Florida Minor Labor Laws 2026: Age & Hour Rules for Teen Workers

Florida minor labor laws are found in Florida Statute Chapter 450 and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. Florida's child labor laws were significantly revised in 2015 and again in 2024, with the most recent changes relaxing some restrictions on 16-17 year-olds. These laws exist to protect young workers' health, safety, and access to education, and they apply to nearly every employer in the state, from small retail shops to large regional chains, regardless of company size. Understanding the age-based hour limits, the list of hazardous occupations that are off-limits to anyone under 18, and how the rules changed in 2024 helps employers stay compliant and helps parents and teens know what to expect from a first job.

Florida Minor Labor Laws by Age Group

Minors 14-15 Years Old

• School weeks: Maximum 15 hours per week, 3 hours per school day, work between 7am-7pm (9pm during summer break from June 1 to Labor Day).
• Non-school weeks: Maximum 40 hours per week, 8 hours per day, work between 7am-9pm.
• Permitted occupations: Retail, food service (limited duties), office work, cashiering, bagging, cleanup work, and other non-hazardous jobs.

In practice, this means a 14- or 15-year-old working during the school year might pick up three or four short shifts a week, for example three hours after school on a Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, but cannot be scheduled for a fourth consecutive hour without a 30-minute unpaid meal break. The 3-hour school-day cap and 15-hour weekly cap apply for the entire school year, so employers scheduling younger teens need to track the applicable school calendar rather than assume a generic academic year. Once summer break begins, typically the first week of June through Labor Day, the more generous non-school-week hours apply, letting a 14- or 15-year-old work up to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week, similar to an adult schedule, as long as the work stays inside a non-hazardous occupation.

Minors 16-17 Years Old

• School weeks: Maximum 30 hours per week, 8 hours per school day, work until 11pm on school nights (no restriction on non-school nights).
• Non-school weeks: No weekly hour limit, no daily hour limit, no night work restriction.
• Permitted occupations: Most non-hazardous occupations. Cannot work in jobs declared hazardous by state or federal law.

Florida's 2024 amendments to Chapter 450 (HB 49) relaxed certain restrictions on 16-17 year-olds, including removing the 30-hour weekly limit during school weeks for homeschooled and virtual school students, and allowing 16-17 year-olds to work more than 8 hours on Sundays and holidays even when school is in session the following day.

Even with HB 49's changes, 16- and 17-year-olds are not exempt from every rule. They still cannot be required to work during school hours on a school day, and they remain barred from every hazardous occupation on the state and federal lists below. The homeschool and virtual-school exemption is narrower than it sounds: it removes the 30-hour weekly cap specifically for students enrolled in an approved home education program or full-time virtual school, not for every 16- or 17-year-old. Traditional public and private school students in this age group are still capped at 30 hours a week and 8 hours on a school day.

Prohibited Hazardous Occupations for Minors

Both Florida and federal law prohibit minors under 18 from working in hazardous occupations. These include:

• Manufacturing and storing explosives
• Motor vehicle driving and outside helper on a motor vehicle
• Coal mining and other mining
• Logging and sawmilling
• Power-driven woodworking machines
• Exposure to radioactive substances
• Power-driven hoisting apparatus (including most forklifts)
• Power-driven metal-forming, punching, and shearing machines
• Meat packing and processing (including power-driven meat slicers)
• Power-driven bakery machines
• Power-driven paper products machines
• Manufacturing brick, tile, and related products
• Wrecking, demolition, and shipbreaking
• Roofing operations and work on or about a roof
• Excavation operations

There are limited exceptions for apprentices and student learners in approved programs.

These hazardous occupation limits are largely identical to the federal Hazardous Occupations Orders issued under the FLSA, which is why Florida employers with multi-state operations generally see the same restricted job list nationwide. A minor who turns 18 is no longer subject to any of these restrictions, even mid-shift, though most employers update scheduling systems at the start of the next pay period rather than on the exact birthday.

Florida Work Permits

Florida eliminated work permit requirements for minors in 2015. Employers are no longer required to obtain a work permit or age certificate before hiring a minor. However, employers must still verify the minor's age and comply with all hour and occupation restrictions. The Florida Department of Commerce (formerly the Department of Economic Opportunity) enforces child labor laws.

Before 2015, Florida required minors to obtain a certificate of age, commonly called a work permit, typically issued through their school, before they could start a job. Employers kept these certificates on file as proof that a minor met the state's minimum age and hour requirements. The 2015 law eliminated that certificate requirement statewide, shifting the compliance burden entirely onto employers rather than relying on a permit issued by a third party.

Today, Florida employers must independently confirm a young applicant's date of birth, typically through a birth certificate, driver's license, or similar government-issued ID, and keep accurate records of the hours each minor employee works each day and week. Because there is no permit or certificate to serve as a paper trail, businesses that hire minors are expected to maintain their own scheduling and payroll records demonstrating compliance with the age-based hour limits, since those records are what the Florida Department of Commerce reviews during an investigation or audit.

Florida Child Labor Penalties

Employers who violate Florida's child labor laws may face civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation. Willful or repeated violations can result in higher penalties and potential criminal charges. The Florida Department of Commerce can also issue stop-work orders against employers who violate child labor laws.

A Florida child labor investigation typically starts after a complaint from a parent, employee, or competitor, or during a routine Department of Commerce audit. Investigators generally review time and payroll records, employee birth dates, and job duties to determine whether hour limits or hazardous-occupation restrictions were violated. A stop-work order can halt an employer's ability to operate at the affected location until the violation is corrected, which makes even a single documented complaint costly in lost business time, independent of any fine.

Because Florida law and federal law overlap on child labor protections, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division can also investigate the same conduct under the FLSA, and federal penalties are assessed separately from Florida's state civil penalties. Employers operating in multiple states should not assume that resolving a Florida-specific violation also resolves any federal exposure, or vice versa.

What Parents and Minors Should Know About Their Rights

Florida minor labor laws are meant to protect young workers, and both parents and minors have a role in making sure those protections are actually followed in practice. A few practical points worth knowing before a teen accepts a job offer:

• Keep your own hour records. Because Florida no longer issues work permits, there's no independent third party tracking a minor's weekly hours. Teens and parents should keep a simple log of scheduled and actual hours worked, especially during the school year when the 15-hour or 30-hour weekly caps apply.
• Know the meal break rule. Any minor under 18 who works more than 4 consecutive hours is entitled to an uninterrupted 30-minute meal break, regardless of age group or time of year.
• Hazardous work is off-limits regardless of consent. A minor, or a parent on their behalf, cannot waive the hazardous occupation restrictions. Assigning a 17-year-old to operate a forklift or work on a roof violates the law even if the employee is willing.
• Report suspected violations. Complaints can be filed with the Florida Department of Commerce or the federal Wage and Hour Division. The two agencies can investigate independently of each other.
• Retaliation is not allowed. Employers cannot legally fire, cut hours, or otherwise punish a minor employee, or a parent who raises concerns, for reporting a suspected child labor violation.

Parents evaluating a teen's first job offer should ask directly about the expected weekly schedule and confirm it fits within the hour limits set by Florida minor labor laws for the child's specific age group before the teen accepts a shift.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum age to work in Florida?

Fourteen is the general minimum age to work in Florida. Limited exceptions exist for children of any age working in family businesses (excluding hazardous occupations), agriculture outside school hours, newspaper delivery, and performing arts or entertainment, which typically require special arrangements rather than a standard work schedule.

Does Florida still require a work permit for minors?

No. Florida eliminated the work permit, or certificate of age, requirement in 2015. Employers are not required to obtain any paperwork from a minor's school before hiring them, but they must still independently verify the minor's age and follow all applicable florida minor labor laws on hours and occupations.

How many hours can a 15-year-old work in Florida during the school year?

During a school week, a 15-year-old, like any minor aged 14 or 15, is limited to 15 hours total, no more than 3 hours on a school day, and only between 7am and 7pm (extended to 9pm during the summer). These limits reset to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week once school is out of session.

Can a 17-year-old work past 11pm in Florida?

Only on nights that aren't followed by a school day, or during weeks when school isn't in session. On school nights, 16- and 17-year-olds are generally limited to working until 11pm. HB 49's 2024 changes added an exception allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to work more than 8 hours on Sundays and holidays even when school follows the next day.

What jobs are minors prohibited from doing in Florida?

Minors under 18 cannot work in occupations Florida and federal law classify as hazardous, including roofing, excavation, demolition, mining, meat packing, and operating most power-driven machinery. The full list appears in the Prohibited Hazardous Occupations section above; it's largely the same nationwide because it mirrors the federal Hazardous Occupations Orders.

Do minors get paid the same minimum wage as adults in Florida?

Yes. Florida's minimum wage applies to minor employees the same as it applies to adults, currently $14.00 per hour, rising to $15.00 per hour on September 30, 2026. The one narrow exception is a federal youth minimum wage of $4.25 per hour, which employers may pay to workers under 20 during their first 90 consecutive calendar days on the job, after which the full state minimum wage applies.

What happens if an employer violates Florida's child labor laws?

Employers can face civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation, with higher penalties possible for willful or repeated violations. The Florida Department of Commerce can also issue a stop-work order, and the federal Department of Labor may pursue separate enforcement under the FLSA for the same conduct.

Who enforces Florida minor labor laws?

The Florida Department of Commerce (formerly the Department of Economic Opportunity) enforces state child labor law under Chapter 450, while the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division enforces the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. The two agencies can investigate the same employer independently, so resolving a complaint with one does not automatically resolve it with the other.

Related: Florida Labor Laws Guide · Florida Break Laws · Florida Labor Laws for Salaried Employees