Under federal law, a 14-year-old can work up to 3 hours on a school day and 18 hours in a school week, rising to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week when school is not in session. All work has to fall between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., except from June 1 through Labor Day, when the evening cutoff moves to 9 p.m. That is how many hours a 14-year-old can work under the federal floor; some states cap the numbers lower, and a few situations sit outside the rules entirely.
Hours During the School Year
The school-week caps come from 29 CFR 570.35, which governs non-agricultural work for 14- and 15-year-olds. In any week school is in session, a 14-year-old is limited to 3 hours on a school day and 18 hours total for the week.1eCFR. 29 CFR 570.35 – Hours of Work and Conditions of Employment Permitted for Minors 14 and 15 Years of Age The 3-hour daily cap applies on Fridays too, which catches some employers off guard.
What counts as “in session” tracks the district where the minor lives, not where the employer is located. A teen whose district starts classes in mid-August drops back to the school-year cap even if neighboring districts are still on break.
Hours When School Is Out
During summer, holiday weeks, and any other period the district is not holding classes, the limits loosen. A 14-year-old can work up to 8 hours in a single day and up to 40 hours in a week, matching a standard adult full-time schedule.2eCFR. 29 CFR 570.35 – Hours of Work and Conditions of Employment Permitted for Minors 14 and 15 Years of Age The daily cap does not disappear; a 12-hour shift is still off the table even in July.
What Hours of the Day Are Allowed
Whatever the daily total, work has to happen inside a fixed window. During most of the year that window is 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. No early opening shifts, no closing shifts that run past dinner.
From June 1 through Labor Day, the evening cutoff extends to 9 p.m.2eCFR. 29 CFR 570.35 – Hours of Work and Conditions of Employment Permitted for Minors 14 and 15 Years of Age The 7 p.m. rule returns the day after Labor Day, regardless of when local schools reopen.
The Hour Limits Assume the Job Itself Is Legal
Fourteen-year-olds are restricted to non-manufacturing, non-hazardous work. Permitted jobs include office and clerical tasks, cashiering and bagging in retail, kitchen prep and dishwashing, tutoring and computer work, errand and bicycle delivery, and light grounds cleanup like raking and sweeping.3eCFR. 29 CFR 570.34 – Occupations That May Be Performed by Minors 14 and 15 Years of Age
Plenty of nearby tasks are off-limits. A 14-year-old can load a commercial dishwasher but cannot run a power-driven meat slicer, food processor, or dough mixer. Baking is banned. So is working inside a walk-in freezer beyond a quick trip to grab something.4U.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 Compactors, balers, forklifts, and driving on public roads are also prohibited.5U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act for Nonagricultural Occupations Lifeguarding is allowed at 15 with certification, but not at 14.3eCFR. 29 CFR 570.34 – Occupations That May Be Performed by Minors 14 and 15 Years of Age
Situations Where the Standard Hour Caps Do Not Apply
Federal law recognizes a handful of exceptions that change the hour answer significantly.
Working for a Parent
A 14-year-old working in a non-hazardous job for a parent’s business is not treated as “oppressive child labor” under the FLSA, so the standard hour caps and job restrictions do not apply. The carveout covers businesses owned or operated by a parent or someone standing in place of a parent, and it stops short of manufacturing, mining, and any occupation the Secretary of Labor has declared hazardous.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 29 USC 203 – Definitions A parent who runs a landscaping company can have their 14-year-old handle office work or non-hazardous fieldwork without watching the 3-hour school-day clock, but still cannot put the child on a commercial riding mower.
Farm Work
Agriculture runs on separate rules. Federal law sets no maximum daily or weekly hours for a minor in agricultural work, and the time-of-day window does not apply. A 14-year-old can work any non-hazardous farm job outside of school hours.7Congress.gov. The Fair Labor Standards Act Child Labor Provisions Certain hazardous farm tasks are normally reserved for workers 16 and older, though 14- and 15-year-olds who complete training through 4-H or vocational agriculture programs can perform some of them. On a parent-owned farm, the hazardous-work limits fall away for that child.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 29 USC 213 – Exemptions
School-Supervised Work Programs
Federal regulations at 29 CFR 570.36 and 570.37 allow modified hours for 14- and 15-year-olds enrolled in approved school-supervised work-experience or work-study programs. Participants can work during hours that would otherwise break the standard caps, provided the program meets specific federal criteria.2eCFR. 29 CFR 570.35 – Hours of Work and Conditions of Employment Permitted for Minors 14 and 15 Years of Age A guidance counselor or career services office can confirm whether a specific program qualifies.
Newspaper Delivery and Acting
Delivering newspapers directly to consumers and working as a performer or actor are exempt from the FLSA’s child labor provisions entirely, at any age below 14 as well.5U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act for Nonagricultural Occupations
State Law Can Set a Lower Cap
Federal rules are a floor. When a state’s child labor law is stricter than the FLSA, the state law controls; when it is weaker, the federal rule applies.9eCFR. 29 CFR Part 570 – Child Labor Regulations, Orders and Statements of Interpretation Some states cap the school week below 18 hours, require rest periods that federal law does not, limit consecutive workdays, or move the evening cutoff earlier than 7 p.m. during school weeks.
Federal law itself does not require meal or rest breaks for any employee, minor or not, but a number of states mandate minimum rest time in each 24-hour period for young workers.10U.S. Department of Labor. Breaks and Meal Periods Before relying on the federal numbers, check the labor department for the state where the teen will actually be working. The U.S. Department of Labor publishes a comparison chart of state child labor standards as a starting point.11U.S. Department of Labor. Selected State Child Labor Standards Affecting Minors Under 18 in Non-farm Employment
Work Permits Before the First Shift
Most states require a 14-year-old to obtain an employment certificate, usually called a work permit, before starting the job. Requirements vary, but the process generally involves proof of age (a birth certificate or passport), a parent or guardian signature, and the employer’s description of the job duties and expected schedule. Many states also require a school official to sign off that the arrangement will not interfere with academics.12U.S. Department of Labor. Employment/Age Certificate The completed permit is kept on file at the workplace.
Pay at 14
A 14-year-old is entitled to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, the same as any other covered employee. Employers may pay a youth subminimum wage of $4.25 per hour, but only during the first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment and only for workers under 20.13U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #32: Youth Minimum Wage – Fair Labor Standards Act The 90-day clock starts on the first day of work and runs continuously whether the teen works every day or not. After 90 days, the rate must be at least $7.25. Where a state minimum wage is higher, the higher rate applies.