In New York, you generally have to be at least 14 years old to work, though children as young as 12 can do hand-harvest farm work with a permit, and child performers and models can work at any age. At 16, most jobs open up and hour limits loosen. At 18, the state’s child labor rules stop applying.
The General Minimum Age Is 14
State law bars anyone under 14 from working in any business, trade, or service, aside from the narrow exceptions covered below.1New York State Senate. New York Code LAB 130 – Employment of Minors Under Fourteen Years of Age
At 14 and 15, you can hold a job, but only outside school hours and never in a factory. The realistic options at this age are delivery, office, and clerical roles, plus service shops like dry cleaners and shoe repair, as long as you’re not running dangerous equipment.2New York State Senate. New York Code LAB 131 – Employment of Minors Fourteen or Fifteen Years of Age Casual yard work and household chores at a private home don’t require working papers at this age, provided no power-driven machinery is involved.
At 16, the range of jobs expands. You can work in most occupations except those classified as hazardous, and your weekly hour cap goes up. At 18, New York’s child labor restrictions no longer apply to you.
Jobs Open to Children Under 14
A handful of jobs are legal below the general minimum age, each with its own conditions.
Farm harvest work at 12 and 13. You can pick berries, fruits, or vegetables on someone else’s farm with a farm work permit (the white AT-25 form). A parent must either come with you or give the employer written permission. Hours are capped at four per day, running 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from the day after Labor Day through June 20, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from June 21 through Labor Day. You cannot do farm work while school is in session.3Department of Labor. Hours of Work for Minors4Department of Labor. Working Papers Working on a family farm or doing non-business tasks for a parent needs no permit and has no hour limits.
Farm stand sales at 12 and 13. You can help a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle sell produce at a stand or farmer’s market they own or lease, when school isn’t in session, with a parent along or with written consent.
Child performers and models, any age. Actors, musicians, dancers, and similar creative workers need a Child Performer Permit issued by the Department of Labor. The permit is free, valid for one year, and requires parental consent and proof of satisfactory academic standing.5New York State Senate. New York Code LAB 151 – Employment Requirements Print and runway models under 18 need the same permit before their first job.6Department of Labor. Child Model Frequently Asked Questions
Working Papers Are Required Before You Start
It’s illegal in New York to employ any minor who doesn’t have an employment certificate, commonly called working papers.7New York State Senate. New York Code EDN 3215 – Unlawful Employment There are three, color-coded by age:
- Blue (AT-18), the Student Non-Factory Employment Certificate for 14- and 15-year-olds, covering permitted jobs after school and during vacations.
- Green (AT-19), the Student General Employment Certificate for 16- and 17-year-olds still in school, covering a wider range of jobs.
- White (AT-25), for 12- and 13-year-olds doing hand-harvest farm work.
Schools handle every type except the child performer permit. If you’re enrolled, ask your guidance office for an application. If you’re not, the school nearest your home has to give you one.4Department of Labor. Working Papers You’ll need proof of age (birth certificate, state photo ID, passport, or driver’s license), a physical fitness certificate from a New York State physician, a parent or guardian’s signature, and a section filled out by your prospective employer confirming the job offer. The school or superintendent’s office issues the certificate. There’s no fee. Working papers are tied to a specific job, so a new employer means new papers.
How Many Hours You Can Work
Hour limits tighten the younger you are, and they change depending on whether school is in session. When state and federal rules overlap, the stricter one applies.
Ages 14 and 15
During the school year, you’re capped at three hours on a school day and 18 hours per week, with no work before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. From June 21 through Labor Day, the evening cutoff moves to 9 p.m.8New York State Senate. New York Code LAB 142 – Hours of Work for Minors Fourteen and Fifteen Years of Age When school is out, you can work up to eight hours a day, 40 hours a week, and no more than six days.
Ages 16 and 17
During the school year, you can work up to four hours on any day before a school day and up to eight on Fridays, weekends, and holidays, with a 28-hour weekly cap. The usual cutoff on a school night is 10 p.m., extendable to midnight if your employer has both written parental consent and a school certificate confirming satisfactory grades. Before a non-school day, the cutoff is 10 p.m., or midnight with parental consent. You can’t start before 6 a.m.9New York State Senate. New York Code LAB 143 – Hours of Work for Minors Sixteen and Seventeen Years of Age
When school is out, the limits open up to eight hours a day (with some flexibility to work up to 10 on one day to shorten another), 48 hours a week, and six days a week. The overnight ban runs from midnight to 6 a.m.9New York State Senate. New York Code LAB 143 – Hours of Work for Minors Sixteen and Seventeen Years of Age
Jobs Minors Aren’t Allowed to Do
Under 16, you can’t work in a factory, operate washing, grinding, cutting, slicing, or mixing machinery, or do any painting or exterior cleaning on a building.10New York State Senate. New York Code LAB 133 – Employment of Minors Under Sixteen
Under 18, the prohibited list is much longer. It covers construction and demolition, roofing, mining, logging, operating power-driven woodworking or metalworking machines, working in slaughterhouses, handling explosives or radioactive materials, running freight or passenger elevators (though 16- and 17-year-olds can operate automatic push-button elevators), and serving as a helper on a motor vehicle. Work involving custody of inmates in correctional facilities is also barred.11Department of Labor. State Prohibited Occupations for Minors Federal hazardous occupation orders add their own overlapping restrictions, and the stricter standard controls.12U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 43 – Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act for Nonagricultural Occupations
What Minors Get Paid
There is no lower minimum wage for minors in New York. As of January 1, 2026, the minimum wage is $17.00 per hour in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County, and $16.00 in the rest of the state.13NY.Gov. New York State’s Minimum Wage Every working teen in the state is entitled to those rates from the first shift. The federal youth wage of $4.25 per hour for workers under 20 in their first 90 days doesn’t apply, because state law is higher and the higher rate controls.
Penalties If an Employer Breaks the Rules
State civil penalties for child labor violations reach $10,000 for a first offense, $25,000 for a second, and $55,000 for a third or subsequent violation. If a violation causes a minor’s serious injury or death, penalties climb to as much as $175,000 for a repeat offender.14Department of Labor. Guidelines for Civil Penalties for Child Labor Violations Federal penalties under the Fair Labor Standards Act add up to $16,035 per affected worker, rising to $72,876 when a violation causes death or serious injury, and doubling for willful or repeat offenses.15eCFR. Part 579 – Child Labor Violations Civil Money Penalties
If an employer is scheduling a teen past legal hours, putting them on prohibited equipment, or hired them without working papers, the teen or a parent can file a complaint with the New York Department of Labor. Retaliation for reporting a violation is illegal.