Quick answer: Federal law doesn’t restrict how many hours 16-year-olds can work, but most states set their own limits—especially during the school year—so your schedule must follow state rules first.
While federal law is flexible, state regulations often cap daily or weekly hours for minors, set curfews, and differentiate between school days and weekends. Without checking your state’s requirements—or reviewing your obligations under FLSA rules—you could be out of compliance even if you’re following federal guidelines.
What are the hour limits for 16-year-olds?
To understand how many hours you can schedule a 16-year-old, it’s important to look at how federal and state rules overlap.
Federal law doesn’t place any limits on how many hours 16- or 17-year-olds can work, and it doesn’t restrict the times of day they can work either. Once a teen turns 16, federal child labor rules focus on job duties, not hours.
State laws often add limits that federal law doesn’t. Many states cap how many hours 16-year-olds can work during the school week, set maximum shift lengths for school days, or restrict total weekly hours when school is in session. These rules vary widely, but they always override federal law when they’re more restrictive.
Night-work rules are another layer added by states. Several states set curfews for 16-year-olds, limit work on school nights, or require earlier cutoff times than federal law. These curfews often affect dinner rushes and closing shifts in restaurants and retail.
What are the federal hour limits for 16-year-olds?
Federal law offers the broadest flexibility for 16- and 17-year-olds.
Once a teen turns 16, the Department of Labor doesn’t limit how many hours they can work or what times of day they can work. The federal child labor rules for 16- and 17-year-olds focus on job duties, not hours, with restrictions applying only to hazardous tasks.
Federal flexibility, however, often creates misunderstandings. Because federal rules allow unlimited hours, many managers assume they’re in the clear—but hour and timing limits almost always come from state or local law, not federal regulations.
What are the state hour limits for 16-year-olds?
State labor laws are where you need to focus your compliance efforts. The most common restrictions include caps on hours worked during the school week, maximum shift lengths on school days, and total hours worked while school is in session.
Here are some notable examples:
- Washington has fairly stringent laws, requiring no more than 4 hours worked per school day with a maximum of 20 hours per school week, and no work past 10pm on school nights. Look to non-school week rules for lighter rules.
- California has multiple requirements, including a maximum of 4 hours worked per schoolday, 48 maximum hours per week, and school night curfews of 10:00pm. Rules are different when school isn’t in session, but still more stringent than federal law.
- Michigan does not permit minors to work during school hours, nor to work more than an average of 8 hours a day in a week. 10:30pm curfews on school nights and a school week limit of 24 maximum work hours could limit your team scheduling.
- Pennsylvania has a limit of 8 hours worked per day or a maximum of 28 hours per week during the school week, as well as a midnight curfew on school nights. Lighter rules apply when school is out.
- New Jersey does not permit more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week during school weeks, including an 11:00pm curfew. Hours are generally expanded when school is not in session or on non-school nights.
- Florida does not permit 16- and 17-year olds to work more than 8 hours a day or exceed 30 hours worked per schoolweek, with curfews of 11pm on school nights. Rules are lighter when school is not in session.
- Kentucky includes a 6 hours per day and 30 hours per school week limit with a 10:30pm curfew, but parental permission and sufficient academic performance allows some teens to work up to 8 hours per school day or 40 hours per school week with a 11:00pm curfew. Research state rules for how students can be eligible for these extensions.
- Maryland doesn't limit standalone work hours, but strictly bans 16-year-olds from exceeding 12 combined hours of school and work in a single calendar day—meaning a long day in the classroom legally shortens their evening shift.
- New York doesn’t allow more than 4 hours a day or 28 hours a week worked in school weeks. It also enforces a strict 10:00pm curfew on school nights, which can only be extended to midnight if the employer keeps a signed parental consent form and an academic standing waiver from the minor’s school on file.
Because the details differ from state to state—and sometimes even by school calendar or school night—it’s important to check your local requirements before assigning longer shifts or building out the week’s schedule. You should also consider whether meal and break rules are different in your state for 16- and 17-year-olds, as well as overtime rules.
What are the night-work rules for 16-year-olds?
Night-work rules add another layer of restrictions, especially on school nights or during busy evening shifts.
Night-work rules often set curfews. They limit how late night work can be scheduled on school nights or require earlier cutoff times during the school year. These rules vary by state and can differ between school weeks and weekends.
These curfews often affect dinner rushes and closing shifts in restaurants and retail, so it’s important to check your state’s exact limits before assigning later hours to younger team members.
A few states don’t limit work hours in general, but impose strict curfews for 16- and 17-year olds:
- Ohio doesn’t include most of the limits of states noted above, but does have an 11:00pm curfew on school nights.
- North Carolina has a similar curfew of 11:00pm, unless written permission is obtained from the youth’s parents and principal.
The best way to stay compliant is through reliable time tracking. Your younger employees are more likely to use a mobile time clock than paper options, so if your team includes many 16- and 17-year olds, you should make sure your time-tracking system works for them.
How does Homebase help you stay compliant?
Homebase makes it easier to stay compliant by helping you track scheduling rules for your location, flagging potential issues like missed breaks or overtime, and giving you access to HR and compliance tools when you need extra guidance. With built-in labor law resources and smart scheduling features, you can spend less time researching state requirements and more time confidently managing your team.
Sign up for Homebase today to understand how federal and state rules interact, and simplify schedule-building while keeping your business compliant.
Sources and Methodology
At Homebase, we rely on up-to-date, authoritative sources to ensure every Question Center article reflects accurate guidance for small business owners. We start with primary information from federal labor agencies, verify details using state-level youth employment rules, and use reputable compliance resources only to supplement—not replace—official law.
For this piece, we referenced federal guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor’s YouthRules! program and child labor fact sheets, as well as state-level regulations from California, New York, Texas, Florida, and other state workforce agencies.