How Many Hours Can a Minor Work a Week in California?

In California, a 16- or 17-year-old can work up to 48 hours per week, and a 14- or 15-year-old can work up to 18 hours in a school week or 40 hours when school is out. Those weekly caps come with daily limits and time-of-day windows that shift with the school calendar, so how many hours a minor can work in a week in California depends on age, whether school is in session, and the day of the week.

Weekly and Daily Hour Caps by Age

For 16- and 17-year-olds, California Labor Code Section 1391 caps the week at 48 hours regardless of the school calendar. On a school day, the daily limit is four hours. On non-school days and during school breaks, the daily limit rises to eight hours.¹

For 14- and 15-year-olds, the caps are tighter. During a school week, a minor in this age group can work no more than three hours on a school day and 18 hours total for the week. When school is not in session, the daily limit rises to eight hours and the weekly cap to 40 hours.²

One detail matters for year-round and charter school students: the hour limits track the calendar of the specific school the student attends, not the local public school district’s calendar. A break that isn’t a break at your school doesn’t unlock the higher caps.³

When Minors Can Work During the Day

The weekly hours have to fit inside a permitted time window, and the window depends on age.

A 16- or 17-year-old cannot start before 5:00 a.m. On any evening before a school day, work has to end by 10:00 p.m. On evenings before a non-school day, such as Friday or Saturday night, the shift can run until 12:30 a.m.¹

A 14- or 15-year-old 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 extends to 9:00 p.m.⁴ These match the federal Fair Labor Standards Act limits for this age group.⁵

Rules for Children Under 14

California mostly prohibits employment for children under 14. Narrow exceptions cover the entertainment industry, newspaper delivery, and informal work such as babysitting. Children who are 12 or 13 and qualify for an exception can only work on weekends and school holidays.⁶

When the Standard Hour Limits Don’t Apply

A few situations lift the usual caps for 16- and 17-year-olds:

A minor who has graduated from high school or earned a Certificate of Proficiency is no longer subject to the school-day and school-week hour limits.
Minors enrolled in a state-approved work experience or cooperative vocational education program can work beyond the four-hour school-day cap. The same is true for personal attendant occupations and for minors holding a special permit under Education Code Section 49112.¹
California treats minors employed by a parent or guardian in a family-owned business differently, though the minor still cannot be put to work in a prohibited occupation.

Emancipation does not remove the hour limits. An emancipated 16-year-old still faces the same 48-hour weekly cap and 10:00 p.m. school-night cutoff as any other 16-year-old. The practical difference is that an emancipated minor can apply for a work permit without a parent’s signature.⁶

Meal and Rest Breaks Within Those Hours

California’s meal and rest break rules apply to minors the same as any employee. If a minor works more than five hours in a day, the employer must provide an unpaid meal period of at least 30 minutes. For shifts of six hours or less, that meal period can be waived by mutual agreement. A second 30-minute meal period is required for shifts longer than 10 hours.⁷

A paid 10-minute rest break is required for every four hours worked. For a teen putting in an eight-hour summer shift, that’s two rest breaks in the day.

When an employer fails to provide a required meal period, the minor is owed one additional hour of pay at their regular rate for each workday the break was missed.⁷

Work Permit Requirement

Nearly every minor under 18 who works in California needs a Permit to Employ and Work before starting a job. The employer keeps the permit on file and must produce it for inspection.⁶

The permit is issued by the minor’s school district, usually through the superintendent or a designated official such as a credentialed counselor or work experience coordinator. Charter school students get their permits from the charter school’s chief executive officer or designee, and minors not enrolled in any district can go through the county superintendent of schools.³

The employer fills out a Statement of Intent to Employ Minor and Request for Work Permit that lists job duties, hours, and location. The minor and a parent or guardian both sign. The school reviews the student’s academic performance and attendance before issuing the permit, and no permit can be issued without a written request from a parent, guardian, or foster parent.³

Penalties for Employers Who Exceed the Limits

Employers who violate the hour rules face a two-tier civil penalty system. A first violation of Section 1391 is a Class B civil penalty of $500 to $1,000, and a second violation carries a flat $1,000 penalty. A third or later violation escalates to a Class A civil penalty of $5,000 to $10,000, with willful or repeated conduct pushing toward the upper end.⁸

Employing a minor under 16 in work that is dangerous or injurious to the child’s health is also a misdemeanor. Conviction carries a fine of $1,000 to $5,000, up to six months in county jail, or both. A willful violation pushes the maximum fine to $10,000.⁹

Failing to keep each minor’s work permit on file and available for inspection by school attendance officers and the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement is itself a citable violation.⁸

1
California Legislative Information. California Labor Code LAB 1391
2
California Career Center. Work Permits
3
California Legislative Information. California Education Code Article 2 Sections 49110-49120
4
U.S. Department of Labor. Selected State Child Labor Standards Affecting Minors Under 18 in Non-farm Employment
5
U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 43 – Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act for Nonagricultural Occupations
6
Department of Industrial Relations. Information on Minors and Employment
7
Department of Industrial Relations. Frequently Asked Questions – Meal Periods
8
Justia Law. California Labor Code 1285-1312 – Minors
9
California Legislative Information. California Labor Code LAB 1308