal citation

29 CFR § 570.62

States that explicitly cite HO-11

HO-12

Balers, compactors, and paper-products machines

Min age 18

Operating, loading, or unloading paper balers and box compactors is prohibited under 18, with a narrow exception for 16- and 17-year-olds loading (but not operating or unloading) certain scrap-paper balers and box compactors that meet ANSI safety standards.

Example jobs

  • Operating a cardboard baler at a grocery or warehouse
  • Compacting trash with a power compactor
  • Operating a power-driven paper-products machine (slitter, rewinder, calender)

Federal citation

29 CFR § 570.63

Narrow exception

16- and 17-year-olds may *load* — not operate, not unload — a scrap-paper baler or paper-box compactor that meets ANSI Z245.5 / Z245.2 and posts the load-only notice (see 29 CFR § 570.63).

HO-13

Manufacturing brick, tile, and kindred products

Min age 18

Most occupations in plants that manufacture brick, tile, or related clay structural products are prohibited under 18, due to kiln, grinder, and heavy-equipment hazards.

Example jobs

  • Operating a clay-grinding or pug mill
  • Kiln tending or unloading hot brick
  • Operating a tile-cutting or pressing machine

Federal citation

29 CFR § 570.64

HO-14

Power-driven circular saws, band saws, guillotine shears, chain saws, reciprocating saws, wood chippers, and abrasive cutting discs

Min age 18

Operating, setting up, adjusting, repairing, or cleaning these power-driven cutting tools is prohibited under 18. This is one of the broadest HOs — it covers most rotary and reciprocating power cutters used in construction, landscaping, and manufacturing.

Example jobs

  • Operating a chain saw, circular saw, or band saw
  • Using a guillotine paper shear
  • Running a wood chipper or abrasive cut-off saw

Federal citation

29 CFR § 570.65

Narrow exception

Apprentices and student-learners under a registered program may perform some tasks.

HO-15

Wrecking, demolition, and shipbreaking operations

Min age 18

All occupations in wrecking, demolition, and shipbreaking are prohibited for minors under 18, including support tasks like cleaning up, hauling debris, or salvaging materials at the site.

Example jobs

  • Demolishing a building or part of a structure
  • Stripping a vessel for scrap
  • Cleaning up or moving debris on a demolition site

Federal citation

29 CFR § 570.66

HO-16

Roofing operations and all work on or about a roof

Min age 18

Any work performed on or about a roof — including installing, repairing, or removing roofing materials, gutters, or downspouts, and any related tasks like setting up scaffolding adjacent to the roof — is prohibited under 18.

Example jobs

  • Installing or replacing roof shingles or membranes
  • Cleaning gutters or installing downspouts
  • Setting up ladders or scaffolding to access a roof

Federal citation

29 CFR § 570.67

Narrow exception

Apprentices and student-learners under a registered roofing-trade program may perform some tasks under direct supervision.

States that explicitly cite HO-16

HO-17

Excavation operations

Min age 18

Excavating, working in, or backfilling trenches more than four feet deep is prohibited under 18, as is operating most earth-moving equipment (bulldozers, backhoes, trenchers) used in excavation work.

Example jobs

  • Operating a backhoe, trencher, or bulldozer
  • Working inside a trench more than four feet deep
  • Backfilling or shoring a deep excavation

Federal citation

29 CFR § 570.68

Narrow exception

Apprentices and student-learners under a registered program may perform some tasks under direct supervision.

States that explicitly cite HO-17

State-only additions beyond federal HOs

States may add restrictions that go further than the federal floor. Below are restrictions Teenwork has indexed that cite a state statute rather than a federal HO. This is not exhaustive — check the linked state page for that state's full list and code citations.

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Alabama · Ala. Code §25-8-43

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 19

    Alabama · Ala. Code §28-3A-25

  • Commercial fishing and crab-pot retrieval for minors under 16

    Alaska · AS §23.10.350

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 21

    Alaska · AS §04.16.049

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without bonded supervisor

    Arizona · A.R.S. §23-233

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 19

    Arizona · A.R.S. §4-244

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Arkansas · A.C.A. §11-6-110

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 19

    Arkansas · A.C.A. §3-3-218

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16

    California · CA Labor Code §1308.1

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16

    Colorado · C.R.S. §8-12-110

  • Marijuana cultivation, manufacturing, or sale (any minor)

    Colorado · C.R.S. §44-10-1101

  • Manufacturing employment for minors under 16

    Connecticut · Conn. Gen. Stat. §31-23

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16

    Connecticut · Conn. Gen. Stat. §31-23a

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Delaware · 19 Del. C. §504

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 18

    Delaware · 4 Del. C. §706

  • Door-to-door sales without adult supervision

    Florida · FL Stat §450.061

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Georgia · O.C.G.A. §39-2-2

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 18 without bonded supervisor

    Hawaii · HRS §390-2

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 18

    Hawaii · HRS §281-78

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Idaho · Idaho Code §44-1308

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 19

    Idaho · Idaho Code §23-1334

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16

    Illinois · 820 ILCS 205/2.1

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Indiana · IC 20-33-3-31

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 19 (servers) or 21 (bartenders)

    Indiana · IC 7.1-5-7-10

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Iowa · Iowa Code §92.7

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 18

    Iowa · Iowa Code §123.49

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Kansas · K.S.A. §38-602

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 21

    Kansas · K.S.A. §41-727

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Kentucky · KRS 339.230

  • Working in coal or other mining operations (any minor)

    Kentucky · KRS 339.230

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Louisiana · La. R.S. 23:213

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 18

    Louisiana · La. R.S. 26:90

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Maine · 26 MRSA §775

  • Logging and sawmilling for minors under 18

    Maine · 26 MRSA §774

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 18 without bonded supervisor

    Maryland · MD Code, Labor and Employment §3-211

  • Selling alcoholic beverages or working in a bar (under 18)

    Maryland · MD Code, Alcoholic Beverages §6-307

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16

    Massachusetts · MGL c.149 §65

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16

    Michigan · MCL §409.116

  • Working without a 30-minute rest after 5 continuous hours

    Michigan · MCL §409.112

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Minnesota · Minn. Stat. §181A.04

  • Working alone in a retail store between 8:00 PM and 6:00 AM (under 18)

    Minnesota · Minn. Stat. §181A.04

  • Mill, cannery, workshop, factory, or manufacturing for minors under 14

    Mississippi · Miss. Code §71-1-19

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 18

    Mississippi · Miss. Code §67-3-53

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Missouri · RSMo §294.040

  • Adult entertainment establishments (any minor)

    Missouri · RSMo §294.040

  • Mining and quarrying for minors under 18

    Montana · MCA §41-2-110

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 18

    Montana · MCA §16-3-301

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Nebraska · Neb. Rev. Stat. §48-302

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 21

    Nebraska · Neb. Rev. Stat. §53-180

  • Gaming or casino work for minors under 21 (gaming floor)

    Nevada · NRS §463.350

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Nevada · NRS §609.245

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    New Hampshire · RSA 276-A:4

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 18

    New Hampshire · RSA 179:23

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 18 without bonded supervisor

    New Jersey · N.J.S.A. 34:2-21.17

  • Beach and pool lifeguard for minors under 16

    New Jersey · NJAC 12:58-3.4

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    New Mexico · NMSA §50-6-3

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 19

    New Mexico · NMSA §60-7B-1

  • Construction work for minors under 18

    New York · NY Labor Law §133

  • Door-to-door sales after dark for minors under 18

    New York · NY Labor Law §137

  • Tobacco harvesting for minors under 14

    North Carolina · NC Gen Stat §95-25.5(j)

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    North Carolina · NC Gen Stat §95-25.5(h)

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    North Dakota · N.D.C.C. §34-07-15

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 21

    North Dakota · N.D.C.C. §5-02-06

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Ohio · OAC 4101:9-2-08

  • Working in or around freezers and meat coolers

    Ohio · ORC §4109.06

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Oklahoma · 40 O.S. §75

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 18

    Oklahoma · 37A O.S. §6-101

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Oregon · ORS 653.345

  • Working alone in a retail establishment for minors under 18

    Oregon · OAR 839-021-0210

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Pennsylvania · 43 P.S. §40.7

  • Construction work and demolition for minors under 18

    Pennsylvania · 43 P.S. §40.7(b)

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Rhode Island · RI Gen Laws §28-3-1

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 18

    Rhode Island · RI Gen Laws §3-8-11.1

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    South Carolina · SC Code §41-13-30

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 18

    South Carolina · SC Code §61-4-50

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    South Dakota · SDCL §60-12-1

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 21

    South Dakota · SDCL §35-9-1

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Tennessee · T.C.A. §50-5-107

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 18

    Tennessee · T.C.A. §57-3-406

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 18 without bonded supervisor

    Texas · TX Labor Code §51.014

  • Sexually oriented businesses (any minor)

    Texas · TX Labor Code §51.016

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Utah · Utah Admin. Code R610-3

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 21

    Utah · Utah Code §32B-1-407

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Vermont · 21 V.S.A. §433

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 18

    Vermont · 7 V.S.A. §658

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Virginia · VA Code §40.1-100.1

  • Tobacco-products sales for minors under 16

    Virginia · VA Code §40.1-100

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16

    Washington · WAC 296-125-033

  • Logging, sawmilling, and timber processing for minors under 18

    Washington · WAC 296-125-030

  • Coal mining and underground mining (any minor)

    West Virginia · WV Code §21-6-2

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    West Virginia · WV Code §21-6-3

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 18

    West Virginia · WV Code §60-3A-25

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Wisconsin · Wis. Stat. §103.23

  • Selling alcohol on premises licensed for sale (under 18)

    Wisconsin · Wis. Stat. §125.07(3)

  • Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision

    Wyoming · W.S. §27-6-107

  • Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 21

    Wyoming · W.S. §12-6-101

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