Florida child labor laws set 14 as the general minimum working age and add tighter rules the younger the worker is: how many hours a minor can work, when those hours can fall, which jobs are off-limits, and what meal breaks the employer owes. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation enforces the rules and can fine or criminally charge employers who break them.
Minimum Age To Work in Florida
No one aged 13 or younger may hold a paying job in most industries, which makes 14 the effective floor for typical part-time or seasonal work like retail, food service, or office jobs.1Florida Senate. Florida Code 450.021 – Minimum Age; General A few narrow exceptions let younger children work: as pages in the Florida Legislature, in the entertainment industry under a separate permitting process, or doing domestic or farm work connected to their own home or their parents’ farm during non-school hours. Newspaper sales and distribution are open to children aged 11 and older.
Once a worker turns 16, the tightest scheduling rules loosen and more occupations open up. Before hiring any minor, an employer must verify the worker’s age and keep proof on file for the whole period of employment. Acceptable documents include a photocopy of a birth certificate, driver’s license, passport, or an age certificate from the local school board.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 450.045 – Proof of Identity and Age; Posting of Notices
Work Hours for 14- and 15-Year-Olds
The youngest legal workers face the strictest schedule. When school is in session, a 14- or 15-year-old can work no more than 15 hours per week and no more than 3 hours on any school day, unless there is no school the next day. Shifts cannot start before 7 a.m. or run past 7 p.m. on nights before a school day, and the minor cannot work more than 6 consecutive days in a week.3The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 450.081 – Hours of Work in Certain Occupations
During summer and school holidays the limits loosen but don’t vanish. A 14- or 15-year-old can work up to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week, still not before 7 a.m., but the evening cutoff extends to 9 p.m.
Federal law under the Fair Labor Standards Act caps this age group at 18 hours per week during the school year and forbids any work during school hours.4U.S. Department of Labor. Non-Agricultural Jobs – 14-15 Florida’s 15-hour cap is stricter, so it controls; the federal ban on working during school hours applies on its own terms.
Work Hours for 16- and 17-Year-Olds
Older teen workers get more room. When school is in session, a 16- or 17-year-old can work up to 30 hours per week and up to 8 hours on any day before a school day. Shifts cannot start before 6:30 a.m. or run past 11 p.m. the night before a school day. On school days themselves, a 16- or 17-year-old who is not enrolled in a career education program cannot work during school hours.3The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 450.081 – Hours of Work in Certain Occupations
A change effective July 1, 2024 allows a parent, custodian, or school superintendent to waive the 30-hour weekly cap for a 16- or 17-year-old. The waiver must be on a form prescribed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and given to the employer. Without it, the 30-hour limit stands.
When school is not in session, Florida sets no hour limits on 16- and 17-year-olds, and neither does federal law. A 17-year-old working full-time over summer break has no statutory cap on weekly hours, though the meal break rule below still applies.
Required Meal Breaks
Florida requires meal breaks for minor employees, but the trigger depends on age. Workers aged 15 and younger must get an uninterrupted 30-minute meal period for every 4 continuous hours of work. A break shorter than 30 minutes does not count as breaking that continuous period.3The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 450.081 – Hours of Work in Certain Occupations
For 16- and 17-year-olds, the same 30-minute-per-4-hours rule applies, but only when the minor works 8 or more hours in a day. A 16-year-old on a 5-hour shift has no state-mandated break; a 14-year-old on the same shift does. Florida sets no general break requirement for adult workers, so this protection is unique to minors.
Jobs Minors Cannot Do
Florida bans minors from certain dangerous work, with a longer list for the younger group.
A 14- or 15-year-old cannot work with power-driven machinery (other than a push mower with a blade 40 inches or smaller), in industrial manufacturing, with explosives or highly flammable materials, in sawmills or logging, on scaffolding, in heavy building-trades work, or operating motor vehicles. They also cannot use meat-processing equipment or power-driven laundry or dry-cleaning machines, do spray painting, or sell merchandise door to door.5Florida Senate. Florida Code 450.061 – Hazardous Occupations Prohibited; Exemptions
No minor under 18, regardless of age, may work around explosives or radioactive materials, on roofs or scaffolding or ladders above six feet, with power-driven woodworking or metal-forming machines, in demolition, excavation, or trenching, in logging, in mining, or operating certain hoisting equipment.
One exception: a 16- or 17-year-old may work on residential building construction if they hold an OSHA 10 safety certification and work under the direct supervision of someone at least 21 years old who also holds OSHA 10 certification and has at least two years of relevant experience. Even then, the minor cannot work on scaffolding, roofs, or ladders above six feet, and the work cannot violate any federal safety standard.
Federal law adds its own list of 17 hazardous occupation orders covering areas like coal mining, brick manufacturing, bakery machinery, and meat packing.6eCFR. Part 570 – Child Labor Regulations, Orders and Statements of Interpretation An employer must follow both lists. Parental consent does not override any of these prohibitions.
Exemptions From the Hour Rules
The hour-and-scheduling restrictions do not reach every working minor. Section 450.081(5) of the Florida Statutes carves out several categories:
- A 16- or 17-year-old who has graduated from high school or earned a GED is exempt from all hour and scheduling restrictions.
- A minor who holds a valid certificate of exemption from compulsory school attendance, issued by the school superintendent, is also exempt.
- A minor enrolled in school who faces economic necessity or a family emergency can receive a hardship waiver of the hour restrictions from the school superintendent.
These exemptions lift the schedule limits only. The hazardous-occupation bans still apply.
When Federal Law Fills a Gap or Overrides Florida
Florida employers answer to both state law and the federal FLSA, and where the two conflict, the rule giving the minor more protection wins.7U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for Nonagricultural Occupations Florida’s 15-hour cap beats the federal 18-hour cap for 14- and 15-year-olds. Florida’s scheduling limits for 16- and 17-year-olds control where federal law sets none.
Federal law generally lets children of any age work for a business owned entirely by their parents. Even then, a parent-owned business cannot put a child under 18 into a federally designated hazardous occupation or a child under 16 into mining or manufacturing.
Employer Recordkeeping and Posting
An employer who hires a minor must keep proof of age on file for the entire period of employment. Acceptable proof includes a photocopy of a birth certificate, driver’s license, passport or visa showing the date of birth, or an age certificate from the local school board. The employer must also post a child labor law notice where minors can easily read it; the Department of Business and Professional Regulation provides the poster on request.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 450.045 – Proof of Identity and Age; Posting of Notices
Federal rules add a payroll layer. Under the FLSA, employers must record each minor’s birth date (for any employee under 19), daily and weekly hours worked, pay rate, and total wages paid. Payroll records must be kept at least three years; supporting documents like time cards, two years.8U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #21: Recordkeeping Requirements Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Most child labor violations trace back to scheduling mistakes, so accurate daily time records for every minor on the payroll are the single most useful compliance step.
Penalties for Violations
Violating Florida’s child labor law is a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail.9Florida Senate. Florida Code 775.082 – Penalties; Applicability of Sentencing Structures; Notification Requirements On top of that, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation can impose administrative fines of up to $2,500 per offense.10Florida Senate. Florida Code 450.141 – Employing Minor Children in Violation of Law; Penalties
The math compounds fast. Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense, and each minor employed in violation is a separate offense. Before imposing a fine, the department must send written notice identifying the violation and give the employer a chance to fix it within a set time. Fines take effect only if the employer fails to act.
How To File a Child Labor Complaint
If you believe an employer is violating Florida’s child labor rules, file a complaint with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Child Labor Program. The program takes complaints by phone at 850-488-3131 (toll-free 800-226-2536), by fax, by email, or through a downloadable complaint form on the department’s website, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.11Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Child Labor – Forms and Publications You can also file a separate complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division if federal standards are involved.