In South Carolina, a 15-year-old can work up to 3 hours on a school day and 18 hours during a school week. When school is not in session, those limits rise to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. All work has to fall outside school hours and inside a set daily time window. South Carolina follows the federal Fair Labor Standards Act on this because state law does not allow child labor rules stricter than the federal standard.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 41-13 – Child Labor
School Week Versus Non-School Week
The rules split sharply depending on whether school is in session.
When school is in session, a 15-year-old may work:
- Up to 3 hours on a school day
- Up to 18 hours in the week
When school is not in session (summer break, spring break, winter break, or any full week with no school), the caps expand to:
- Up to 8 hours a day
- Up to 40 hours a week
Work always has to happen outside of school hours, whatever the season.2eCFR. 29 CFR 570.35 – Hours of Work
Time-of-Day Window
Hours alone don’t tell the full story. A 15-year-old in South Carolina can only work between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. for most of the year. From June 1 through Labor Day, the evening cutoff moves to 9:00 p.m. The morning start time stays at 7:00 a.m. year-round.2eCFR. 29 CFR 570.35 – Hours of Work
How the Two Rules Work Together
The daily hour limit and the time-of-day window apply at the same time, so the tighter of the two controls the shift.
During the school year, an after-school shift ending at 7:00 p.m. can start no earlier than 4:00 p.m. because of the 3-hour daily cap. In summer, the 8-hour daily cap is available, but a shift still has to fit between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. A summer shift starting at 2:00 p.m. can run until 9:00 p.m., which is 7 hours. A shift starting at 3:00 p.m. is limited to 6 hours because of the 9:00 p.m. cutoff, even though the daily cap would technically allow more.
Fridays Still Count as School Days
A common mistake: treating Friday like part of the weekend. During the school year, a Friday is a school day, so the 3-hour cap applies for the whole shift.3U.S. Department of Labor. Fair Labor Standards Act Advisor – Hours Restrictions Saturday and Sunday, by contrast, are non-school days and follow the 8-hour daily limit, as long as the 18-hour weekly cap is not exceeded.
Where the Rules Come From
These caps are set by federal regulation and apply the same way across every county and every covered employer in South Carolina.2eCFR. 29 CFR 570.35 – Hours of Work South Carolina state law does not add extra restrictions of its own on top of them.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 41-13 – Child Labor An employer is responsible for tracking a 15-year-old’s hours and keeping the shift inside both the daily and weekly limits.
Situations Where the Caps May Not Apply
A handful of arrangements sit outside the standard hour limits. If a reader is in one of these, the 3/18 and 8/40 numbers above are not the right numbers to plan around.
Working for a Parent’s Business
A 15-year-old working in a business owned solely by a parent can work at any time and for any number of hours. The work still cannot be in manufacturing, mining, or any occupation the Secretary of Labor has declared hazardous.4U.S. Department of Labor. FLSA – Child Labor Rules Advisor The exemption only applies when the parent is the sole owner. A parent who works at someone else’s business and brings a child along does not trigger it.5eCFR. 29 CFR 570.126 – Parental Exemption
School-Sponsored Programs (WECEP and WSP)
The Work Experience and Career Exploration Program lets 14- and 15-year-olds enrolled through their school work during school hours and up to 23 hours in a school week.6U.S. Department of Labor. Fair Labor Standards Act Advisor – Work Experience and Career Exploration Program The Work Study Program similarly allows certain 14- and 15-year-olds to work during school hours under more lenient rules than the FLSA default.7U.S. Department of Labor. FLSA – Child Labor Rules Advisor – Work Study Program Both programs run through the school, so a student has to be enrolled to use the expanded hours.
Agriculture and Performing
Farm work follows a separate set of federal rules rather than the ones above.8U.S. Department of Labor. Agricultural Jobs – 12-13 Child actors and performers in film, television, radio, or theater are also exempt from the standard child labor hour restrictions.4U.S. Department of Labor. FLSA – Child Labor Rules Advisor
Quick Reference
- School day: 3 hours maximum
- School week: 18 hours maximum
- Non-school day: 8 hours maximum
- Non-school week: 40 hours maximum
- Earliest start: 7:00 a.m.
- Latest end: 7:00 p.m. most of the year; 9:00 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day
- Work must be outside school hours
If a shift an employer is scheduling doesn’t fit inside every one of those, the schedule is the thing that has to change.