CO · age-by-state job guide
What jobs can a 16 year old do in Colorado?
Quick answer for 16-year-olds in Colorado — what hours are legal, whether a work permit is required, and the most common allowed jobs. Built directly from Colorado state labor code.
Updated:
Quick answer
- Can a 16-year-old work?
- Yes
- Work permit
- Not required
- Minimum work age
- 14+
In Colorado
Legal work hours
Colorado sets different hour caps depending on whether school is in session.
During the school year
- Hours per day
- No state limit
- Hours per week
- No state limit
- Time window
- 05:00 – 00:30
No state weekly hour cap. 16-17-year-olds may not work between 12:30 AM and 5:00 AM when a school day follows.
Summer / school breaks
- Hours per day
- No state limit
- Hours per week
- No state limit
- Time window
- No state limit
Time-of-day restrictions lift on non-school nights; federal FLSA has no cap for this age group.
Common allowed jobs for a 16-year-old
General age-appropriate jobs under federal FLSA. Colorado adds its own restricted-occupations list below — check that before accepting any job.
- Cooking and baking with grills and deep fryers
Colorado imposes no state weekly hour cap on 16-17-year-olds. The only time-of-day restriction is a 12:30 AM to 5:00 AM curfew on nights preceding a school day; the curfew lifts on non-school nights.
- Lifeguard at any pool, water park, or beach (with certification)
- Cashier, sales associate, or stocker at any retail establishment
- Office assistant, receptionist, or data-entry clerk
- Ski-resort, summer-camp, or outdoor-rec staff (seasonal)
- Park, recreation, and camp staff
- Warehouse jobs without power-driven hoists (HO-7) or forklifts
Marijuana cultivation, manufacturing, or retail sale stays off-limits for any minor under C.R.S. § 44-10-1101.
- Hotel and hospitality front-of-house roles
Restricted in Colorado
- All federal hazardous orders HO-1 through HO-17(29 CFR Part 570)
- Operating power-driven meat-processing machines(HO-10)
- Roofing operations and work on or about a roof(HO-16)
- Door-to-door sales for minors under 16(C.R.S. §8-12-110)
- Marijuana cultivation, manufacturing, or sale (any minor)(C.R.S. §44-10-1101)
- Retail liquor stores, marijuana dispensaries, casinos, and adult-entertainment venues (any minor under 18)(7 CCR 1103-20 (Youth Employment Standards Rules, eff. Feb. 1, 2026))
Related guides
Read the full Colorado rules
This page summarizes the rules for 16-year-olds. For all ages, age-band breakdown, statute citation, and DOL references, see the full state page.