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, but those rules only cover part of what employers need to know.
Federal law is straightforward: 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 often add scheduling 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 can vary significantly by location, and they always override federal law when they’re more restrictive.
Because the details differ from state to state — and sometimes even by school calendar — it’s important to check your local requirements before assigning longer shifts or building out the week’s schedule.
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.
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.
Understanding how federal and state rules interact simplifies how to build schedules that keep your business compliant.
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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.