In Missouri, you have to be at least 14 to work most jobs, though children as young as 12 can take on a short list of informal jobs like babysitting, newspaper delivery, and occasional yard work. Fourteen- and 15-year-olds need a work certificate from their school and face strict limits on hours and the kinds of work they can do. At 16, Missouri’s state-level hour and job restrictions mostly drop away, but federal rules on hazardous work and driving still apply until age 18.
Working Before Age 14
Missouri law prohibits employment of any child under 14, with narrow exceptions for a few activities the state does not treat as “employment” at all.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 294.021 – Employment of Children Under Fourteen, Prohibited A child who is 12 or older can:2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 294.011 – Definitions
- Sell or deliver newspapers
- Babysit or do similar child care
- Do occasional yard work or farm work with a parent’s knowledge and consent
- Referee, coach, or hold a similar role at a youth sporting event where all players are under 18 and the event is run by a government body or nonprofit (concession-stand work does not count)
Any child working directly under a parent’s control is also outside the law’s reach, regardless of age. These exceptions are narrow by design. A 12-year-old can mow the neighbor’s lawn, but a landscaping company cannot hire the same 12-year-old to mow lawns for its customers.
Ages 14 and 15: Work Certificate and Hour Limits
This is the age group Missouri regulates most heavily. A 14- or 15-year-old can work, but only with a valid work certificate on file with the employer and only within set hours.
Getting a Work Certificate
No certificate, no legal employment.3Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 294.024 – Employment of Children, Work Certificate Required The superintendent of the public school district where the child lives is the usual issuing authority; for a charter school student, it is the charter school’s chief executive. A public or private school principal can also issue certificates to that school’s students, with copies sent to the local superintendent.4Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 294.045 – Superintendent of Schools to Issue Work Certificates
To get the certificate, the minor needs to submit:5Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 294.051 – Work Certificate Issued, When, Evidence Required for Issuance
- A signed letter from the employer describing the specific job duties, exact daily hours, days per week, and total weekly hours
- Proof of age, such as a birth certificate
- Written consent from a parent, legal guardian, or custodian
- A certificate from the school principal showing grade levels completed
- A physician’s statement of good physical and mental health, if the issuing officer asks for one
The minor must appear in person before the issuing officer. The officer approves the certificate only after deciding the proposed job serves the child’s best interest, and keeps the power to revoke it later if the work turns out to be harmful.
Separately, every new employee, including minors, has to complete federal Form I-9. A minor without a photo ID can have a parent or legal guardian establish identity; the employer notes “minor under age 18” in the identity field.6USCIS. Minors
When and How Long a 14- or 15-Year-Old Can Work
Work cannot start before 7:00 a.m. The evening cutoff shifts with the calendar: 7:00 p.m. from Labor Day through May 31, and 9:00 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day. The daily cap is three hours on a school day and eight hours on a non-school day.7Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 294.030 – Hours of Work for Minors
On weekly hours, state and federal law diverge. Missouri caps the week at 40 hours year-round.7Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 294.030 – Hours of Work for Minors The federal Fair Labor Standards Act is stricter during the school year, limiting 14- and 15-year-olds to 18 hours per week when school is in session.8U.S. Department of Labor. Non-Agricultural Jobs – 14-15 Both apply at the same time, and the stricter number wins. During summer and other extended school breaks, 40 hours is the ceiling under both.
Jobs 14- and 15-Year-Olds Cannot Take
Missouri bars workers under 16 from a long list of occupations, including anything involving power-driven machinery (other than lawn and garden tools used at a private home), ladders or scaffolding, mines and quarries, explosives, operating motor vehicles for work, metalworking, woodworking, freight elevators and hoists, exposure to radiation or toxic chemicals, and most roles in hotels, motels, or alcohol-selling establishments.9Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 294.040 – Minors Under Sixteen Not to Work in Certain Occupations The statute also sweeps in a catch-all for any occupation dangerous to the life, limb, health, or morals of a child under 16, whether or not it appears on the list.
Ages 16 and 17
Missouri’s child labor chapter is built around workers under 16, so turning 16 removes the state’s hour limits, time-of-day limits, and work certificate requirement.10Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Youth Employment That does not mean anything is permitted. Federal law still prohibits anyone under 18 from working in occupations the U.S. Department of Labor has declared hazardous, including roofing, excavation, logging, wrecking and demolition, and operating many types of power-driven saws and bakery equipment.
Driving for Work
Driving on public roads as part of a job is barred for all workers under 18, with one carefully bounded exception for 17-year-olds.11U.S. Department of Labor. Hazardous Occupations Order No. 2 – Youth Employment Provision and Driving Automobiles and Trucks Under the FLSA A 17-year-old can drive for work only if every one of these conditions is met:
- Driving happens only in daylight
- The 17-year-old holds a valid state license for that vehicle type
- The driver has completed a state-approved driver education course and has no moving violations at the time of hire
- The vehicle weighs no more than 6,000 pounds gross vehicle weight
- The vehicle has seat belts and the employer has instructed the worker to use them
- Driving is occasional and incidental, meaning no more than one-third of any workday or 20 percent of any workweek
Even then, 17-year-olds cannot make route deliveries like pizza delivery, carry passengers for hire, tow vehicles, drive beyond 30 miles from the workplace, or make time-sensitive deliveries such as bank deposits. No worker under 18 may ride on the outside of a vehicle as a delivery helper. Many fast-food and delivery jobs that look open to older teens are closed for this reason.
Pay for Young Workers
Missouri’s minimum wage is $15.00 per hour as of 2026, and it applies to minors the same as it applies to adults.12Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Minimum Wage There is no Missouri youth sub-minimum wage.
Federal law lets employers pay workers under 20 a youth rate of $4.25 per hour for the first 90 consecutive calendar days, but only where no state or local law sets a higher floor.13U.S. Department of Labor. Youth Minimum Wage – Fair Labor Standards Act Because Missouri’s $15.00 minimum does not carve out an exception for workers under 20, the federal youth rate is overridden, and a Missouri employer must pay the full $15.00 from the first day.
What Happens If an Employer Breaks the Rules
The federal Department of Labor can fine employers up to $16,035 per child labor violation. That rises to $72,876 if a violation causes serious injury or death, and to $145,752 if the violation was willful or repeated. These amounts adjust yearly for inflation.14U.S. Department of Labor. Civil Money Penalty Inflation Adjustments
State enforcement runs through the Missouri Division of Labor Standards, which reviews all work certificates issued by school officials and investigates complaints. A certificate can be revoked, and the issuing officer must cancel it if the child is being harmed or is likely to be harmed by the employment.15Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Youth Employment for School Officials An employer who hires a 14- or 15-year-old without a certificate, or who schedules hours past the legal cap, can face action from both state and federal authorities.