New York Child Labor Laws
activeNew York restricts employment of minors under 18, requiring work permits (employment certificates) for all working minors. Minors aged 14-15 face strict hour and time-of-day limits similar to federal standards. Minors aged 16-17 may work up to 28 hours during school weeks, 4 hours on school days, with a 10:00 PM curfew (extendable to midnight with written parental consent for non-school nights). New York uses a color-coded permit system: blue for 14-15 year olds, green for 16-17 year olds, and other colors for special circumstances.
Applicability
Requirements
- Work Permit
- Required
- Yes
- Applies To
- All minors under 18
- Issuing Authority
- School district where minor resides or attends school
- Color Coded System
- Blue Card
- Applies To
- 14-15 year olds
- Description
- Employment certificate for minors aged 14-15, with the most restrictive work limitations.
- Green Card
- Applies To
- 16-17 year olds
- Description
- Employment certificate for minors aged 16-17, with less restrictive limitations than the blue card.
- Description
- An employment certificate (work permit) must be obtained before a minor under 18 may begin work. Permits are issued by the school district and are employer-specific.
- Age 14 15
- Max Hours School Day
- 3
- Max Hours Non School Day
- 8
- Max Hours School Week
- 18
- Max Hours Non School Week
- 40
- Earliest Start Time
- 07:00
- Latest End Time
- 19:00
- Latest End Time Summer
- 21:00
- Summer Period
- June 21 through Labor Day
- Description
- Minors aged 14-15 may work no more than 3 hours on a school day, 8 hours on a non-school day, 18 hours in a school week, and 40 hours in a non-school week. Work must occur between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM (extended to 9:00 PM from June 21 through Labor Day).
- Age 16 17
- Max Hours School Day
- 4
- Max Hours Non School Day
- 8
- Max Hours School Week
- 28
- Max Hours Non School Week
- 48
- Max Hours Per Day Absolute
- 8
- Latest End Time School Night
- 22:00
- Latest End Time Non School Night
- 00:00
- Parental Permission Extension
- Latest End Time
- 00:00
- Requires Written Consent
- Yes
- Description
- With written parental consent, 16-17 year olds may work until midnight on nights not preceding a school day.
- Description
- Minors aged 16-17 may work up to 4 hours on school days, 8 hours on non-school days, 28 hours during school weeks, and 48 hours during non-school weeks. The curfew is 10:00 PM on school nights and may be extended to midnight on non-school nights with written parental permission.
- Meal Break
- Trigger Hours
- 6
- Duration Minutes
- 30
- Description
- Working minors must receive a 30-minute meal break when working more than 6 consecutive hours.
- Prohibited Occupations
- Description
- Minors are prohibited from working in occupations deemed hazardous under New York law, including manufacturing, construction, operating power-driven machinery, and occupations involving exposure to toxic substances. Additional restrictions apply to 14-15 year olds.
Penalties
Employers who violate child labor laws are subject to civil penalties ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 per violation. Repeat or willful violations may result in higher penalties and criminal prosecution. Each day of violation constitutes a separate offense.
Per violation: $10000
Statute of limitations: 6 years
Notes
New York child labor laws interact with federal FLSA provisions; the more restrictive standard applies in all cases. The color-coded permit system helps employers and inspectors quickly identify the applicable restrictions. During school vacation periods, the non-school-week limits apply. Minors in the entertainment industry are subject to additional requirements under NY Labor Law Article 4-A, including trust account provisions.