# Hiring minors at a restaurant in Arizona (2026)

*Guides · Mays Team · October 24, 2026*

![The Orders page in Mays with two purchase orders sent on October 5, 2026, one to a meat and seafood supplier and one to a produce company, each with who placed it and its total](https://mays-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/site/blog__hiring-minors-restaurant-arizona-2026__cover.5f36e67cfa.png)

Arizona's youth employment law gives 14- and 15-year-olds the same daily and weekly hours as federal law, but lets them work later: until 9:30 p.m. on a school night. A restaurant the federal law covers can't use those evenings. Where Arizona is stricter is the kitchen: it bars teens under 16 from cooking and baking in most restaurants, and no one under 18 may handle alcohol.

This page is about hiring teenagers in Arizona: the youngest age you can hire, how long and how late 14- to 17-year-olds may work, work permits, breaks, the kitchen jobs they can't do, posters, two example weeks checked against every limit, and what Mays checks for you. Wages, tips and overtime are on [Arizona restaurant pay rules (2026)](https://www.mays.app/blog/arizona-restaurant-pay-rules-2026); they apply to teenagers too, and this page adds only what is different for them.

**Checked October 5, 2026:** every figure on this page was read on its official source; the Sources list at the end gives the date of each check.

*This is general information, not legal advice. Whether a rule applies can depend on your business's size and your own facts; the note at the end says more.*

## Federal and Arizona law: follow the stricter one

Two sets of child labor rules can apply to a restaurant in Arizona: the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Arizona's own law. Where the state law is less strict, the federal law applies, and where the state law is stricter, the state law applies ([US DOL, state child labor](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/child-labor)). The FLSA covers a business with at least two employees and annual sales of at least $500,000 ([DOL Fact Sheet #14](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/14-flsa-coverage)), and it can cover workers at a smaller one individually, when their work regularly involves trade between states.

Arizona's own law says the same: when both laws apply, the law with the higher standard governs ([A.R.S. § 23-242](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00242.htm)).

## Arizona at a glance

| Rule | Arizona |
| --- | --- |
| Youngest age for restaurant work | 14 under federal law; Arizona's own law sets a minimum age only for selling newspapers ([A.R.S. § 23-234](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00234.htm)) |
| Work permit | Not required in Arizona ([A.R.S. Title 23, Article 3](https://www.azleg.gov/arsDetail/?title=23)) |
| 14–15, school day | 3 hours, 18 a school week, until 7 p.m. under federal law (Arizona alone allows 9:30 p.m.) |
| 16–17 | No hours limits under Arizona or federal law ([A.R.S. § 23-233](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00233.htm)) |
| Breaks | None required at any age ([US DOL, state meal periods](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/meal-breaks)) |
| Serving alcohol | From 18 ([A.R.S. § 4-244](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/4/00244.htm)) |

## How young can you hire?

Under federal law, 14 is the youngest age for restaurant work ([29 CFR 570.2](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.2)).

Arizona's youth employment law sets no general minimum age of its own; its only minimum age is for selling newspapers in the street ([A.R.S. § 23-234](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00234.htm)). So 14 is the youngest age in an Arizona restaurant too.

## Hours for 14- and 15-year-olds

| Limit | Federal | Arizona |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hours on a school day | 3 ([29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)) | 3 ([A.R.S. § 23-233](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00233.htm)) |
| Hours in a school week | 18 ([29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)) | 18 ([A.R.S. § 23-233](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00233.htm)) |
| Hours on a day with no school | 8 ([29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)) | 8 ([A.R.S. § 23-233](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00233.htm)) |
| Hours in a week with no school | 40 ([29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)) | 40 ([A.R.S. § 23-233](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00233.htm)) |
| Days a week | No federal limit | No state limit |
| Time of day | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; 9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day ([29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)) | 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on a night before a school day; until 11 p.m. on a night before a day with no school, all year ([A.R.S. § 23-233](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00233.htm)) |
| During school hours | Not allowed ([29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)) | No state rule |

Arizona's daily and weekly hours match the federal ones; its evenings run later and its mornings start earlier. A restaurant the FLSA covers schedules by the federal column: not before 7 a.m., and done by 7 p.m. outside June 1 through Labor Day, even on a Friday night, because the law with the higher standard governs ([A.R.S. § 23-242](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00242.htm)).

## Hours for 16- and 17-year-olds

Arizona's hours limits cover only workers under 16 ([A.R.S. § 23-233](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00233.htm)), and federal law sets none at 16 and 17, so only the jobs list below limits them.

## Work permits and age certificates

Arizona doesn't require a work permit or an age certificate: none of the sections of its youth employment law sets one up ([A.R.S. Title 23, Article 3](https://www.azleg.gov/arsDetail/?title=23)).

If you want a teen to do a job or work hours the Arizona law bars, you can apply to the Labor Department of the Industrial Commission for a variation, with the parent's approval, and keep a granted variation at the teen's workplace ([A.R.S. § 23-241](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00241.htm)). A variation doesn't excuse you from the federal rules ([A.R.S. § 23-242](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00242.htm)).

Federal law itself doesn't require work permits ([DOL Fact Sheet #43](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/43-child-labor-non-agriculture)). An age certificate on file protects you from unknowingly hiring someone too young, and the federal rules suggest getting one whenever a teen says they are only a year or two over the minimum age for the job ([29 CFR 570.5](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.5)).

## Breaks for minors

Arizona has no break rule of its own for minors ([US DOL, state meal periods](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/meal-breaks)).

Arizona's youth employment law has no meal or rest break rule ([A.R.S. Title 23, Article 3](https://www.azleg.gov/arsDetail/?title=23)), and Arizona requires none for adults either ([US DOL, state meal periods](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/meal-breaks)).

Federal law doesn't require meal or rest breaks at any age ([DOL Fact Sheet #43](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/43-child-labor-non-agriculture)).

## Jobs minors can't do in your restaurant

Some jobs are off limits whatever the hours. Under federal law, no one under 18 may do these ([DOL Fact Sheet #2A](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/2a-child-labor-restaurants)):

- Meat or deli slicer, meat grinder, patty former ([29 CFR 570.61](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.61))
- Dough or batter mixer, dough sheeter or brake ([29 CFR 570.62](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.62))
- Cardboard baler or trash compactor ([29 CFR 570.63](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.63))
- Delivery driving ([29 CFR 570.52](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.52))

And 14- and 15-year-olds also may not do these:

- Baking ([29 CFR 570.33](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.33))
- Cooking other than on an electric or gas grill with no open flame, or a fryer that lowers and raises its baskets automatically ([29 CFR 570.33](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.33))
- Power-driven food slicers, grinders, choppers, processors, cutters or mixers ([29 CFR 570.33](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.33))
- Work in freezers or meat coolers (more than stepping in to fetch an item) ([29 CFR 570.33](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.33))
- Ladders or scaffolds ([29 CFR 570.33](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.33))
- Filtering, pouring or carrying hot oil or grease above 100 °F ([29 CFR 570.34](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.34))
- Loading or unloading trucks ([29 CFR 570.33](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.33))

### Arizona's own rules

- Under 16, in a retail food establishment: no cooking or baking, except at a soda fountain, lunch counter, snack bar or cafeteria serving counter, and no setting up, adjusting, cleaning, oiling or repairing power-driven food slicers, grinders, choppers and cutters ([A.R.S. § 23-232](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00232.htm)). Arizona has no exception for grills or automatic fryers, so a 14- or 15-year-old stays off the line in most restaurant kitchens.
- Alcohol: a restaurant with an on-sale license may not employ anyone under 18 in any job handling alcohol. A teen may still clear and reset tables, take away dirty dishes, restock and help clean up ([A.R.S. § 4-244](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/4/00244.htm)).
- Arizona's hours and job limits don't apply to a teen who has a high school diploma or its equivalent, is married or emancipated, or works for a parent, grandparent or other close relative who owns at least 10 percent of the business and runs it day to day ([A.R.S. § 23-235](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00235.htm)). The federal rules still apply to them unless federal law has its own exemption.

## Pay: the minimum wage, youth rates and tips

Arizona's minimum wage, $15.15 an hour, has no youth or training rate: the law's definition of an employee leaves out only people employed by a parent or a sibling and casual babysitters, not teenagers ([A.R.S. § 23-362 (definitions)](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00362.01.htm)). Because the state minimum makes no exception for workers under 20, the federal youth wage below doesn't apply in Arizona.

Federal law lets an employer pay $4.25 an hour to a worker under 20 during their first 90 consecutive calendar days on the job, but not to push out other workers, and not where a state or local law requires more and makes no exception for workers under 20 ([DOL Fact Sheet #32](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/32-minimum-wage-youth)).

Everything else about pay, from the tipped cash wage to tip pools and overtime, is on [Arizona restaurant pay rules (2026)](https://www.mays.app/blog/arizona-restaurant-pay-rules-2026).

## Posters and records

Every employer the federal minimum wage law covers must display the federal poster, *Employee Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act*, where employees can readily read it; it includes a section on child labor ([US DOL, FLSA poster](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/posters/flsa)).

Arizona's youth employment law adds no poster or record of its own ([A.R.S. Title 23, Article 3](https://www.azleg.gov/arsDetail/?title=23)); the federal poster covers child labor. If the Labor Department grants a variation for a teen, keep a copy of it at the place where the teen works ([A.R.S. § 23-241](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00241.htm)).

## Two example weeks

Two made-up schedules for a week in October, when school is in session Monday to Friday: Maya, 15, and Leo, 17. Each line under a schedule is a limit from this page, and the week stays inside every one of them.

### Maya, 15, in a school week

| Day | Shift | Unpaid break | Hours | School day? |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monday | Off |  |  | Yes |
| Tuesday | 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. | None | 3 | Yes |
| Wednesday | Off |  |  | Yes |
| Thursday | 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. | None | 3 | Yes |
| Friday | Off |  |  | Yes |
| Saturday | 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | 30 minutes at 1 p.m. | 6 | No |
| Sunday | Noon to 4:30 p.m. | None | 4.5 | No |

That's 16.5 hours over 4 days. How the week measures up:

- Longest school day: 3 hours; the limit is 3 (federal, [29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)).
- The week: 16.5 hours; the limit is 18 (federal, [29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)).
- Earliest start: 10 a.m.; not before 7 a.m. (federal, [29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)).
- Latest finish: 7 p.m.; not after 7 p.m. (federal, [29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)).
- Longest school day: 3 hours; the limit is 3 (Arizona, [A.R.S. § 23-233](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00233.htm)).
- Longest day with no school: 6 hours; the limit is 8 (Arizona, [A.R.S. § 23-233](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00233.htm)).
- The week: 16.5 hours; the limit is 18 (Arizona, [A.R.S. § 23-233](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00233.htm)).
- Latest finish on a night before school: 7 p.m.; not after 9:30 p.m. (Arizona, [A.R.S. § 23-233](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00233.htm)).
- Earliest start: 10 a.m.; not before 6 a.m. (Arizona, [A.R.S. § 23-233](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00233.htm)).

### Leo, 17, in a school week

| Day | Shift | Unpaid break | Hours | School day? |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monday | Off |  |  | Yes |
| Tuesday | 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. | None | 4 | Yes |
| Wednesday | Off |  |  | Yes |
| Thursday | 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. | None | 4 | Yes |
| Friday | 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. | None | 4 | Yes |
| Saturday | 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. | 30 minutes at 2 p.m. | 8 | No |
| Sunday | Off |  |  | No |

That's 20 hours over 4 days. How the week measures up:

- No federal or Arizona hours limit applies at 17; only the jobs list above does.

## How Mays handles this

Mays builds the schedule, runs the time clock and keeps each person's details for every location. For teenagers in Arizona:

- **Turn on minors' rules per location.** Work rules for minors are part of Labor law compliance: switch on **Minors (under 18)** on the location's Labor & compliance card. Mays then works out each person's age on every shift date from their date of birth.
- **The federal limits, and Arizona marked "Not checked yet".** Mays checks the federal limits everywhere. Arizona's own limits aren't built into Mays yet: the location's card lists Arizona as **Not checked yet**, so check the Arizona rules on this page yourself, above all the ones stricter than federal law.
- **Warnings on the schedule, never a block.** A shift that breaks a limit is outlined with **Minor rule**, each minor's row shows their age band and the week's hours against their limit, and the warnings before publishing name the law. You can still publish.
- **The auto-scheduler stays inside the limits.** It never puts a minor on a shift that would break one of their limits: it gives the shift to someone else or leaves it open, and tells you why.
- **Tasks by position.** Give a position a minimum age and tick the federal tasks it involves, such as a meat slicer or delivery driving. A minor scheduled in it gets a warning, and the auto-scheduler won't put them there.
- **School days from a calendar.** By default Mays counts Monday to Friday as school days from the day after Labor Day through May, with school from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can add your school district's own calendar, breaks included.
- **Hours across every location.** A teen who works at two of your locations is held to one weekly limit, because the limits apply per employer.
- **What Mays doesn't check yet:** minors' meal breaks, work permits and clock-ins. Keep the permits on file yourself, and schedule the breaks above.

How to set it up: [Scheduling minors](https://www.mays.app/help/scheduling/scheduling-minors).

## Sources

Every figure on this page comes from these official pages, as they read on the date shown.

- [US Department of Labor, state child labor standards](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/child-labor), checked October 5, 2026
- [US Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #14: coverage under the FLSA](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/14-flsa-coverage), checked October 5, 2026
- [Arizona Revised Statutes § 23-242](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00242.htm), checked October 5, 2026
- [Arizona Revised Statutes § 23-234](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00234.htm), checked October 5, 2026
- [Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 23 (Labor): table of sections, Article 3 "Youth Employment"](https://www.azleg.gov/arsDetail/?title=23), checked October 5, 2026
- [Arizona Revised Statutes § 23-233](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00233.htm), checked October 5, 2026
- [US Department of Labor, state meal period requirements](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/meal-breaks), checked September 24, 2026
- [Arizona Revised Statutes § 4-244](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/4/00244.htm), checked October 5, 2026
- [29 CFR 570.2 (minimum age standards)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.2), checked September 24, 2026
- [29 CFR 570.35 (hours for 14- and 15-year-olds)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35), checked September 24, 2026
- [Arizona Revised Statutes § 23-241](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00241.htm), checked October 5, 2026
- [US Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #43: child labor provisions for nonagricultural occupations](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/43-child-labor-non-agriculture), checked October 5, 2026
- [29 CFR 570.5 (certificates of age)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.5), checked October 5, 2026
- [US Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #2A: child labor rules for restaurants](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/2a-child-labor-restaurants), checked October 5, 2026
- [29 CFR 570.61 (Hazardous Occupations Order 10: meat slicers and processing machines)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.61), checked October 5, 2026
- [29 CFR 570.62 (Hazardous Occupations Order 11: bakery machines)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.62), checked October 5, 2026
- [29 CFR 570.63 (Hazardous Occupations Order 12: balers and compactors)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.63), checked October 5, 2026
- [29 CFR 570.52 (Hazardous Occupations Order 2: driving)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.52), checked October 5, 2026
- [29 CFR 570.33 (jobs barred at 14 and 15)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.33), checked October 5, 2026
- [29 CFR 570.34 (jobs allowed at 14 and 15)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.34), checked October 5, 2026
- [Arizona Revised Statutes § 23-232](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00232.htm), checked October 5, 2026
- [Arizona Revised Statutes § 23-235](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00235.htm), checked October 5, 2026
- [A.R.S. § 23-362 (2006 Prop. 202 version): minimum wage definitions](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00362.01.htm), checked October 5, 2026
- [US Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #32: youth minimum wage](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/32-minimum-wage-youth), checked October 5, 2026
- [US Department of Labor, the FLSA minimum wage poster](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/posters/flsa), checked October 5, 2026

*This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, and coverage rules (your business's size, whether federal law covers you, a teen's schooling) decide which of them apply. Check the pages above, and ask an employment lawyer about your situation.*

## Schedule teenagers without the guesswork

Add each teen's date of birth, turn on minors' rules for the location, and Mays warns you before a shift runs too long or too late.

[**Start your free trial**](https://go.mays.app/register): 30 days, every module, no card needed.

## Related help articles

- Scheduling: [Scheduling minors](https://www.mays.app/help/scheduling/scheduling-minors) — Turn on work rules for minors at a location (part of Labor law compliance), and Mays checks the hours and times of anyone under 18 against federal and state law. You get warnings on the schedule, and the auto-scheduler stays inside the limits. Nothing is ever blocked.
- Time clock: [Labor & compliance (per location)](https://www.mays.app/help/time-clock/labor-compliance) — Where: Locations & Users → Locations → a location → Scheduling tab → Labor & compliance card.
- Scheduling: [Positions and wages](https://www.mays.app/help/scheduling/positions-and-wages) — Create the jobs people work — Barista, Cashier, Line Cook — with a colour and a default hourly wage, give people their positions and pay, and see where Mays uses them.
- Team & roles: [Add and invite team members](https://www.mays.app/help/team-roles/add-team-members) — Add people on the web or from the app. Employees get a text with a link to the app; managers and admins get an email to set a password. Plus resending invites and checking delivery.
- Scheduling: [Building the weekly schedule](https://www.mays.app/help/scheduling/build-the-schedule) — Build a location's week on the web — add, move, copy and edit shifts, add open shifts, and keep an eye on time off, availability and labor cost while you work.

Canonical: https://www.mays.app/blog/hiring-minors-restaurant-arizona-2026