Maine child labor laws set 14 as the general minimum working age, cap daily and weekly hours for workers under 18, bar minors from hazardous and age-inappropriate jobs, and require a state-issued work permit for anyone under 16. Both Maine law and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act apply at the same time, and whichever rule gives the young worker more protection is the one the employer must follow.
How Old You Have To Be To Work
Under Title 26, Section 771 of the Maine Revised Statutes, children under 14 cannot be employed in most jobs.1Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 26 Section 771 – Minors Under 14 Years of Age Three narrow exceptions apply:
- Agricultural work such as planting, cultivating, or harvesting field crops, as long as the child has no contact with hazardous machinery or hazardous substances.
- Serving food and cleaning dining rooms as part of a school lunch program.
- Work in a business owned solely by the child’s parents, so long as the task is not on the state’s hazardous occupation list.
These exceptions are tightly drawn. The farm exception does not open the door to operating equipment or handling pesticides, and even parents cannot put their own child on a job the state has declared dangerous.
Jobs 14- and 15-Year-Olds Cannot Do
Once a minor turns 14, more jobs open up, but Section 773-A still blocks workers under 16 from a long list of settings: manufacturing facilities, mechanical shops, hotels (with exceptions), laundries other than self-service laundromats, dry cleaning establishments, bakeries (with exceptions), pool halls, and commercial amusement venues that involve gambling.2Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 26 Section 773-A – Occupations
Some age-appropriate tasks are allowed inside those otherwise restricted industries. A 14- or 15-year-old may work outdoor grounds jobs at a hotel, or handle duties in a hotel’s kitchen, dining room, recreational area, lobby, or office, but not room service, housekeeping, or deliveries to guest rooms. At a bakery, they may staff the retail counter or do office work only if that area is physically separated from the baking operation.
One restriction routinely catches families off guard: a 14- or 15-year-old cannot take a job that would require them to stay away from home overnight because of the distance between work and home.
Hazardous Jobs Barred for Anyone Under 18
Section 772 prohibits any minor under 18 from working in a job the Director of the Bureau of Labor Standards finds hazardous, dangerous to life or limb, or harmful to the minor’s health or morals.3Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 26 Section 772 – Minors Under 18 Years of Age; Hazardous Employment The director’s rules track the federal Hazardous Occupation Orders as closely as practicable, so the federal list effectively sets Maine’s floor. That list includes work with explosives, driving motor vehicles on the job, mining and quarrying, logging and sawmill operations, operating power-driven woodworking, metal-forming, hoisting, meat-processing, and commercial bakery equipment, and exposure to radioactive substances or ionizing radiation.4U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #43 – Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act for Nonagricultural Occupations
Maine adds its own bans. Workers under 18 cannot work in establishments with nude entertainment, in registered cannabis dispensaries, or in businesses that cultivate, produce, or sell cannabis or cannabis-containing products. The director must also prohibit work in confined spaces or at heights where OSHA’s general industry standards require special safety precautions.
Student-Learner and Apprentice Exceptions
Federal regulations allow 16- and 17-year-olds in approved vocational or cooperative education programs to perform otherwise hazardous tasks if those tasks are incidental to training, performed intermittently for short periods, directly supervised by a qualified person, and governed by a written agreement between the school and the employer.5eCFR. 29 CFR Part 570 – Child Labor Regulations, Orders and Statements of Interpretation A similar carve-out exists for registered apprentices. Maine reinforces this pathway: a 16- or 17-year-old who has graduated high school or earned an equivalency diploma and completed an approved vocational or career and technical education program may work in the specific occupation they were trained and certified in.
Work Permits for Workers Under 16
Maine requires a work permit only for minors under 16. Teens who are 16 or 17 do not need one.6Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 26 Section 775 – Work Permits The permit is signed by the superintendent of schools in the district where the minor lives, then issued by the Bureau of Labor Standards.
A job offer has to be in hand first. The Maine Department of Labor directs families to bring proof of age to the superintendent’s office as the starting step.7Maine Department of Labor. Maine Laws Governing the Employment of Minors Acceptable proof includes a certified birth certificate, a baptismal record, a passport, or other documentation the superintendent and director find satisfactory. The permit form itself asks for the minor’s name, address, and contact information, the employer’s business name and address, the type of business, the specific job duties, and the starting wage, and it must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.8Maine Department of Labor. Maine Work Permit Form A social security number is not required.
The superintendent’s office checks that the minor is not habitually truant, is not under suspension, and is passing a majority of their courses that grading period. After the superintendent signs, the form goes to the Department of Labor, which verifies that the minor is old enough for the job and that the occupation is not hazardous. If everything checks out, the department validates the form and returns a copy to the superintendent’s office.9Maine Department of Labor. Workforce Resources for Schools and Students The statute does not set a fixed processing timeline. The employer has to keep the approved permit on file and available for inspection by attendance officers or Bureau of Labor Standards agents for the entire time the minor works there.
Hours a Minor Can Work
Section 774 sets different hour caps for the two age groups, and the rules tighten during the school year.
14- and 15-Year-Olds
- Up to 3 hours on a school day.
- Up to 18 hours in a school week.
- Up to 8 hours on a non-school day.
- Up to 40 hours in a non-school week.
- No work before 7:00 AM.
- No work after 7:00 PM during the school year, extending to 9:00 PM during summer vacation.
- No more than 6 consecutive days.
16- and 17-Year-Olds
- Up to 6 hours on a school day, except up to 8 hours on the last scheduled day of the school week.
- Up to 24 hours in a school week.
- Up to 50 hours in a non-school week.
- No work after 10:15 PM on nights before a school day, or midnight on other nights.
The last-day-of-school-week rule for older teens trips up employers. If the school week ends Friday, a 16- or 17-year-old can work a full 8-hour shift that Friday even though the daily cap is otherwise 6 hours.
Rest Breaks
Maine’s rest break law applies to every employee, including minors. Under Section 601, an employee cannot work more than 6 consecutive hours without at least 30 consecutive minutes of rest. The employee can take that time as unpaid mealtime only if they are completely relieved of duties.11Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 26 Section 601 – Rest Breaks A narrow exception exists for workplaces with fewer than three employees on duty where the work allows frequent shorter paid breaks.
What Minors Have To Be Paid
Maine’s minimum wage is $15.10 per hour as of January 1, 2026, and it applies to minors the same way it applies to adults.12Maine Department of Labor. Minimum Wage Poster 2026 The federal Fair Labor Standards Act allows a reduced rate of $4.25 per hour for workers under 20 during their first 90 calendar days, but because the higher standard governs when both apply, Maine employers still have to pay at least $15.10.13U.S. Department of Labor. Subminimum Wage
Penalties for Employers Who Break the Rules
Section 781 escalates fines based on the type of violation and how often an employer has been cited. General violations are strict-liability, meaning the state does not have to prove the employer meant to break the law.
- First violation: $250 to $5,000.
- Second violation within 3 years: $500 to $5,000.
- Third or subsequent violation within 3 years: $2,000 to $10,000.
When an employer knowingly violates the minimum age rule (§771), the hazardous occupation rules (§772), or the age-based occupation restrictions (§773-A), the fines climb:
- First violation: at least $500, with no statutory cap.
- Second violation within 3 years: $5,000 to $20,000.
- Third or subsequent violation within 3 years: $10,000 to $50,000.
The Bureau of Labor Standards may overlook minor scheduling slips that don’t suggest a pattern: a shift that runs up to 10 minutes past the permitted start or end time, a daily overage of up to 10 minutes, or a weekly overage of up to 50 minutes. That cushion disappears once the facts point to a pattern of knowing violations.
Federal penalties stack on top. Under the FLSA, an employer can face civil penalties up to $11,000 per child for each violation, and fines up to $50,000 (doubled to $100,000 for willful or repeat conduct) when a violation causes serious injury or death to a minor.15U.S. Department of Labor. FLSA – Child Labor Rules Advisor
How Maine and Federal Rules Fit Together
Maine’s rules sit alongside the federal FLSA, not in place of it. When a business is covered by federal law, both sets of standards apply at once, and the employer follows the one that gives the minor more protection. Maine is stricter on wages ($15.10 vs. the federal $7.25), on evening cutoff times, and on weekly hour caps for 16- and 17-year-olds. Federal Hazardous Occupation Orders sometimes reach tasks Maine does not list explicitly, so the federal ban still applies. Checking both and following the tougher rule is the safest practice for any employer hiring teens in Maine.