The Pennsylvania Child Labor Act sets the rules for anyone under 18 who works for pay in the state: it fixes a general minimum working age of 14, limits how many hours minors can work and when, bars them from hazardous jobs, requires a work permit before starting, and imposes fines on employers who cut corners. Both state and federal law apply, and whichever is stricter controls.
Who the Act Covers
A “minor” under the Act is anyone under 18.1Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 43 P.S. 40.2 – Definitions If you’re under 18 and someone pays you for work performed in Pennsylvania, the Act applies. That covers retail and food service jobs, paid internships, and farm work done for a non-family employer. It does not reach casual babysitting, chores at your own home, or unpaid volunteering.
The general minimum working age is 14.2Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. Child Labor Act Two narrow exceptions let younger children work: an 11-year-old may deliver newspapers, and a 12-year-old may caddy, so long as the caddy carries only one bag at a time and works no more than 18 holes in a day.3Pennsylvania Department of Education. Child Labor Law
Hour Limits by Age
How many hours a minor can work depends on age and whether school is in session.
14- and 15-Year-Olds
During the school year, a 14- or 15-year-old is capped at three hours on a school day, eight hours on a non-school day, and 18 hours per week. Work must fall between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.4Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 43 P.S. 40.3 – Time Limitations on Employment of Minors A minor enrolled in summer school stays on the 18-hour weekly cap even while classmates are on break.
When school is fully out, the weekly limit rises to 40 hours and the evening cutoff extends to 9 p.m. The eight-hour daily limit still applies.
16- and 17-Year-Olds
Monday through Friday of a regular school week, 16- and 17-year-olds may work up to 28 hours, with a maximum of eight in any single day. On top of those weekday hours, they may work an additional eight on Saturday and eight on Sunday, so the practical school-year weekly total can reach 44 hours.5Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. Abstract of the Child Labor Act The 28-hour figure only counts the five school days, which catches many employers off guard.
Night work for this age group cannot start before 6 a.m. or run past midnight. During a school vacation scheduled by the minor’s district, the cutoff extends to 1 a.m.4Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 43 P.S. 40.3 – Time Limitations on Employment of Minors Ordinary weekends don’t count as vacation.
Breaks and Consecutive Days
Every minor, at any age covered by the Act, must get a break of at least 30 minutes after five continuous hours of work. Splitting it into two 15-minute segments does not comply. Pennsylvania also bars employing a minor for more than six consecutive days, with a carve-out only for newspaper carriers.4Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 43 P.S. 40.3 – Time Limitations on Employment of Minors Federal law does not require any meal or rest breaks, so the state rule is the one that matters.6U.S. Department of Labor. Breaks and Meal Periods
Prohibited and Hazardous Jobs
Pennsylvania pulls its list of off-limits jobs from three sources: the state Child Labor Act, federal hazardous-occupation orders under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and regulations from the state Department of Labor and Industry.7Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. Prohibited Occupations Under the Child Labor Act The jobs most likely to come up:
- Mining. All underground work and most surface operations at coal-mining plants are banned for anyone under 18.
- Roofing. Every roofing occupation is prohibited.
- Power-driven woodworking machines. Operating, feeding, adjusting, or cleaning these is off-limits, though 16- and 17-year-olds may place material on a moving chain or hopper for automatic feeding.
- Alcohol-serving establishments. Minors generally cannot work where alcohol is dispensed. Hotels, clubs, and restaurants with a Sunday sales license from the Liquor Control Board may let minors serve food and clear tables, but never serve or pour alcohol.
Restrictions tighten for anyone under 16. Younger minors cannot operate industrial food slicers or meat grinders, work from scaffolding or ladders, or tend hoisting equipment like cranes, forklifts, and derricks. Once a minor turns 16, some tasks open up, such as operating lightweight countertop mixers built to household-grade specs. Heavy industrial prohibitions stay in force until 18.
Driving on the Job
Federal hazardous-occupation rules generally keep minors from driving as part of a job. One narrow exception lets 17-year-olds drive on public roads during daylight if the vehicle weighs 6,000 pounds or less, the teen holds a valid state license, has completed an approved driver education course, and has no moving violations, and the driving is only occasional and incidental to the job. “Occasional and incidental” means no more than one-third of the workday or 20 percent of the workweek behind the wheel.8U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 34 – Hazardous Occupations Order No. 2, Driving Automobiles and Trucks Route deliveries, time-sensitive runs like pizza delivery, and driving passengers for hire are all off-limits regardless of the teen’s qualifications.
Getting a Work Permit
Nearly every working minor in Pennsylvania needs a work permit before starting the job. The application is form PDE-4565, available from your local school district.9Pennsylvania Department of Education. Application for Work Permit
A parent or legal guardian must sign the application. If none is available, the minor can submit a notarized statement attesting to the accuracy of the application instead. High school graduates don’t need parental consent.10New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Pennsylvania Code 43 P.S. 40.9 – Work Permit You’ll also need proof of age; the statute lists acceptable documents in order of preference, starting with an attested birth certificate transcript, and the issuing officer accepts the first document on the list you can produce.
The “issuing officer” is usually a guidance counselor or administrator at a public school district. Call ahead to find out which building handles permits and when the officer is available.3Pennsylvania Department of Education. Child Labor Law The minor must appear before the officer in person or virtually, sign the permit in the officer’s presence, and receives a wallet-sized card listing name, date of birth, physical description, and any work restrictions.
Homeschooled, Cyber, and Private School Students
The permit still comes from the public school district where the minor lives. Every district issues permits to all resident minors, not only to students enrolled in district schools. Documentation requirements are the same; call the district for the procedure.
When a Permit Can Be Denied or Revoked
An issuing officer can refuse to grant a permit, or revoke one already issued, if the officer judges that the minor cannot keep up academically while working. Statute gives officers broad discretion here and no formal appeal, and families are often caught off guard when grades slip mid-semester and the permit is pulled.
Entertainment Permits
A standard work permit does not cover a minor who performs, models, or appears in reality or documentary programming. Those minors need a separate entertainment permit from the Department of Labor and Industry.11Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 43 P.S. 40.5 – Performances It’s valid for up to six months and is renewable, with most requirements waivable for a one-day shoot. Core conditions: the performance can’t be hazardous, a parent or guardian must be allowed within sight or sound of the minor at all times, and for live productions a minor may not appear in more than three performances per day or ten per calendar week.
How Federal and State Rules Interact
Pennsylvania employers must follow whichever rule protects the minor more. Where state law is stricter than the Fair Labor Standards Act, state controls; where the FLSA sets a higher bar, federal controls.12U.S. Department of Labor. Selected State Child Labor Standards Affecting Minors Under 18 in Non-farm Employment Pennsylvania is tighter in several spots: it requires rest breaks (federal law doesn’t), imposes night-work cutoffs on 16- and 17-year-olds (the FLSA sets no hour limits for that age group), and has its own prohibited-occupation list that sometimes reaches further than the federal orders. For 14- and 15-year-olds the two systems largely line up, including a summer evening cutoff of 9 p.m. through Labor Day.13U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 43 – Child Labor Provisions of the FLSA for Nonagricultural Occupations
Penalties
State violations are summary offenses. A first offense draws a fine of $100 to $500. Repeat violations can reach $1,500 per offense, and severe cases can bring criminal charges.14Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 43 P.S. 40.13 – Penalties Fines apply per violation, so an employer with several minors or several pay periods on the wrong side of the law can rack up liability quickly.
Federal civil penalties stack on top. As of 2026, the federal fine for a child labor violation can reach $16,035 per affected worker. If the violation causes a minor’s death or serious injury, the penalty rises to $72,876 and can double when the violation is repeated or willful.15eCFR. Child Labor Violations – Civil Money Penalties Federal investigators have been active in food processing and agriculture, so those numbers are not just theoretical.