How Young Can You Work in Texas? Ages, Hours, and Jobs

Under Texas child labor laws, the general minimum working age is 14, with hour and schedule limits for 14- and 15-year-olds, an unrestricted schedule at 16, and a list of hazardous jobs closed to anyone under 18. Texas Labor Code Chapter 51 and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act both apply, and when they disagree the stricter rule wins.¹

The Minimum Age Is 14, With a Few Exceptions

Fourteen is the floor for most jobs. A child younger than that can work only in these specific situations:²

A business owned solely by a parent or legal guardian, and only if the work is not in manufacturing, mining, or an occupation the U.S. Department of Labor has classified as hazardous.
Delivering newspapers to consumers. Federal law fully exempts home delivery to subscribers and street sales, with no minimum age; hauling papers to distribution centers is not covered.³
Acting or performing in film, theater, radio, or television, after the employer files an authorization application with the Texas Workforce Commission. The authorization stays valid until the child turns 14.⁴

One other rule for younger children: Texas treats door-to-door sales and solicitation by anyone under 14 as a hazardous occupation when the child is working for someone other than a parent’s business and is not accompanied by a parent or guardian.⁵

Hours and Schedules for 14- and 15-Year-Olds

This age group has the strictest scheduling rules, and both federal and Texas caps apply. In practice, the federal limits are tighter and usually control.

Under federal regulations, a 14- or 15-year-old may only work outside of school hours, and only within these caps:⁶

No more than 3 hours on a school day, including Fridays.
No more than 18 hours in a school week.
Up to 8 hours on a non-school day.
Up to 40 hours in a non-school week.
Only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., except from June 1 through Labor Day, when work can run until 9 p.m.

Texas adds its own layer: no more than 8 hours in a day or 48 hours in a week. Texas also sets nighttime limits during the school term for teens enrolled in school. They cannot work between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. on a night before a school day, or between midnight and 5 a.m. on other nights. During summer break, the Texas curfew runs from midnight to 5 a.m.⁵

Because the stricter standard always applies, the federal 3-hour school-day cap, 18-hour school-week cap, and 7 p.m. cutoff are what most Texas employers actually have to follow during the school year.

At 16, Hour Restrictions Disappear

Once a teen turns 16, federal law places no limit on the number of hours or the time of day they can work, and Texas does not add its own.¹ A 16- or 17-year-old can work a full adult schedule, including late nights and early mornings.

The catch is the job itself. Older teens can work unlimited hours, but the hazardous-occupation list still applies to anyone under 18.

Jobs No One Under 18 Can Do

Federal law bars all minors under 18 from occupations the Department of Labor considers particularly dangerous. Employers often miss items on this list because it reaches into ordinary workplaces like restaurants and retail. The prohibited categories include:⁷

Most work at coal mines, metal mines, quarries, and similar operations.
Most jobs in logging, sawmilling, and forest firefighting.
Any job involving radioactive substances or ionizing radiation.
Operating power-driven machinery like forklifts, circular saws, band saws, meat slicers, and woodchippers.
All work on or about a roof, including ground-level tear-off.
Wrecking, demolition, and shipbreaking.
Driving a motor vehicle on public roads or working as an outside helper on a delivery vehicle.

The meat-slicer rule catches many first-time employers. It applies wherever the machine is used, including restaurant kitchens and deli counters, not just meatpacking plants.¹

Farm Work Follows a Different Set of Rules

Agricultural jobs operate under separate, looser federal standards. If a teen is picking up ranch or farm work, the age floors are lower:⁸

Under 12: on a parent’s farm, or on a small farm with parental consent.
Ages 12 and 13: any farm outside of school hours with parental consent, or if a parent already works on the same farm.
Ages 14 and 15: any non-hazardous farm job outside of school hours.
Age 16 and up: any farm job, including hazardous tasks, without restriction.

Federal law identifies eleven hazardous farm tasks off-limits to workers under 16, but that ban does not apply on a farm owned or operated by the child’s parent. Teens 14 and 15 who hold certificates from 4-H or vocational agriculture programs may also perform certain hazardous tasks they have been trained for.⁸

Pay: Minimum Wage and the Youth Rate

Texas follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour and does not set its own higher floor. Most teen workers earn that rate. The FLSA does allow a “youth minimum wage” of $4.25 per hour for workers under 20 during their first 90 calendar days on the job.⁹

A few details on that youth rate. The 90-day clock starts on the first calendar day of employment, not the first shift, so weekends and days off count. Employers cannot fire or cut hours for an existing worker to bring in a youth-wage hire. Once the 90 days end, or the worker turns 20, the regular $7.25 rate applies.⁹

Breaks Are Not Required

Neither federal law nor Texas law requires employers to give meal or rest breaks to any worker, including minors. If an employer does offer short rest breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes, federal rules generally treat that time as paid, but nothing forces an employer to offer breaks in the first place.¹⁰ Parents used to states with mandatory break rules for minors should raise this with an employer directly before their teen starts.

No Work Permit Required in Texas

Many states require minors to obtain a work permit or employment certificate before starting a job. Texas does not. There is no state-issued permit, no school-signed form, and no fee. Employers remain responsible for making sure a young worker’s age and duties comply with state and federal law, but the paperwork step that exists in states like California and New York does not exist here.

The one exception is child performers. Employers in film, television, radio, or theater must file a child-actor authorization with the Texas Workforce Commission before hiring a performer under 14. The application requires a parent or guardian’s signature, proof of age, and a photograph.⁴

Penalties for Employers Who Break the Rules

Under Texas law, most child labor violations are a Class B misdemeanor. Violations involving prohibited solicitation or door-to-door sales by minors are a Class A misdemeanor, which carries stiffer criminal penalties.¹¹ The Texas Workforce Commission can also impose administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, weighing the seriousness of the offense, the employer’s history, and any effort to correct the problem.¹²

Federal civil penalties are higher. As of the most recent inflation adjustment effective January 2025, the Department of Labor can fine employers:¹³

Up to $16,035 per violation of child labor standards.
Up to $72,876 when a violation causes serious injury or death.
Up to $145,752 for willful or repeated violations that cause serious injury or death.

How to Report a Violation

To report a suspected child labor violation, file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division online or by calling 1-866-487-9243. You will need the employer’s name, address, and phone number, along with a description of the work and when the violation occurred.¹⁴

You can also contact the Texas Workforce Commission directly. TWC has the authority to inspect businesses during work hours when it suspects a violation, and it can pursue both civil penalties and criminal charges.²

1
U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 43 – Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act for Nonagricultural Occupations
2
Texas Workforce Commission. Child Labor
3
eCFR. 29 CFR 570.124 – Delivery of Newspapers
4
Legal Information Institute. 40 Texas Admin Code 817.31 – Child Actor Authorization
5
Texas Workforce Commission. Texas Labor Code Chapter 51 – Employment of Children
6
eCFR. 29 CFR 570.35 – Hours Limitations
7
U.S. Department of Labor. What Jobs Are Off-Limits for Kids
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 29 USC 213 – Exemptions
9
U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 32 – Youth Minimum Wage – Fair Labor Standards Act
10
Texas Workforce Commission. Breaks
11
State of Texas. Texas Labor Code 51.031 – Offense; Penalty
12
State of Texas. Texas Labor Code 51.033 – Administrative Penalty
13
U.S. Department of Labor. Civil Money Penalty Inflation Adjustments
14
Worker.gov. Filing a Complaint With the U.S. Department of Labors Wage and Hour Division