North Dakota’s child labor laws set 14 as the minimum age for most jobs, require a youth employment certificate and strict hour limits for 14- and 15-year-olds, and impose almost no state restrictions on 16- and 17-year-olds beyond the federal ban on hazardous occupations.1North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Code Chapter 34-07 – Child Labor Three narrow exceptions let younger children work: farm labor, domestic service, and work directly supervised by a parent, guardian, or grandparent.
Minimum Working Age
Children under 14 generally cannot hold a job in North Dakota. The exceptions are farm labor, domestic service (household tasks performed in or around someone’s home), and work done under the direct supervision of the child’s parent, guardian, or grandparent.1North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Code Chapter 34-07 – Child Labor Domestic service is broadly exempt from child labor rules, which means no work permit and no hour limits.2Department of Labor and Human Rights. Youth Employment in North Dakota
At 14, a teen can take on a wider range of jobs, but only after an employment certificate is on file. Without that paperwork, 14- and 15-year-olds are limited to the same three categories as younger children.1North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Code Chapter 34-07 – Child Labor
At 16, state restrictions largely drop away. North Dakota imposes no hour limits and no special employment requirements on workers 16 and older.3Department of Labor and Human Rights. Youth Employment The remaining rules come from federal law.
The Youth Employment Certificate
Every employer who hires a 14- or 15-year-old must have a completed Youth Employment Certificate on file. The certificate is not issued by the school. The teen’s parent or guardian signs and certifies it, and the completed original must be sent to the North Dakota Department of Labor and Human Rights. It is not valid until the Department receives it.3Department of Labor and Human Rights. Youth Employment
The form collects information from the teen, the parent or guardian, and the employer, and a new one is required for each new job. If an employer has a worker who appears to be under 16 and no certificate is on file, the employer must either produce proof the worker is 16 or older or stop employing that minor immediately on demand.1North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Code Chapter 34-07 – Child Labor
Work Hours for 14- and 15-Year-Olds
Hour limits for this age group track the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. During weeks when school is in session, 14- and 15-year-olds can work up to 3 hours on a school day and no more than 18 hours total for the week. During non-school weeks, they can work up to 8 hours a day and 40 hours for the week.4Department of Labor and Human Rights. Youth Employment FAQ
Work must happen between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. From June 1 through Labor Day, the evening cutoff extends to 9:00 p.m.5U.S. Department of Labor. Non-Agricultural Jobs – 14-15
For 16- and 17-year-olds, North Dakota sets no daily or weekly caps and no nighttime curfews.3Department of Labor and Human Rights. Youth Employment
Jobs 14- and 15-Year-Olds Cannot Do
North Dakota bars 14- and 15-year-olds from several categories of work that go beyond what federal law prohibits. These teens may not perform work involving:
- Power-driven machinery
- Construction work
- Passenger or freight elevators
- Mines or quarries
- Elevated surfaces higher than six feet, including ladders and scaffolds
- Door-to-door sales
- Fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, or insecticides
- Blood, bodily fluids, or bodily tissues
- Cooking, baking, grilling, or frying
4Department of Labor and Human Rights. Youth Employment FAQ These restrictions do not apply to teens doing ordinary farm labor or operating farm machinery.1North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Code Chapter 34-07 – Child Labor
Hazardous Work and 16- and 17-Year-Olds
Federal law prohibits anyone under 18 from working in 17 categories of hazardous non-agricultural occupations. These include manufacturing or storing explosives, coal mining, logging and sawmill work, roofing, excavation, demolition, and operating power-driven equipment such as metalworking machines, woodworking machines, bakery machinery, and hoisting equipment.6U.S. Department of Labor. FLSA – Child Labor Rules Some of those orders have limited exemptions for student-learners in approved career and technical education programs or registered apprenticeships.4Department of Labor and Human Rights. Youth Employment FAQ
Driving as part of a job is itself a federal hazardous occupation, with one narrow exception for 17-year-olds. A 17-year-old may drive on public roads for work only if every one of these conditions is met: the driving is during daylight; the teen holds a valid state license; the teen completed a state-approved driver education course with no moving violations at the time of hire; the vehicle weighs no more than 6,000 pounds; seatbelts are provided and required; and the driving is occasional and incidental to the job, meaning no more than one-third of any workday or 20 percent of weekly work time.7U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #34: Hazardous Occupations Order No. 2 – Youth Employment Provision and Driving Automobiles and Trucks under the Fair Labor Standards Act
Even when those conditions are satisfied, a 17-year-old cannot tow vehicles, make route or time-sensitive deliveries (like pizza or bank runs), transport more than three passengers, drive beyond 30 miles from the workplace, or operate anything other than a car or truck. Motorcycles, ATVs, buses, and golf carts are out.7U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #34: Hazardous Occupations Order No. 2 – Youth Employment Provision and Driving Automobiles and Trucks under the Fair Labor Standards Act
Farm Work and Family Business Exceptions
Agriculture runs through nearly every corner of North Dakota’s child labor law. Farm labor is carved out of the under-14 employment ban, and the state’s list of prohibited occupations for 14- and 15-year-olds explicitly does not apply to ordinary farm tasks or operating farm machinery.1North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Code Chapter 34-07 – Child Labor
Federal law adds its own layer. Children under 16 working on someone else’s farm are subject to 16 federal agricultural hazardous occupation orders, which prohibit tasks like operating tractors over 20 PTO horsepower and working with certain chemicals or explosives. Those federal restrictions do not apply to minors working on a farm owned or operated by their parents, or to students enrolled in recognized vocational agriculture or 4-H training programs.8U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act for Nonagricultural Occupations
Outside agriculture, children under 14 may work under the direct supervision of a parent, guardian, or grandparent in any occupation. For 14- and 15-year-olds, the same exemption exists for a parent or guardian, though not for a grandparent at that age.1North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Code Chapter 34-07 – Child Labor Direct supervision is the key word. Simply owning the business is not enough if the parent is not personally overseeing the work.
Pay: The Youth Minimum Wage
North Dakota’s minimum wage matches the federal rate of $7.25 per hour. Federal law lets employers pay workers under 20 a reduced youth minimum wage of $4.25 per hour during their first 90 consecutive calendar days on the job. After 90 days, or when the worker turns 20 (whichever comes first), pay must rise to at least $7.25.9U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #32: Youth Minimum Wage – Fair Labor Standards Act
The 90-day clock runs on calendar days from the first day of work, not days actually worked. An employer cannot use a new youth hire at $4.25 as a reason to cut hours, wages, or benefits for existing employees or to displace workers already on the payroll.9U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #32: Youth Minimum Wage – Fair Labor Standards Act
Penalties for Violations
Under North Dakota law, employing a minor in violation of Chapter 34-07 is an infraction, which carries a fine but no jail time.1North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Code Chapter 34-07 – Child Labor Federal penalties are heavier. As of 2025, a single FLSA child labor violation can bring a civil penalty of up to $16,035. If the violation causes serious injury or death, the maximum rises to $72,876. For willful or repeated violations that cause serious injury or death, the ceiling is $145,752. These figures are adjusted annually for inflation.10U.S. Department of Labor. Civil Money Penalty Inflation Adjustments
Workers and parents who report violations are protected against retaliation. A complaint can be made in writing or verbally to the U.S. Department of Labor, and most courts also protect internal complaints made directly to the employer.11U.S. Department of Labor. Prohibiting Retaliation Under the Fair Labor Standards Act
Where to Get the Certificate and Ask Questions
The North Dakota Department of Labor and Human Rights publishes the Youth Employment Certificate form, processes completed certificates, investigates complaints, and conducts inspections.3Department of Labor and Human Rights. Youth Employment A quick call to the Department before hiring (or before taking a job) is the simplest way to confirm whether a specific task is permitted. The federal Wage and Hour Division handles enforcement of the FLSA, including the hazardous occupation orders and federal civil penalties, and can investigate on its own or alongside the state.