Minimum Age to Work in Arizona: Rules, Permits, and Exceptions

The minimum age to work in Arizona is 14 for most jobs. Children as young as 10 can deliver newspapers, and a handful of other narrow exceptions exist, but 14 is the general floor. From there, the rules loosen in two stages: 16-year-olds shed most hour limits, and 18-year-olds shed the ban on hazardous work. Arizona and federal child labor laws both apply, and when they differ, the stricter rule wins.

What 14- and 15-Year-Olds Can Do

This is the most tightly regulated age group. A 14- or 15-year-old can take a job, but both the hours and the type of work are capped.

Arizona limits workers under 16 to 3 hours on a school day and 18 hours in a school week, and 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week when school is out.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 23 – Labor 23-233 State law also sets curfews: work has to end by 9:30 p.m. on a school night and by 11:00 p.m. otherwise, with no start before 6:00 a.m.

Federal law matches the daily and weekly hour caps but sets earlier evening cutoffs. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, 14- and 15-year-olds can only work between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. during the school year, extended to 9:00 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day.2U.S. Department of Labor. Fair Labor Standards Act Advisor – Hours Restrictions Because those cutoffs are earlier than Arizona’s, they are the ones employers must follow in practice. A 15-year-old working a summer restaurant shift has to clock out by 9:00 p.m.

The type of work is also limited. Workers 14 and 15 cannot work in construction, manufacturing, warehousing, mining, or public utilities. They cannot operate power-driven machinery other than standard office equipment.3U.S. Department of Labor. Fair Labor Standards Act Advisor – Prohibited Occupations for Non-Agricultural Employees Federal law also bans anyone under 16 from door-to-door sales work, and Arizona bars minors under 16 from door-to-door solicitation after 7:00 p.m. regardless of school.4U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 75 – Youth Peddling Under the Federal Child Labor Provisions of Fair Labor Standards Act Volunteer activities like Girl Scout cookies or a school fundraiser are unaffected.

What Changes at 16

At 16, Arizona’s daily and weekly hour caps drop away. State law still bars 16- and 17-year-olds from working during regular school hours and holds them to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week when school is not in session.5Industrial Commission of Arizona. Labor – Youth Employment – Hours Restrictions Federal law puts no hour limits on this age group at all.

A 16-year-old can take almost any non-hazardous job an adult can. The remaining wall is the federal list of hazardous occupations, which stays in place until 18.

Jobs No One Under 18 Can Do

Federal law lists 17 categories of hazardous work closed to anyone under 18. The ones that come up most often:6U.S. Department of Labor. FLSA – Child Labor Rules

  • Driving a motor vehicle on public roads for work, or riding as an outside helper on a delivery route.
  • All underground mining, plus open-pit quarry and sand-and-gravel work.
  • Any work on or about a roof, including ground-level roofing tasks.
  • Operating forklifts, woodworking machines, metal-forming presses, and most hoisting equipment such as scissor lifts and boom trucks.7U.S. Department of Labor. What Jobs Are Off-Limits for Kids?
  • Manufacturing or storing explosives.

Arizona keeps its own list under A.R.S. 23-231, and where the two overlap the stricter one controls. On driving, for example, Arizona permits some narrow on-the-job driving by 16- and 17-year-olds, but the broader federal ban is what most employers have to follow.

Food Service and Baking

Because so many first jobs are in restaurants, the kitchen rules deserve a close look. Workers 14 and 15 cannot do any part of the baking process, including weighing ingredients, assembling items on pans, operating any oven (microwaves used for baking included), or finishing baked goods. They are also barred from power-driven food slicers, grinders, choppers, and commercial mixers.8U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 58 – Cooking and Baking Under the Federal Child Labor Provisions of Fair Labor Standards Act

Workers 16 and 17 have more room but still cannot run commercial mixers, meat slicers, meat saws, patty-forming machines, meat grinders, or certain power-driven bakery machines. Even hand-washing the disassembled parts of meat processing equipment is off limits. Lightweight countertop mixers comparable to home models are allowed, and so are pizza-dough rollers with built-in guards.

Exceptions That Let Younger Children Work

A few situations sit outside the general framework:

Pay Is the Same at Any Age

Arizona does not have a separate minimum wage for minors. As of 2026, the state minimum is $15.15 per hour and applies to workers of every age.10Industrial Commission of Arizona. New 2026 Minimum Wage There is no teen training wage in Arizona.

Work Permits and Age Verification

Arizona does not require work permits for minors. What the law does require is that the employer verify the age of every worker under 18. The Industrial Commission of Arizona has said an employer can still be penalized if a young worker turns out to be underage, even if the minor lied about their age.11Industrial Commission of Arizona. Labor – Youth Employment – Frequently Asked Questions A birth certificate, driver’s license, or passport works, and the employer should keep a copy.

Reporting a Violation

If an employer is breaking Arizona’s child labor rules, you can file a youth labor complaint with the Industrial Commission of Arizona through azica.gov, online or by mail. For federal violations, you can also file with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, which has a Phoenix district office. A complaint can come from the minor, a parent, or anyone else who knows about the problem.