LA · State teen labor law
Louisiana teen labor law — work hours, permits, and restricted jobs
Louisiana requires a school-issued Employment Certificate for every minor under 18. Act 364 (2024) removed the 11:00 PM school-night curfew for 16-17-year-olds, leaving only federal hazardous-occupation protections in place for that age group.
Quick facts
School year vs summer hour caps
Louisiana applies similar caps year-round, with small calendar adjustments shown below. Each age band below shows both calendars side-by-side — a distinction federal summaries and most state-comparison tables skip.
Ages 14–15
School year
When school is in session
- Hrs/day (school day)
- 3 hr
- Hrs/day (Sat / Sun / holiday)
- 8 hr
- Max hours per week
- 18 hr
- Time window
- 07:00 – 19:00
Note: No work during school hours.
Summer / school breaks
When school is out
- Max hours per day
- 8 hr
- Max hours per week
- 40 hr
- Time window
- 07:00 – 21:00
Note: Summer hours apply when public schools are not in session.
Ages 16–17
School year
When school is in session
- Max hours per day
- No state limit
- Max hours per week
- No state limit
- Time window
- No state limit
Note: Louisiana imposes no state hour or time-of-day restriction on 16- and 17-year-olds (Act 364, 2024 removed the prior 11:00 PM school-night curfew). Federal FLSA also has no hour cap for this age group in non-hazardous work.
Summer / school breaks
When school is out
- Max hours per day
- No state limit
- Max hours per week
- No state limit
- Time window
- No state limit
Work permit
Louisiana requires a work permit for minors aged 14–17.
The minor obtains an offer of employment from the prospective employer, then applies for the Employment Certificate at their school. A parent or guardian must sign. The certificate is job-specific and must be reissued for each new employer. The school forwards a copy to the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
Form: Louisiana Employment Certificate
Louisiana work-permit reference (official source) →
Jobs by age
Age-specific guides to common allowed jobs in Louisiana, with the federal hour caps and the state’s stricter rules built in.
Restricted occupations
All federal hazardous orders HO-1 through HO-17
Federal: 29 CFR Part 570
Operating power-driven meat-processing machines
Federal: HO-10
Roofing operations and work on or about a roof
Federal: HO-16
Door-to-door sales for minors under 16 without adult supervision
State: La. R.S. 23:213
Sale or service of alcohol for minors under 18
State: La. R.S. 26:90
See the full federal hazardous orders (HO-1 to HO-17) for plain-English summaries, or the Louisiana hazardous-orders deep-dive for the federal floor plus Louisiana-specific additions.
Breaks & meal periods
Louisiana requires a meal break for minor workers. Federal law (the FLSA) mandates no break at any age, so this state rule is the binding one for teens.
- Meal break
- 30 minutes
- Required after
- 5 consecutive hours
- Pay treatment
- Unpaid
Unpaid when the teen is completely relieved of duty.
Applies only to minors under 16: no such minor may work any 5-hour period without a 30-minute meal interval within it, and the interval is not counted as working time (unpaid). As of August 1, 2024, 16- and 17-year-olds are no longer covered and fall back to the federal floor (no required break). A short overrun (up to 10 minutes) or a break of at least 20 minutes is treated as compliant.
See the federal breaks & meal-period reference for how the FLSA treats paid rest breaks vs unpaid meal periods, and why a mandatory teen break can only come from state law.
Statute: La. R.S. § 23:213
Pay & minimum wage
Louisiana sets no independent minimum-wage rate, so the federal Fair Labor Standards Act governs: a $7.25 standard minimum and a $4.25 youth minimum for workers under 20 during their first 90 consecutive calendar days. Confirm the current figures before relying on them.
- How minors are paid
- Federal minimum-wage rules
- State minimum wage
- No state rate
- Below-minimum youth rate
- Permitted
- Subminimum structure
- Federal $4.25 youth minimum for under-20s during the first 90 consecutive calendar days (29 USC § 206(g)); FLSA learner / student certificates also apply.
The federal minimum applies instead.
Louisiana has never enacted a state minimum-wage law and bars cities and parishes from setting their own (La. R.S. 23:642), so the federal Fair Labor Standards Act is the only floor. That includes the $4.25 youth minimum a teen under 20 can be paid for the first 90 consecutive calendar days, with no certificate.
Rates change yearly. This page describes the legal structure, not the current dollar amount. State and federal minimum wages are adjusted regularly — always verify the live figure with your state Department of Labor or the U.S. DOL before relying on it.
See the federal youth minimum wage reference for the $4.25 90-day rule, student / learner certificates, the tipped cash wage, and how a higher state minimum wins.
Statute: La. R.S. 23:642 (local preemption); 29 USC § 206 (FLSA)
Agricultural work carve-out
Louisiana largely mirrors the federal agricultural carve-out under FLSA § 213(c)(1). The rules below confirm what applies for farm work in this state.
Mirrors federal Ag HO-1 to Ag HO-11.
Louisiana's Employment of Minors statute carries an explicit agricultural carve-out — La. R.S. § 23:151 reads that "the provisions of this Part shall not apply to minors employed in agriculture, [or] domestic services in private homes," nor shall they be construed as conflicting with compulsory-attendance laws. As a result, Louisiana imposes no state minimum age, no daily/weekly hour cap, no time-of-day restriction, no state Employment Certificate, and no state-specific hazardous-occupations list on minor agricultural employment. The federal § 213(c) floor governs commercial farm work: 14+ off-farm in non-hazardous ag outside school hours; 12-13 with written parental consent or on the same farm where a parent is employed; under-12 only on farms not subject to FLSA minimum-wage rules. The standard federal § 213(c)(1) parent-owned-farm exemption applies. Federal Ag HO-1 to Ag HO-11 govern at 16+ off the family farm, with the federal student-learner and 4-H tractor-certification carve-outs at 14-15.
See the federal agricultural-work reference for the FLSA § 213(c) baseline, parental-exemption rules, and the Ag HO-1 to Ag HO-11 hazardous list.
Statute: La. R.S. § 23:151 (state Employment of Minors provisions do not apply to minors employed in agriculture)
Family-business carve-out
Louisiana largely mirrors the federal parent-owned-business carve-out under FLSA § 213(c)(1)(C). The rules below confirm what applies when a minor works for a parent-owned business in this state.
Federal hazardous orders always apply — the parent-owned-business carve-out never reaches mining, manufacturing, or HO-listed work.
Louisiana's Employment of Minors statute requires a school-issued Employment Certificate for every minor under 18 in non-exempt employment, but carries forward the federal § 213(c)(1)(C) parent-employed framework: a minor working for the minor's own parent (or person standing in the place of the parent) in a non-hazardous, non-mining, non-manufacturing business owned, operated, or controlled by that parent falls outside the act's general permit and hour-cap reach. Act 364 (2024) further loosened state restrictions by removing the 11:00 PM school-night curfew for 16-17-year-olds. Federal hazardous orders HO-1 through HO-17 always apply (no parent-owned-business carve-out exists for them), and parent-owned manufacturing or mining employment for under-16 remains barred by federal law regardless of parent ownership. Entertainment-industry minors are governed separately under the Louisiana Entertainment Industry Minors' Trust Account Act (Act 369 of 2018) — see the Entertainment section on this page. Verify the specific business context with the Louisiana Workforce Commission before relying on the carve-out.
See the federal family-business reference for the FLSA § 213(c)(1)(C) baseline, ownership-structure rules, and the hazardous-occupations overlay that always applies.
Statute: La. R.S. §§ 23:151 et seq. (Employment of Minors); federal mirror of 29 USC § 213(c)(1)(C)
Entertainment-industry carve-out
Child performers in film, TV, theater, and modeling are regulated separately from general teen employment. These rules override the general age-band hour caps above when a minor is working on set or on stage.
Child Performer Employment Variance
Issued by: Louisiana Workforce Commission
Coogan-style blocked trust set up by parent or guardian.
Louisiana's Entertainment Industry Minors' Trust Account Act (Act 369 of 2018) requires 15% of a child performer's gross compensation from in-state motion-picture, TV, or theatrical work to be deposited in a blocked trust account established by the parent or guardian, accessible to the minor at age 18. The Louisiana Workforce Commission may grant a written variance from the standard child-labor hour caps for minors engaged in entertainment-industry work; specific on-set conditions (hours, breaks, schooling, breaks for infants) are set in the variance order rather than by general statute. Louisiana does not mandate a certified studio teacher by statute, though productions typically employ one to satisfy compulsory-attendance laws. Verify current requirements with the Louisiana Workforce Commission before production starts.
Statute: La. R.S. 23:151 et seq. (Employment of Minors); Louisiana Entertainment Industry Minors' Trust Account Act (Act 369 of 2018)
Where these rules come from
State code: Louisiana Revised Statutes 23:151-23:258 (Employment of Minors)
US DOL Wage & Hour Division: https://www.laworks.net/WorkforceDev/EWS/EWS_Main.asp
Last verified:
Informational only — verify with the Louisiana Department of Labor before hiring or starting work.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a 14-year-old work in Louisiana?
- Yes — under Louisiana law a 14-year-old can work up to 3 hours per school day, up to 18 hours per week, between 07:00 and 19:00. A Louisiana work permit is required.
- How many hours can a 15-year-old work during school in Louisiana?
- When school is in session, Louisiana allows a 15-year-old to work up to 3 hours per school day, up to 18 hours per week, between 07:00 and 19:00. During summer or school breaks the cap rises to up to 8 hours per school day, up to 40 hours per week, between 07:00 and 21:00.
- Does Louisiana require a work permit for minors?
- Yes — Louisiana requires a work permit for minors aged 14-17 (form: Louisiana Employment Certificate). The minor obtains an offer of employment from the prospective employer, then applies for the Employment Certificate at their school. A parent or guardian must sign. The certificate is job-specific and must be reissued for each new employer. The school forwards a copy to the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
- Does a minor get a meal break in Louisiana?
- Yes. Louisiana requires a 30-minute unpaid meal break once a worker reaches 5 consecutive hours; the rule applies to minors. Federal law sets no break requirement at any age, so the state rule is the binding one. See the breaks section on this page for the exact age scope and the statute.
- Can a teen be paid less than minimum wage in Louisiana?
- Yes, for a limited window. Louisiana follows the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows a $4.25 youth minimum wage for workers under 20 during their first 90 consecutive calendar days; after that the $7.25 federal minimum applies. Minimum-wage dollar amounts change almost every year, so confirm the current figure with the Louisiana Department of Labor. See the Pay and minimum wage section on this page.
- What jobs can a minor not do in Louisiana?
- Louisiana prohibits minors from a number of hazardous occupations, including: all federal hazardous orders ho-1 through ho-17; operating power-driven meat-processing machines; roofing operations and work on or about a roof. The full list of federal hazardous orders (HO-1 through HO-17) also applies. See the Louisiana Revised Statutes 23:151-23:258 (Employment of Minors) citation on this page for the statutory source.