Seasonal guide
Teen summer work hours — how the rules change when school's out
When school lets out, the tight school-day hour caps lift — a 14- or 15-year-old who could only work 3 hours on a school day can work a full shift in the summer. But the minimum age, work-permit requirement, and restricted-job bans don't budge. This guide explains exactly what changes, what stays the same, and gives a per-state summer quick reference for the two ages where it matters most.
Updated:
What changes and what stays the same in summer
What changes when school is out
- Daily hours go up. The 3-hour school-day cap for 14- and 15-year-olds is replaced by an 8-hour limit under federal law (states may cap lower).
- Weekly hours go up. The 18-hour federal school-week cap rises to 40 hours.
- Evenings extend. The 7 p.m. nightly cutoff for 14- and 15-year-olds moves to 9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day.
What stays exactly the same
- Minimum work age. Summer never lowers the age a minor may start working.
- Work permits. If your state requires one, it's required year-round — get it before the hiring rush.
- Restricted & hazardous jobs. The federal hazardous-orders list and state restricted-occupation bans apply every day of the year.
- Stricter rule wins. Where state and federal law differ, the tighter limit always governs — in summer too.
The federal summer baseline (14- and 15-year-olds)
The Fair Labor Standards Act sets the floor every state builds on. When school is not in session, a 14- or 15-year-old in non-agricultural work may work:
- • Up to 8 hours per day
- • Up to 40 hours per week
- • Between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. (the 9 p.m. evening applies June 1 – Labor Day; otherwise 7 p.m.)
16- and 17-year-olds have no federal hour limit in any season, though some states still cap them — see the per-state quick reference below. For the full federal rule set, see the FLSA child-labor quick reference.
Summer hours by state — 14- and 15-year-olds
Each cell shows the state's summer (school-out) max hours per day / per week. “No state limit” means the federal FLSA cap applies (8/40 for 14–15). Tap a state for its full rules, including the exact evening cutoff and work-permit details.
| State | Age 14 — hrs/day / week | Age 15 — hrs/day / week | Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Alaska | 9 hr / 40 hr | 9 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Arizona | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
| Arkansas | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
| California | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Colorado | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
| Connecticut | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Delaware | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Florida | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
| Georgia | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Hawaii | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Idaho | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
| Illinois | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Indiana | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
| Iowa | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Kansas | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
| Kentucky | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
| Louisiana | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Maine | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Maryland | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Massachusetts | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Michigan | 8 hr / 48 hr | 8 hr / 48 hr | Required |
| Minnesota | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
| Mississippi | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
| Missouri | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Montana | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
| Nebraska | 8 hr / 48 hr | 8 hr / 48 hr | Required |
| Nevada | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| New Hampshire | 8 hr / 48 hr | 8 hr / 48 hr | Required |
| New Jersey | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| New Mexico | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| New York | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| North Carolina | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| North Dakota | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Ohio | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Oklahoma | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
| Oregon | 10 hr / 40 hr | 10 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Pennsylvania | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Rhode Island | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| South Carolina | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
| South Dakota | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
| Tennessee | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
| Texas | 8 hr / 48 hr | 8 hr / 48 hr | Not required |
| Utah | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
| Vermont | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
| Virginia | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Washington | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| West Virginia | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Wisconsin | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Required |
| Wyoming | 8 hr / 40 hr | 8 hr / 40 hr | Not required |
Need a single-state answer with age and school status? Use the homepage lookup, or open the full comparison table and switch it to the summer view for all four ages.
Get the work permit before summer hiring starts
The single most common summer hold-up is the work permit. In states that require one, the permit is frequently issued by the teen's school — and schools are often closed or short-staffed over the break. Start the application in late spring so a job offer isn't delayed by paperwork. See the work-permit guides for who issues the permit in your state and what documents you need. Summer farm work follows a separate, looser set of rules — see the agricultural work rules.
Summer work hours — FAQ
- Can a 14- or 15-year-old work full-time during the summer?
- Under federal law, 14- and 15-year-olds may work up to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week when school is out — far more than the 3-hours-a-day / 18-hours-a-week cap that applies on a school day. The work must fall between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day. Many states set lower limits, so check your state in the quick-reference table below. 16- and 17-year-olds have no federal hour limit in any season.
- Does my teen still need a work permit in the summer?
- Yes. If your state requires a work permit (employment certificate) for minors, that requirement applies year-round — summer does not waive it. Apply before the summer hiring rush: in many states the permit is issued by the teen's school, which may be closed or slow over the break, so plan ahead.
- When does “summer” or “school out of session” officially start for work-hour rules?
- It follows your local school district's calendar, not a fixed national date. The relaxed daily caps apply only when school is genuinely not in session for that student. Students on a year-round or balanced calendar follow their own school schedule, so their “summer” hours may differ from the traditional June–August window.
- Can a 15-year-old work past 9 p.m. in the summer?
- Under federal law, 14- and 15-year-olds may work until 9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day (the cutoff drops back to 7 p.m. the rest of the year). States can impose an earlier cutoff that wins over the federal rule, so check your state's page. 16- and 17-year-olds have no federal nighttime restriction.
- Do the minimum-age and hazardous-job rules change in summer?
- No. The minimum age to work, the federal hazardous-occupation bans (HO-1 through HO-17), and any state restricted-occupation list apply every day of the year. Summer only relaxes the hour and time-of-day caps for 14- and 15-year-olds — it never lets a minor take a job that's off-limits during the school year.