Whether minors can close at work comes down to age and task. Federal law bars 14- and 15-year-olds from working past 7 p.m. during the school year and past 9 p.m. in the summer, which shuts them out of almost any closing shift. Sixteen- and 17-year-olds face no federal cap on evening hours, but state law often cuts them off between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on school nights, and several routine closing tasks—running a cardboard baler, cleaning a meat slicer, making a late delivery—are off-limits to anyone under 18 no matter what time it is.
Why 14- and 15-Year-Olds Effectively Can’t Close
The federal hour rules for this age group are strict and leave almost no room for closing shifts. Under 29 CFR 570.35, workers who are 14 or 15 can only be on the clock:
- Between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. during the school year, extending to 9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day
- No more than 3 hours on a school day and 18 hours in a school week
- No more than 8 hours on a non-school day and 40 hours in a non-school week1eCFR. 29 CFR 570.35 – Hours Limitations
A shop that closes at 9 p.m. in July would need a 15-year-old employee clocked out at 9 p.m. sharp, which leaves no time for after-hours cleanup. During the school year, the 7 p.m. cutoff eliminates closing shifts almost entirely.
16- and 17-Year-Olds: Federal Rules Say Yes, State Rules May Not
Once a worker turns 16, the Fair Labor Standards Act stops regulating hours and time of day. Federally, a 16-year-old can legally close a shift that ends at midnight.2U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 43 – Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act for Nonagricultural Occupations
State law is where the answer usually gets decided. Many states impose their own nighttime cutoffs for 16- and 17-year-olds on school nights, commonly landing between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., with some allowing later hours before non-school days. A few require parental consent for late shifts. When federal and state rules disagree, the stricter one controls.3U.S. Department of Labor. Selected State Child Labor Standards Affecting Minors Under 18 in Non-farm Employment
Before agreeing to close, check your state labor department’s website for the school-night cutoff and any consent requirement. The federal green light is not the whole answer.
Closing Tasks That Are Off-Limits Until Age 18
Being old enough to stay for the shift is not the same as being allowed to do everything the shift involves. The Department of Labor’s Hazardous Occupations Orders ban certain tasks for anyone under 18, and two of them are staples of end-of-night work in retail and food service.
Balers and Trash Compactors
Loading, operating, or assisting with a power-driven cardboard baler or trash compactor is prohibited for workers under 18. Feeding cardboard into the machine counts, not just pressing the buttons.4eCFR. 29 CFR 570.63 – Occupations Involved in the Operation of Balers, Compactors, and Paper-Products Machines (Order 12) A manager who tells a 17-year-old to break down boxes and run them through the baler at close has just committed a federal child labor violation.
Meat Slicers and Similar Machines
No one under 18 can operate a power-driven meat slicer, saw, or chopper. The rule applies even when the machine is being used for cheese or vegetables, and it covers cleaning the machine, including hand-washing disassembled parts.5U.S. Department of Labor. What Jobs Are Off-Limits for Kids?
Cooking Equipment for 14- and 15-Year-Olds
In the narrow cases where a 14- or 15-year-old is on shift late enough to help close a kitchen, the cooking restrictions matter. This age group can use electric or gas grills without an open flame and deep fryers with automatic basket-lowering devices, but not rotisseries, broilers, pressurized fryers, or other high-temperature equipment. They can handle cooking oil and clean kitchen surfaces only when temperatures are at or below 100°F.6eCFR. 29 CFR Part 570 – Child Labor Regulations, Orders and Statements Draining fryer oil or scrubbing a still-hot grill likely crosses that line.
Driving at Night
Federal law generally prohibits anyone under 18 from driving on the job. A narrow exception lets licensed 17-year-olds drive cars or small trucks under 6,000 pounds during daylight hours for limited distances, but time-sensitive delivery work like pizza runs is banned outright, and so is any on-the-job driving after dark.7U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 2A – Child Labor Rules for Employing Youth in Restaurants and Quick-Service Establishments Under the Fair Labor Standards Act A 17-year-old closing a pizza shop cannot make the last delivery, and no minor should be asked to drive a bank deposit at night.
What a Teen Can Do at Close
For 16- and 17-year-olds, most typical closing duties are fine: mopping, wiping tables, counting a register, restocking, taking trash bags out by hand, and locking up. The prohibited list is short but rigid, and it’s the equipment that’s the problem, not the task category.
The Family Business Exception
Children under 16 who work for a business solely owned by their parent (or someone standing in place of a parent) are exempt from the federal hour and time-of-day limits. A 14-year-old helping close their parent’s shop at 10 p.m. is not violating federal law.8U.S. Department of Labor. FLSA – Child Labor Rules Advisor – Exemptions
The exception is narrower than it sounds. The parent must be the sole owner; a partnership or minority stake doesn’t qualify. And the hazardous-occupations list still applies, so a parent who owns a deli still can’t hand the meat slicer to their 15-year-old. State law may also override the federal exemption, so check locally before relying on it.
Breaks on Longer Closing Shifts
Federal law requires no meal or rest breaks for workers of any age, but more than 35 states have separate break rules that apply specifically to minors, typically a 30-minute meal break after a set number of consecutive hours. Closing shifts run longer than the after-school shifts many teens work, so these break rules are more likely to trigger.9U.S. Department of Labor. Minimum Length of Meal Period Required Under State Law A missed break is a separate violation from an hour-limit violation, not a lesser one.
If You’re Being Asked To Work Illegal Hours or Tasks
A teen who’s being scheduled past legal cutoffs, or told to run a baler or slicer, can file a complaint with the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division online or by calling 1-866-487-9243. The nearest field office responds within two business days, no lawyer is needed, and the process is confidential.10U.S. Department of Labor. Filing a Complaint With the Wage and Hour Division
Before filing, gather the employer’s name and address, a description of the work and hours, and any pay stubs or schedule records you can pull together. If investigators find violations, they can order the employer to change its practices and pay back wages where the law requires it. Federal civil penalties reach $16,035 per affected minor, and much higher amounts apply when a violation causes serious injury or was willful or repeated.11U.S. Department of Labor. Civil Money Penalty Inflation Adjustments State penalties can stack on top.