In Florida, how many hours a minor can work depends on age and whether school is in session. During the school year, 14- and 15-year-olds are capped at 15 hours per week, and 16- and 17-year-olds at 30 hours per week. When school is out, those limits loosen significantly, and for 16- and 17-year-olds the state caps disappear entirely. The rules come from Florida Statute 450.081 and are enforced by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.1Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Child Labor
Hours for 14- and 15-Year-Olds
This is the age group with the tightest restrictions. While school is in session, a 14- or 15-year-old can work:
- No more than 15 hours in any one week
- No more than 3 hours on a day when school is scheduled, unless there is no school the following day
- Not during school hours at all
- No more than six consecutive days in a week
Shifts must fall between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on nights before a school day.2Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 450.081 – Hours of Work in Certain Occupations That curfew keeps late-night work off the schedule during the school year.
Summer vacation and school breaks open things up. A 14- or 15-year-old can then work up to 8 hours in a single day and 40 hours in a week. The evening cutoff stretches to 9:00 p.m., though the 7:00 a.m. earliest start stays the same.3The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 450.081 – Hours of Work in Certain Occupations
Hours for 16- and 17-Year-Olds
Older teens have more room, but the school year still comes with real limits:
- No more than 30 hours in any one week
- No more than 8 hours on a day before a scheduled school day, except on Sundays and holidays
- No work between 11:00 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. on a night before a school day
- No work during school hours, unless enrolled in a career education program
When school is not in session, Florida imposes no state-level restrictions on the hours or times of day a 16- or 17-year-old may work.4Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Child Labor Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Summer schedules can be essentially full-time.
Waiving the 30-Hour Cap
Florida allows the school-year weekly cap for 16- and 17-year-olds to be waived. A parent or custodian, or the school superintendent (or a designee), can sign a department-prescribed waiver form that the employer keeps on file.2Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 450.081 – Hours of Work in Certain Occupations With a signed waiver, a teen can legally exceed 30 hours in a school week. The other restrictions still apply: no work during school hours, and no work past 11:00 p.m. on a night before a school day.
Meal Breaks
Hours work differently once you factor in the required meal break. For any minor 15 or younger, a 30-minute break is required after every four consecutive hours of work, no matter how long the full shift runs.3The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 450.081 – Hours of Work in Certain Occupations
For 16- and 17-year-olds, the break requirement only applies on shifts of eight hours or more. On a shorter shift, Florida does not require a break. A pause of less than 30 minutes does not count as breaking up consecutive hours, so a quick 15-minute rest will not reset the clock.
These are state-specific protections. Federal law does not require meal breaks at all, though short breaks of 5 to 20 minutes that an employer chooses to provide must be paid.5U.S. Department of Labor. Breaks and Meal Periods
When the Hour Limits Don’t Apply
Several categories of people under 18 are not treated as “minors” for purposes of the hour rules. If any of these fit, the weekly caps, daily caps, and curfews drop away, though hazardous-work prohibitions still run until age 18:6Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 450 – Child Labor – Section: 450.012 Definitions
- Anyone who is or has been married
- Anyone whose disability of nonage has been removed by a court
- Anyone who is serving or has served in the U.S. Armed Forces
- Anyone a court has specifically approved to work after finding employment in the minor’s best interest
- Anyone who has graduated from an accredited high school or holds a high school equivalency diploma
Employers must keep documentation of the exemption on file: a marriage license, a diploma, and so on.
A separate exception applies to career education students. For 14- and 15-year-olds, the 3-hour school-day cap is lifted while enrolled. For 16- and 17-year-olds, the prohibition on working during school hours goes away.2Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 450.081 – Hours of Work in Certain Occupations Other caps, including weekly hours and curfew, still apply.
How Florida’s Rules Compare to Federal Law
Both the Fair Labor Standards Act and Florida Statute 450.081 cover most employers in the state. When the two differ, the stricter rule wins.
For 14- and 15-year-olds, the federal FLSA allows up to 18 hours during a school week.7U.S. Department of Labor. Fair Labor Standards Act Advisor Florida caps the same minor at 15, so Florida controls. Daily caps and curfews line up closely between the two laws.
For 16- and 17-year-olds, the gap is larger. Federal law places no restrictions on hours or times of day for workers 16 and older.8U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 43 – Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act for Nonagricultural Occupations Florida’s 30-hour weekly cap during the school year, 11:00 p.m. curfew, and school-hours prohibition all go beyond federal requirements. A Florida employer who only follows the FLSA is breaking state law.
Proof of Age and Work Permits
Florida does not require a traditional work permit from a school or state agency for most jobs. Instead, the employer must verify and keep on file proof of the minor’s age for the full term of employment. Florida Statute 450.045 accepts a photocopy of a birth certificate, driver license, passport, or visa listing the date of birth, or an age certificate issued by the district school board where the minor works.9Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 450 – Child Labor
One boundary worth flagging: hour limits are not the only rule. Florida Statute 450.061 bars anyone under 18 from a long list of hazardous occupations, including most power-driven machinery, work on roofs or ladders above six feet, mining, demolition, logging, electrical work, firefighting, and work with explosives or toxic substances.10The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 450.061 – Minimum Age Requirements; Hazardous Occupations Legal hours in a prohibited job are still illegal.
Penalties for Breaking the Rules
Violating Florida’s child labor law is a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail.11Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 775.082 – Penalties; Applicability of Sentencing Structures; Mandatory Minimum Sentences The Department of Business and Professional Regulation can also impose administrative fines of up to $2,500 per offense, and each violation counts separately.12Florida Senate. Florida Code 450.141 – Employing Minor Children in Violation of Law; Penalties The criminal charge and the administrative fine are not mutually exclusive. An employer can face both for the same violation, and the department has authority to inspect records to find them.