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

Child labor laws in Florida, set out in Chapter 450, Part I of the Florida Statutes, make 14 the general minimum working age and place strict limits on when, how long, and where minors can work. The rules get tighter for younger teens, and some dangerous jobs are off-limits to anyone under 18. These protections 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 a few narrow exceptions.¹ At 14, most retail, restaurant, and office jobs open up, though hour and task limits still apply.

Three categories fall outside the general age floor:

Farm or domestic work tied to the minor’s own home, the farm where they live, or work for a parent or guardian, done outside required school hours.¹
Entertainment work, including 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, performed outside school hours.

Work Hours for 14- and 15-Year-Olds

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 following day.³ Shifts cannot start before 7:00 a.m. or end after 7:00 p.m. on any night before a school day.

During summer breaks and holidays, the ceiling rises to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, with a working window of 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.⁴ That 9:00 p.m. cutoff still applies in summer, so a 15-year-old cannot close a restaurant that stays open until 10:00.

Work Hours for 16- and 17-Year-Olds

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 does not set specific daily, weekly, or clock-time limits for this age group. A 17-year-old can effectively work full-time hours over the summer, though the federal Fair Labor Standards Act may still restrict the type of work.

Required Meal Breaks

For workers 15 and younger, the employer must give at least a 30-minute meal break for every four consecutive hours worked. Anything shorter does not break the four-hour stretch.³

For 16- and 17-year-olds, the mandatory break only applies when they work eight or more hours in a day. At that point the same 30-minute rule kicks in.³ A 16-year-old on a five-hour shift has no state-mandated break, though many employers provide one anyway.

Prohibited and Hazardous Jobs

Everyone under 18 is barred from a long list of dangerous jobs, regardless of emancipation. The prohibited categories include operating power-driven woodworking machines, running hoisting equipment like forklifts, working with explosives, and jobs with exposure to radioactive materials. Mining, roofing, and demolition are also completely off-limits.⁵

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

Driving for Work

No minor under 16 can operate a motor vehicle as part of a job, except in limited farm situations after completing a tractor-training course.² For anyone under 18, operating a motor vehicle as a driver or delivery driver is a prohibited occupation.⁶ A 17-year-old with a license can drive themselves to work, but the employer cannot assign driving as a job duty.

Pay for Minor Workers

Florida has no separate minimum wage for minors. Young workers earn the same 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

In tipped positions like bussing tables or hosting, employers can pay a cash wage of $10.98 per hour (rising to $11.98 on September 30, 2026), taking a tip credit of $3.02 to make up the difference. If tips do not bring the minor’s effective pay to 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.

What Employers Must Do

Before scheduling a minor, every employer must obtain and keep on file 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 issued by the local school board.⁸

Employers must also post a child labor law notice where minor employees can easily see it. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation provides the poster on request.²

Waivers of the Restrictions

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. Decisions are made case by case under factors the department has set by rule.⁹

How you apply depends on school enrollment. Minors in a regular public school go through the local school superintendent or a designee.¹⁰ Minors who are homeschooled, in virtual school, or otherwise outside the public school system apply directly to the department. Common grounds include family financial hardship, enrollment in an alternative education program, or a job that provides meaningful vocational or educational experience.¹¹ A waiver lifts specific restrictions and leaves the rest of the framework in place.

Penalties for Violations

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. The penalty is up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $500.¹²¹³ Obstructing a child labor inspector carries 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

Federal Penalties Also Apply

Florida employers answer to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act as well, and the federal numbers are much higher. As of January 2025, the civil penalty is up to $16,035 per minor per violation. If a 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 law both cover a situation, the stricter rule controls.

How To Report a Violation

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

Once a complaint is on file, the department’s enforcement team has authority to 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