Child Labor Laws in Michigan: Permits, Hours, and Penalties

Child labor laws in Michigan are set by the Youth Employment Standards Act, Public Act 90 of 1978, which governs almost every job held by a worker under 18. The baseline rule is that you must be at least 14 to work most non-farm jobs, you need a work permit tied to the specific job before you start, and the hours and tasks allowed depend on your age and whether school is in session.¹ Pay, hazardous-work bans, and the process for revoking a permit when school slips are all part of the same framework.

Minimum Age to Work

Fourteen is the floor for most jobs. Two narrow exceptions let younger children work:¹

At 11 or older, a minor may work as a golf caddy or as a bridge caddy at events sanctioned by the American Contract Bridge League or a similar national organization.
At 13 or older, a minor may be employed in certain farming operations.

No one under 14 can work in retail, food service, or any other standard commercial setting. These young-worker exceptions are limited to light-duty tasks and don’t open the door to anything involving hazardous equipment.

Work Permits

Every worker under 18 needs a valid work permit before the first shift. Michigan uses two forms:

A permit is tied to one employer and one job. Change jobs, and you need a new permit. The minor must already have a firm job offer; there is no permit “just in case.” The minor and a parent or guardian complete the personal and contact information, and the employer fills in the business details, the specific job title and duties, and any equipment the minor will use.² An issuing officer, usually at the student’s school district, verifies the minor’s age using a birth certificate, driver’s license, hospital birth record, school record, or other acceptable proof, then signs the authorization.³ The employer must keep the completed permit on-site for the duration of the job.⁴ Letting a minor start without a completed permit on file is already a violation.

Work Hours by Age

Hour limits are where employers get in trouble most often. The rules differ by age and tighten whenever school is in session.

Workers Under 16

For 14- and 15-year-olds:⁵

In a school week, no more than 3 hours on a school day and no more than 18 hours total. Work has to fall outside school hours.
In a non-school week, no more than 40 hours.
From the day after Labor Day through May 31, work must happen between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
From June 1 through Labor Day, the window extends to 7:00 a.m. through 9:00 p.m.

That school-year evening cutoff catches employers off guard. A 15-year-old cashier has to clock out by 7:00 p.m. during the school year, not 9:00 p.m. The later cutoff only applies in summer.

Workers 16 and 17

Older teens get more flexibility, but limits still apply. On school nights, a 16- or 17-year-old cannot work between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. On Friday and Saturday nights and during school vacations, the prohibited window shifts to 11:30 p.m. through 6:30 a.m.⁶ A minor not enrolled in school at all faces an 11:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. prohibition.

During non-school weeks, 16- and 17-year-olds may work up to 10 hours in a day and 48 hours in a week.⁷ When school is in session, school attendance and work hours combined cannot exceed 48 hours in a single week. That combined cap is the one employers most often overlook: a student who is in school 35 hours can work no more than 13 hours that week.

Breaks

All minors must get at least a 30-minute meal and rest break after every 5 continuous hours of work. Anything shorter does not count and does not reset the clock.

Federal Rules on Top

Many Michigan employers are also covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. When the two laws differ, the stricter one controls.⁸ For 14- and 15-year-olds, the federal and state hour and evening limits largely match.⁹ For 16- and 17-year-olds, Michigan’s state limits are usually tighter and set the operative rule. If you’re uncertain which applies, follow the tighter one.

Jobs Minors Cannot Do

Michigan bans minors from a long list of hazardous occupations, and the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity publishes a detailed table.¹⁰ The main categories:

No minor of any age may handle, manufacture, or work near explosives or radioactive materials.
Power-driven machinery, including bakery machines, meat-processing equipment, power saws, and similar industrial equipment, is off-limits.
All construction operations, including demolition, excavation, and site cleanup, are prohibited for minors under 16. Roofing is banned for all minors.¹¹
Any work involving toxic, corrosive, or flammable chemicals is banned.¹²

These are absolute. Parental consent and safety training don’t override them.

Working Where Alcohol Is Sold

Minors 16 and older may work at a restaurant or store that sells alcohol only if food or other goods make up at least 50% of the establishment’s total gross receipts. If alcohol sales dominate, no minor may work there. For 14- and 15-year-olds, even an establishment that meets the 50% threshold cannot put them in or around the area where alcohol is consumed or sold for on-premises consumption.¹⁰ No minor of any age may sell, serve, or furnish alcoholic beverages.

Driving for Work

Under federal rules, minors under 17 cannot drive a motor vehicle on public roads as part of their job. A 17-year-old can drive for work only in narrow circumstances: the vehicle must weigh no more than 6,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, driving must happen in daylight within a 30-mile radius of the workplace, and the driving must be occasional and incidental, no more than one-third of the workday or 20% of the workweek. Route deliveries, pizza delivery, and transporting passengers for hire are all excluded.¹³

Pay for Minor Workers

Pay is governed by the Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act, Public Act 337 of 2018. Two reduced rates can apply:

An employer may pay any new worker under 20 a training wage of $4.25 per hour for the first 90 days of employment. After 90 days, the applicable minimum wage kicks in.¹⁴
Workers under 18 may be paid 85% of the standard minimum wage. As of January 1, 2026, Michigan’s minimum wage is $13.73 per hour, which puts the minor rate at $11.67.¹⁵

These two rates stack in sequence. A 16-year-old new hire qualifies for the $4.25 training wage during the first 90 days, then the 85% minor rate of $11.67 after that. On turning 18, the worker is entitled to the full $13.73. The training wage cannot be used to replace an existing worker with a cheaper new hire.¹⁴

Overtime rules apply to minors the same way they apply to adults. Any non-exempt employee working more than 40 hours in a workweek must be paid 1.5 times the regular rate for the excess. Because of the weekly hour caps, overtime rarely comes up for workers under 16, but it can appear for 16- and 17-year-olds during summer or school breaks.

When School Problems Can Cost a Permit

A work permit is not permanent. If a minor’s attendance or academic performance declines after starting the job, the issuing officer can suspend the permit. The law specifically targets a pattern of erratic or unexcused absences that leads to schoolwork falling below the level the student maintained before employment.¹⁶

Before any revocation, the officer must first suspend the permit and notify both the minor and the employer, giving the student a chance to correct the problem. A suspension for attendance issues cannot last longer than 30 days after notification. If things don’t improve, the permit can be revoked, and the student must be told how to appeal. The issuing officer keeps a written record of every refusal, suspension, and revocation along with the reasons.¹⁶

Penalties for Employers

Penalties are tiered, and the most serious offenses are felonies:¹⁷

Employing a minor in violation of the Act, or obstructing enforcement, is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both.
A first offense under Section 12a (hour and permit violations) carries up to 1 year in jail and a $2,000 fine. A second offense raises the ceilings to 2 years and $5,000. A third or later offense becomes a felony, with up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Employing a minor in violation of Section 14a is a felony from the first offense, with penalties of up to 20 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

Federal penalties can stack on top of state consequences for employers covered by the FLSA.

How to Report a Violation

Anyone who suspects a child labor violation in Michigan can file a complaint with the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. Complaints can be submitted online through the state’s Youth Employment Standards Act complaint portal, or by downloading form WHD-9406 and mailing or faxing it to the Wage and Hour Division at PO Box 30476, Lansing, MI 48909-7976, fax 517-763-0110. Complaints may be filed anonymously. For questions or to check the status of an investigation, call 855-464-9243.¹⁸

1
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 409.103 – Employment of Minor; Prohibited Occupations; Minimum Age; Exceptions and Limitations
2
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. Michigan Form CA-6 Combined Offer of Employment and Work Permit/Age Certificate
3
State of Michigan. Michigan CA-7 Combined Offer of Employment and Work Permit/Age Certificate
4
Bloomfield Hills Schools. State of Michigan Combined Offer of Employment and Work Permit/Age Certificate
5
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 409.110 – Hours of Employment for Minors Under 16
6
U.S. Department of Labor. Selected State Child Labor Standards Affecting Minors Under 18 in Non-farm Employment
7
University of Michigan. Employment of Minors – Standard Practice Guides
8
State of Michigan. The Youth Employment Standards Act Public Act 90 of 1978, as Amended Frequently Asked Questions
9
U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet – Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act for Nonagricultural Occupations
10
Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. Youth Employment Standards Act, 1978 Public Act 90 – Hazardous Occupations Table
11
Cornell Law School – Legal Information Institute. Michigan Admin Code R 408.6208 – Prohibited Occupations
12
Department of Labor and Economic Growth. Michigan Administrative Code R 408.6201 to R 408.6205 – Youth Employment Standards
13
U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet – Hazardous Occupations Order No. 2 Youth Employment Provision and Driving Automobiles and Trucks Under the FLSA
14
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 408.934b – Training Hourly Wage
15
State of Michigan. LEO – Minimum Wage and Overtime
16
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 409.107 – Refusal, Suspension, or Revocation of Work Permit
17
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 409.122 – Violation as Misdemeanor or Felony; Penalties
18
State of Michigan. YESA Complaint Form