Age 14 and 15
Age 16 and 17
Age 13 and Under
Lunch Period Requirements
Proof of Age
Recordkeeping Requirements
USDOL Child Labor
Youth Rules
AGE 14 and 15 YEARS
The following will apply to all minors 14 and 15 years of age including those participating in a home school program:
1. May work three hours per day on a school day, eight hours a day on a nonschool day and up to 18 hours total in a week when school is in session.
2. May work eight hours per day, 40 hours per week when school is not in session for the entire school week.
3. May work between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
4. Between June 1 and Labor Day the minor may work as late as 9 p.m.
5. Minors under 16 years of age may not be employed during regular school hours.
6. See a list of prohibited duties considered hazardous by selecting 803 KAR 1:100 in addition to the list provided below.
Prohibited jobs:
1. Manufacturing or storing explosives
2. Driving a motor vehicle and being an outside helper on a motor vehicle
3. Coal mining
4. Logging and sawmilling
5. Power-driven wood-working machines
6. Exposure to radioactive substances and to ionizing radiations
7. Power-driven hoisting equipment
8. Power-driven metal-forming, punching and shearing machines
9. Mining, other than coal mining
10.Slaughtering, meat packing or processing (including power-driven meat slicing machines)
11.Power-driven bakery machines
12.Power-driven paper-products machines
13 Manufacturing brick, tile and related products
14.Power-driven circular saws, band saws and guillotine shears
15.Wrecking, demolition and ship-breaking operations
16.Roofing operations
17.Excavation operations
18.In, about or in connection with any establishments where alcoholic liquors are distilled, rectified, compounded, brewed, manufactured, bottled, sold for consumption or dispensed unless permitted by the rules and regulations of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (except they may be employed in places where the sale of alcoholic beverages by the package is merely incidental to the main business actually conducted).
19.Pool or billiard room
For additional information, select a title below:
KRS 339.210 Definition of gainful occupation
KRS 339.230 Restrictions of employment
KRS 339.430 Machinery used in school courses
803 KAR 1:100 Child labor
USDOL child labor FLSA
AGE 16 and 17 YEARS Back to top
The following will apply to all minors 16 and 17 years old enrolled in school or participating in a home school program:
1. May work six hours a day on a school day; eight hours a day on a nonschool day up to 30 hours total in a school week.
2. May work between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. preceding a school day and between the hours of 6 a.m. and 1 a.m. preceding a nonschool day during a school week.
3. See a list of prohibited duties considered hazardous by clicking on 803 KAR 1:100 in addition to the list provided below.
Prohibited jobs:
1. Manufacturing or storing explosives
2. Driving a motor vehicle and being an outside helper on a motor vehicle
3. Coal mining
4. Logging and sawmilling
5. Power-driven wood-working machines*
6. Exposure to radioactive substances and to ionizing radiations
7. Power-driven hoisting equipment
8. Power-driven metal-forming, punching and shearing machines*
9. Mining, other than coal mining
10.Slaughtering, meat packing or processing (including power-driven meat slicing machines)
11.Power-driven bakery machines
12.Power-driven paper-products machines*
13.Manufacturing brick, tile and related products
14.Power-driven circular saws, band saws and guillotine shears*
15.Wrecking, demolition and ship-breaking operations
16.Roofing operations*
17.Excavation operations*
18.In, about or in connection with any establishments where alcoholic liquors are distilled, rectified, compounded, brewed, manufactured, bottled, sold for consumption or dispensed unless permitted by the rules and regulations of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (except they may be employed in places where the sale of alcoholic beverages by the package is merely incidental to the main business actually conducted).
19.Pool or billiard room
*Limited exemptions are provided for apprentices and student-learners under specified standards.
For additional information, select a title below:
KRS 339.210 Definition of gainful occupation
KRS 339.230 Restrictions of employment
KRS 339.430 Machinery used in school courses
803 KAR 1:100 Child labor
USDOL child labor FLSA
AGE 13 AND UNDER Back to top
Minors under 14 years of age may not be employed.
For additional information, select a title below:
KRS 339.220 Minors under 14 not to be employed
KRS 339.225 Minors 11 and over as golf caddies
LUNCH PERIOD Back to top
Minors under the age of 18 are required to take a 30-minute documented lunch break for each five hours of continuous work. No period of less than 30 minutes will be considered sufficient.
For additional information, select the title below:
KRS 339.270 Lunch period
PROOF OF AGE Back to top
Employers are required to maintain proof of age on file for each minor under 18 years of age. A copy of a birth certificate, a driver's license or school identification is acceptable.
For additional information, select the title below:
KRS 339.450 Age certificate
RECORDKEEPING REQUIREMENTS Back to top
Employers are required to maintain the names, ages and addresses, the time of the beginning and ending of each work shift and each meal period. Employers are responsible for posting the child labor poster including prohibited duties. Posters may be obtained by selecting the link below.
For additional information, select any of the titles below:
KRS 339.400 Employer's register
Kentucky Child Labor Law Poster- English version
Kentucky Child Labor Law Poster - Spanish version
