Missouri communities benefit greatly by having teens in the workforce. Through employment, these young people are learning important skills, including responsibility, timeliness, honesty, teamwork, resourcefulness, communication skills and confidence.
The Missouri Division of Labor Standards works with employers, parents and school officials to help keep young workers safe and healthy while learning these valuable life lessons.
Missouri's Child Labor Law applies to youth under age 16. Youth under 14 years of age are not permitted to work at any job—other than in the agriculture or entertainment industries or casual jobs—at any time.
Youth who are 14 or 15 generally are permitted to work, but their work, as well as the work of all children in the entertainment industry, is subject to restrictions.
Federal Child Labor Provisions
Employers are generally subject to both state child labor laws and the federal child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), 29 U.S.C. 212(c), and the FLSA regulations at 29 CFR Part 570. Certain provisions of Missouri state law may be less restrictive than federal law, and employers covered by the FLSA that only follow a less restrictive provision of Missouri state law will be in violation of federal law. See 29 U.S.C.218(a). For more information on federal child labor law, please visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division Website at www.dol.gov/whd.
