Child Labor Laws in Florida: Hours, Breaks, and Penalties

Child labor laws in Florida, set out in Chapter 450 of the Florida Statutes, establish 14 as the general minimum working age, limit how many hours minors can work and when, ban anyone under 18 from a long list of dangerous jobs, and punish violations as misdemeanors or, when a child is hurt, felonies. The rules apply whether or not a minor has been legally emancipated.

Minimum Age To Work

No one 13 or younger can hold a paying job in Florida, with narrow exceptions.¹ Once a teenager turns 14, most retail, restaurant, and office jobs open up, though the hour and task limits below still apply.

Three kinds of work sit outside the general age floor:

Farm and domestic work tied to the minor’s own home, the farm where they live, or work directly for a parent or guardian, done outside required school hours.¹
Entertainment work in film, television, and stage productions under the rules in FS 450.012 and 450.132.²
Certain light tasks, such as selling or distributing newspapers, done outside school hours.

A child working on the family ranch is not the same as a child running a register at a chain restaurant, and the statute treats them differently.

Hours for 14- and 15-Year-Olds

The youngest legal workers face the tightest schedules. While school is in session, a 14- or 15-year-old can work a maximum of 15 hours per week and no more than 3 hours on any school day, unless there is no school the next day.³ They cannot start before 7:00 a.m. or work past 7:00 p.m. on any night before a school day.

During summer breaks and holidays, the limits loosen. A 14- or 15-year-old can work up to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.⁴ That 9:00 p.m. cutoff catches some families off guard. Even in July, a 15-year-old cannot close a restaurant that stays open until ten.

Hours for 16- and 17-Year-Olds

Older teens get more flexibility. When school is in session, 16- and 17-year-olds can work up to 30 hours per week and up to 8 hours on any day before a school day. They cannot clock in before 6:30 a.m. or work past 11:00 p.m. on nights before a school day.³

When school is not in session, the statute sets no specific daily, weekly, or clock-time limits on 16- and 17-year-olds. A 17-year-old can work full-time hours over summer break, though federal Fair Labor Standards Act rules may still limit the type of work.

Meal Breaks

For workers 15 and younger, the employer must provide at least a 30-minute meal break for every four consecutive hours of work. Anything shorter than 30 minutes does not count as breaking the four-hour stretch.³

For 16- and 17-year-olds, the required break only kicks in on shifts of eight or more hours. Once that threshold is hit, the same rule applies: at least 30 minutes off for every four consecutive hours.³ A 16-year-old on a five-hour shift has no state-mandated break, though many employers give one anyway.

Prohibited and Hazardous Jobs

Florida bans everyone under 18 from a long list of dangerous work, regardless of emancipation. Off-limits categories include operating power-driven woodworking machines, running hoisting equipment such as forklifts, working with explosives, and any exposure to radioactive materials.⁵ Mining, roofing, and demolition are also completely closed to minors.

Workers 15 and younger face an even shorter list of allowed jobs. They cannot work around any power-driven machinery (with a narrow exception for small lawn mowers), in manufacturing plants that use industrial machines, or in mining.⁵

One rule surprises many families. No minor under 16 can operate a motor vehicle for work outside limited farm situations, and for anyone under 18, driving as part of the job, including delivery driving, is a prohibited occupation.⁶ A 17-year-old with a valid license can legally drive themselves to work; the employer just cannot assign driving as a job duty.

Pay

Florida does not have a separate minimum wage for minors. Young workers earn the same hourly rate as adults. Under the schedule set by Florida’s 2020 constitutional amendment, the state minimum wage is $14.00 per hour from September 30, 2025, through September 29, 2026, then rises to $15.00 per hour on September 30, 2026.⁷

For tipped positions such as bussing tables or hosting, employers can pay a cash wage of $10.98 per hour (rising to $11.98 on September 30, 2026), with a tip credit of $3.02 per hour making up the difference. If a minor’s tips do not bring effective pay up to the full minimum wage, the employer must cover the gap. Florida law does not authorize a separate training wage for a minor’s first 90 days.

Employer Documentation

Before scheduling a minor, every employer must obtain and keep proof of the worker’s age for the entire period of employment. Acceptable proof includes a photocopy of a birth certificate, driver’s license, passport, or an age certificate from the local school board.⁸

Employers must also post a child labor law notice where minor employees can read it. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation provides the poster on request.² The missing poster is one of the most common compliance failures inspectors find, and one of the easiest to fix.

Waivers

In extenuating circumstances, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation can waive specific child labor restrictions when doing so is clearly in the child’s best interest. Waivers are decided case by case.⁹

Minors attending a regular public school apply through the local school superintendent or a designee.¹⁰ Homeschooled minors, virtual school students, and others outside the public school system apply directly to the department. Common grounds include financial hardship, enrollment in an alternative education program, or an employment opportunity that provides meaningful vocational or educational experience.¹¹ A waiver lifts specific restrictions; it does not switch off the rest of the framework.

Penalties

Employing a minor in violation of Florida’s child labor law, or having custody of a minor and allowing the violation, is a second-degree misdemeanor. That carries up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $500.¹²¹³ Obstructing a child labor inspector triggers the same charge.

When a violation causes a child physical pain, mental suffering, or endangers their health or life, the offense escalates to a second-degree felony under FS 450.151.¹⁴ The jump from misdemeanor to felony is significant.

Federal law applies alongside state law. As of January 2025, the federal civil penalty for a child labor violation is up to $16,035 per minor per violation. If the violation causes serious injury or death, the ceiling rises to $72,876, or $145,752 for willful or repeated offenses.¹⁵ When state and federal rules both apply, the stricter one controls.

Reporting a Violation

Anyone who witnesses a child labor violation can file a complaint with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Child Labor Program. Complaints can be filed online, by mail, or at any DBPR regional office using a downloadable complaint form.¹⁶

Once a complaint is filed, the department’s enforcement team can enter and inspect any covered workplace, review age documentation, and examine other records relevant to the investigation.¹⁷ School officials who learn of violations in their district are required by law to report them.

1
Florida Senate. Florida Code 450.021 – Minimum Age; General
2
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Chapter 450
3
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 450.081 – Hours of Work in Certain Occupations
4
Florida Senate. Florida Code 450.081 – Hours of Work in Certain Occupations
5
Florida Senate. Florida Code 450.061 – Hazardous Occupations Prohibited; Exemptions
6
Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Child Labor – Prohibited Occupations
7
U.S. Department of Labor. State Minimum Wage Laws
8
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 450.045 – Proof of Identity and Age; Posting of Notices
9
Florida Senate. Florida Code 450.095 – Waivers
10
Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Application for Waiver of Florida Child Labor Law
11
Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code R. 61L-2.007 – Partial Waivers
12
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Chapter 450 – Section 450.141
13
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 775.083 – Fines
14
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Chapter 450 – Section 450.151
15
U.S. Department of Labor. Civil Money Penalty Inflation Adjustments
16
Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Child Labor – Complaints
17
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Chapter 450 – Section 450.121