On Fire for their Future
Kentucky Child Labor Laws
Hours of Work Permitted for Minors 14 to 18 Years of Age
Ages 14 & 15 Years
“School in session” means the time established by local school district authorities, pursuant to KRS 160.290.
Parental or guardian permission must be in writing and shall remain at the employer’s place of business.
A minor may work up to thirty-two and one-half (32.5) hours in any one (1) workweek if a parent or legal guardian gives permission in writing. A minor may work up to forty (40) hours in any one (1) work week if a parent or legal guardian gives permission in writing and the principal or head of the school the minor attends certifies in writing that the minor has maintained at least a 2.0 grade point average in the most recent grading period. School certification shall be valid for one (1) year unless revoked sooner by the school authority. The parental permission and school certification shall remain at the employer’s place of business.
Lunch Break: Minors under 18 years of age shall not be permitted to work more than five (5) hours continuously without an interval of at least thirty (30) minutes for a lunch period. The beginning and ending of the lunch period shall be documented by the employer.
Occupations Prohibited For Minors Under 18 Years of Age
- Occupations in or about Plants or Establishments Manufacturing or Storing Explosives or Articles Containing Explosive Components.
- Motor-vehicle Driver and outside helper on a motor vehicle.
- Coal Mine Occupations.
- Logging or Sawmill Operations.
- Operation of Power-Driven Woodworking machines.
- Exposure to Radioactive Substances.
- Power-driven hoisting apparatus, including forklifts.
- Operation of Power-Driven Metal Forming, punching, and shearing machines.
- Mining, other than coal mining.
- Operating power-driven meat processing equipment, including meat slicers and other food slicers, in retail establishments (such as grocery
- stores, restaurants, kitchens and Delis), wholesale establishments, and most occupations in meat slaughtering, packing, processing, or
- rendering.
- Operation of Power-driven bakery machines including vertical dough or batter mixers.
- Power-driven paper products machines including scrap paper baler and cardboard box compactors.
- Manufacturing bricks, tile, and kindred products.
- Power-driven circular saws, band saws, and Guillotine shears.
- Wrecking, demolition, and shipbreaking operations.
- Roofing operations and all work on or about a roof.
- Excavating Operations.
- In, about or in connection with any establishment 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).
- Pool or Billiard Room.
Limited exemptions for 16 and 17 year old apprentices and student-learners may apply. For questions, please call (502) 564-3534.
Minors fourteen (14) but not yet sixteen (16) years of age may NOT be employed in: manufacturing, mining, or processing occupations, including occupations requiring the performance of any duties in workrooms or workplaces where goods are manufactured, mined, or otherwise processed; occupations which involve the operation or tending of hoisting apparatus or any power-driven machinery other than office machines; operation of motor vehicles or service as helpers on such vehicles; public messenger service; occupations in connection with: (1)transportation of persons or property by rail, highway, air, water, pipeline, or other means, (2) warehousing and storage, (3) communications and public utilities, or (4) construction (including demolition and repair).
Proof of Age Required For Minors 14 But Not Yet 18 Years of Age
Driver's License, Birth Certificate, Government Document with Date of Birth
Ages 16 & 17 Years
“School in session” means the time established by local school district authorities, pursuant to KRS 160.290.
Parental or guardian permission must be in writing and shall remain at the employer’s place of business.
A minor may work up to thirty-two and one-half (32.5) hours in any one (1) workweek if a parent or legal guardian gives permission in writing. A minor may work up to forty (40) hours in any one (1) work week if a parent or legal guardian gives permission in writing and the principal or head of the school the minor attends certifies in writing that the minor has maintained at least a 2.0 grade point average in the most recent grading period. School certification shall be valid for one (1) year unless revoked sooner by the school authority. The parental permission and school certification shall remain at the employer’s place of business.
Lunch Break: Minors under 18 years of age shall not be permitted to work more than five (5) hours continuously without an interval of at least thirty (30) minutes for a lunch period. The beginning and ending of the lunch period shall be documented by the employer.
Occupations Prohibited For Minors Under 18 Years of Age
- Occupations in or about Plants or Establishments Manufacturing or Storing Explosives or Articles Containing Explosive Components.
- Motor-vehicle Driver and outside helper on a motor vehicle.
- Coal Mine Occupations.
- Logging or Sawmill Operations.
- Operation of Power-Driven Woodworking machines.
- Exposure to Radioactive Substances.
- Power-driven hoisting apparatus, including forklifts.
- Operation of Power-Driven Metal Forming, punching, and shearing machines.
- Mining, other than coal mining.
- Operating power-driven meat processing equipment, including meat slicers and other food slicers, in retail establishments (such as grocery
- stores, restaurants, kitchens and Delis), wholesale establishments, and most occupations in meat slaughtering, packing, processing, or
- rendering.
- Operation of Power-driven bakery machines including vertical dough or batter mixers.
- Power-driven paper products machines including scrap paper baler and cardboard box compactors.
- Manufacturing bricks, tile, and kindred products.
- Power-driven circular saws, band saws, and Guillotine shears.
- Wrecking, demolition, and shipbreaking operations.
- Roofing operations and all work on or about a roof.
- Excavating Operations.
- In, about or in connection with any establishment 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).
- Pool or Billiard Room.
Limited exemptions for 16 and 17 year old apprentices and student-learners may apply. For questions, please call (502) 564-3534.
Minors fourteen (14) but not yet sixteen (16) years of age may NOT be employed in: manufacturing, mining, or processing occupations, including occupations requiring the performance of any duties in workrooms or workplaces where goods are manufactured, mined, or otherwise processed; occupations which involve the operation or tending of hoisting apparatus or any power-driven machinery other than office machines; operation of motor vehicles or service as helpers on such vehicles; public messenger service; occupations in connection with: (1)transportation of persons or property by rail, highway, air, water, pipeline, or other means, (2) warehousing and storage, (3) communications and public utilities, or (4) construction (including demolition and repair).
Proof of Age Required For Minors 14 But Not Yet 18 Years of Age
Driver's License, Birth Certificate, Government Document with Date of Birth
Ages 16 & 17 Years with Parental Permission
“School in session” means the time established by local school district authorities, pursuant to KRS 160.290.
Parental or guardian permission must be in writing and shall remain at the employer’s place of business.
A minor may work up to thirty-two and one-half (32.5) hours in any one (1) workweek if a parent or legal guardian gives permission in writing. A minor may work up to forty (40) hours in any one (1) work week if a parent or legal guardian gives permission in writing and the principal or head of the school the minor attends certifies in writing that the minor has maintained at least a 2.0 grade point average in the most recent grading period. School certification shall be valid for one (1) year unless revoked sooner by the school authority. The parental permission and school certification shall remain at the employer’s place of business.
Lunch Break: Minors under 18 years of age shall not be permitted to work more than five (5) hours continuously without an interval of at least thirty (30) minutes for a lunch period. The beginning and ending of the lunch period shall be documented by the employer.
Occupations Prohibited For Minors Under 18 Years of Age
- Occupations in or about Plants or Establishments Manufacturing or Storing Explosives or Articles Containing Explosive Components.
- Motor-vehicle Driver and outside helper on a motor vehicle.
- Coal Mine Occupations.
- Logging or Sawmill Operations.
- Operation of Power-Driven Woodworking machines.
- Exposure to Radioactive Substances.
- Power-driven hoisting apparatus, including forklifts.
- Operation of Power-Driven Metal Forming, punching, and shearing machines.
- Mining, other than coal mining.
- Operating power-driven meat processing equipment, including meat slicers and other food slicers, in retail establishments (such as grocery
- stores, restaurants, kitchens and Delis), wholesale establishments, and most occupations in meat slaughtering, packing, processing, or
- rendering.
- Operation of Power-driven bakery machines including vertical dough or batter mixers.
- Power-driven paper products machines including scrap paper baler and cardboard box compactors.
- Manufacturing bricks, tile, and kindred products.
- Power-driven circular saws, band saws, and Guillotine shears.
- Wrecking, demolition, and shipbreaking operations.
- Roofing operations and all work on or about a roof.
- Excavating Operations.
- In, about or in connection with any establishment 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).
- Pool or Billiard Room.
Limited exemptions for 16 and 17 year old apprentices and student-learners may apply. For questions, please call (502) 564-3534.
Minors fourteen (14) but not yet sixteen (16) years of age may NOT be employed in: manufacturing, mining, or processing occupations, including occupations requiring the performance of any duties in workrooms or workplaces where goods are manufactured, mined, or otherwise processed; occupations which involve the operation or tending of hoisting apparatus or any power-driven machinery other than office machines; operation of motor vehicles or service as helpers on such vehicles; public messenger service; occupations in connection with: (1)transportation of persons or property by rail, highway, air, water, pipeline, or other means, (2) warehousing and storage, (3) communications and public utilities, or (4) construction (including demolition and repair).
Proof of Age Required For Minors 14 But Not Yet 18 Years of Age
Driver's License, Birth Certificate, Government Document with Date of Birth
Education and Labor Cabinet
Division of Wages and Hours
Mayo-Underwood Building
500 Mero Street, 3rd Floor
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
Phone (502) 564-3534
elc.ky.gov
“No individual in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or belief, be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity under the jurisdiction of the Education and Labor Cabinet.”
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