# Hiring minors at a restaurant in Colorado (2026)

*Guides · Mays Team · November 3, 2026*

![Mays cover card: Hiring minors at a restaurant in Colorado (2026) — Under 18: 8 hours in any 24, 40 a week](https://mays-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/site/blog__hiring-minors-restaurant-colorado-2026__cover.f2e97fd5b8.png)

Colorado limits the hours of every worker under 18, not just the youngest: no minor may work more than 8 hours in any 24 or 40 in a week, so even a 17-year-old can't pull a double. There is no work permit to file, you may pay a minor who isn't emancipated 85% of the state minimum wage, and the state's new youth employment rules keep anyone under 16 off the grill.

This page is about hiring teenagers in Colorado: 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 [Colorado restaurant pay rules (2026)](https://www.mays.app/blog/colorado-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 Colorado law: follow the stricter one

Two sets of child labor rules can apply to a restaurant in Colorado: the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Colorado'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.

Colorado's Division of Labor Standards and Statistics says the same: apply whichever is stricter if both federal and Colorado law apply. Its own example is the hours limit for older teens: Colorado's minimum age for working more than 40 hours in a week or 8 in a day is 18, while federal law stops limiting hours at 16, so in Colorado the stricter 18 applies ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)).

## Colorado at a glance

| Rule | Colorado |
| --- | --- |
| Youngest age for restaurant work | 14 ([C.R.S. Title 8](https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-08.pdf)) |
| Work permit | Not required; an age certificate is optional ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)) |
| 14–15, school day | 3 hours under federal law (Colorado alone allows 6), 18 a school week, until 7 p.m. |
| Every minor under 18 | No more than 8 hours in any 24 and 40 a week ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)) |
| Breaks | The adult meal and rest periods, and heat rest for teens working outdoors |
| Youth wage | $12.89 an hour (85% of the state minimum) for a minor who isn't emancipated ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)) |
| Serving alcohol | From 18, supervised by someone 21 or older until the server turns 21 ([Colorado Liquor Rules](https://sbg.colorado.gov/sites/sbg/files/documents/2026%20Colorado%20Liquor%20Rules%20%5Beff.%2007.2026%5D.pdf)) |

## 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)).

Colorado sets the same minimum for restaurant work: no one under 14 may work except in the few jobs its youth law lists, such as babysitting and newspaper delivery ([C.R.S. Title 8](https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-08.pdf)). From 14, the law allows work in restaurants, hotels and other public accommodations ([C.R.S. Title 8](https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-08.pdf)).

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

| Limit | Federal | Colorado |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hours on a school day | 3 ([29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)) | 6 when the next day is a school day, and no more than 8 in any 24 hours ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)) |
| Hours in a school week | 18 ([29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)) | 40, any week ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)) |
| Hours on a day with no school | 8 ([29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)) | 8 in any 24 hours ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)) |
| Hours in a week with no school | 40 ([29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)) | 40 ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)) |
| 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)) | No work from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. before a school day ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)) |
| During school hours | Not allowed ([29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)) | Not allowed without a school release permit ([C.R.S. Title 8](https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-08.pdf)) |

Colorado's own school-day and night limits for under-16s are looser than the federal ones, and the state labor division describes them as the rules that apply only where federal law doesn't. A restaurant the FLSA covers schedules by the federal column: 3 hours on a school day, 18 in a school week, and done by 7 p.m. outside the summer ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)).

Colorado's limit of 8 hours in any 24 and 40 a week applies to every minor on top of that ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)). It matches the federal limits for a day and a week with no school, except that Colorado counts any 24 hours, not the calendar day.

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

| Limit | Federal | Colorado |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hours on a school day | No federal limit | 8 in any 24 hours ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)) |
| Hours in a school week | No federal limit | 40, any week ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)) |
| Hours on a day with no school | No federal limit | 8 in any 24 hours ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)) |
| Hours in a week with no school | No federal limit | 40 ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)) |

Federal law sets no hours at this age, so Colorado's are the ones to schedule by: no more than 8 hours in any 24 and 40 in a week, in school weeks and summer alike ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)). Colorado sets no time-of-day limit at 16 and 17. A teen who has a high school diploma or has passed the GED doesn't count as a minor under the youth law, so these limits stop applying ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)).

For longer hours, say full summer shifts, the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics can grant an individual teen an exemption, and it won't approve one without a statement from the teen or their guardian that they want it ([CDLE, youth law](https://cdle.colorado.gov/dlss/labor-laws-by-topic/youth-law); [CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)). It generally won't grant one for more than 10 hours a day or 55 a week, for work after 10 p.m. or before 5 a.m., or for work paid less than the full minimum wage. It aims to answer in 14 days, so ask several weeks ahead ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)).

## Work permits and age certificates

Colorado doesn't require a work permit at any age ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)). To confirm a teen is old enough for the job, you may ask for an age certificate, issued by or for the school superintendent of the district or county where the teen lives. If you get one, keep it on file for as long as the teen works for you, where the state labor division can examine it, and give it back when they leave if they ask ([C.R.S. Title 8](https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-08.pdf)).

A 14- or 15-year-old may work during school hours only with a school release permit from the school district: one job with one employer, for up to 30 days, with a parent's consent and your signed statement that the work isn't hazardous, and the teen generally still attends at least 3 class hours a day ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf); [C.R.S. Title 8](https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-08.pdf)). Where federal law applies, school-hours work is allowed only in a work-experience or work-study program the US Department of Labor approves ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)).

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

Colorado has no break rule of its own for minors ([C.R.S. Title 8](https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-08.pdf)).

Teens get the adult breaks under the COMPS Order: a 30-minute meal period in a shift of more than 5 hours ([CDLE INFO #4](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%234_meal_and_rest_periods_09.15.25.pdf)), and a paid 10-minute rest period for every 4 hours of work ([CDLE INFO #4](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%234_meal_and_rest_periods_09.15.25.pdf)).

Outdoor work is the exception: Colorado's youth rules give every minor working outdoors the heat protections it gives farmworkers. Above 80 °F, that means cool drinking water and shade; above 95 °F, at least 10 minutes of rest after no more than 2 hours of work ([CDLE INFO #22B](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322b_prohibited_and_permitted_duties_for_minors_6.3.2026.pdf); [YES Rules (7 CCR 1103-20)](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/adopted_colorado_youth_employment_standards_rules_1103-20_12.8.25.pdf)).

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))

### Colorado's own rules

- Under 16, in restaurants and food service: no cooking or baking on a cooktop, grill, pressure cooker, rotisserie or fryer, except a deep fryer that lowers and raises the baskets automatically; no handling liquids or oils over 100 °F; no heating food over 140 °F; no power-driven kitchen equipment, down to pizza dough rollers and small countertop mixers; and knives only with cut-proof gloves rated ANSI A7 or higher ([YES Rules (7 CCR 1103-20)](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/adopted_colorado_youth_employment_standards_rules_1103-20_12.8.25.pdf)). The state labor division applies these to every restaurant, whether or not the FLSA covers it ([CDLE INFO #22B](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322b_prohibited_and_permitted_duties_for_minors_6.3.2026.pdf)).
- What a 14- or 15-year-old may do in a restaurant kitchen: run dishwashers, toasters, automatic coffee machines, heat lamps, food warmers and microwaves, clean equipment, wash fruit and vegetables, and wrap, seal, label, weigh, price and stock items ([CDLE INFO #22B](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322b_prohibited_and_permitted_duties_for_minors_6.3.2026.pdf)).
- Any minor: no operating power-driven food processing equipment, which Colorado defines to include food slicers, grinders, choppers, processors, cutters and mixers, and no power-driven bakery machines such as dough mixers, dough sheeters and walk-in ovens ([YES Rules (7 CCR 1103-20)](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/adopted_colorado_youth_employment_standards_rules_1103-20_12.8.25.pdf)). Only a teen in an approved apprenticeship or student-learner program can be an exception ([CDLE INFO #22B](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322b_prohibited_and_permitted_duties_for_minors_6.3.2026.pdf)).
- Any minor: no work with toxic substances, such as chemicals labeled with a skull and crossbones or “poison” ([CDLE INFO #22B](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322b_prohibited_and_permitted_duties_for_minors_6.3.2026.pdf)).
- Alcohol: no one under 18 may sell, pour or serve alcohol, or take part in serving it ([Colorado Liquor Rules](https://sbg.colorado.gov/sites/sbg/files/documents/2026%20Colorado%20Liquor%20Rules%20%5Beff.%2007.2026%5D.pdf)). A minor may still bus tables and handle empty bottles and glasses ([CDLE INFO #22B](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322b_prohibited_and_permitted_duties_for_minors_6.3.2026.pdf)). Staff aged 18 or older but under 21 may serve only while someone 21 or older supervises them on the premises ([Colorado Liquor Rules](https://sbg.colorado.gov/sites/sbg/files/documents/2026%20Colorado%20Liquor%20Rules%20%5Beff.%2007.2026%5D.pdf)).

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

Colorado has a youth rate: you may pay a minor who isn't emancipated 85% of the state minimum wage, $12.89 an hour instead of $15.16, and a tipped minor at least $9.87 in cash wages with a tip credit of up to $3.02 ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)). A minor is emancipated if they are responsible for their own support, are married and living away from their parents, or can show their well-being depends on the job. Before paying the lower rate, find out whether the teen is emancipated and keep a record of what you learned ([YES Rules (7 CCR 1103-20)](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/adopted_colorado_youth_employment_standards_rules_1103-20_12.8.25.pdf)).

The lower rate is an option, not the default. A minor paid less than 85% of the minimum is owed the full minimum, and so is a minor employed against the youth employment law ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf); [YES Rules (7 CCR 1103-20)](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/adopted_colorado_youth_employment_standards_rules_1103-20_12.8.25.pdf)). Local minimum wages above the state's still apply: Denver allows 85% of its minimum only for work in a city-certified youth employment program ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)).

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 [Colorado restaurant pay rules (2026)](https://www.mays.app/blog/colorado-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)).

Colorado has no separate poster about minors: none of the posters the state labor division lists as required is about them ([CDLE, posters](https://cdle.colorado.gov/dlss/labor-laws-rules-resources/posters)). The COMPS Order poster you already display mentions the lower minimum wage for minors who aren't emancipated ([CDLE, 2026 COMPS poster](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/2026_comps_order_poster_english_%5Baccessible%5D.pdf)).

For each employee under 18, record their date of birth ([COMPS Order #40](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/adopted_2026_comps_order_%2340_7_ccr_1103-1_12.8.25.pdf)). Keep any exemption, age certificate, school release permit or proof of a diploma for 3 years after the teen turns 18 or leaves your job, whichever comes first ([YES Rules (7 CCR 1103-20)](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/adopted_colorado_youth_employment_standards_rules_1103-20_12.8.25.pdf)).

## 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 before another school day: 3 hours; the limit is 6 (Colorado, [CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)).
- Longest day: 6 hours; the limit is 8 (Colorado, [CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)).
- The week: 16.5 hours; the limit is 40 (Colorado, [CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)).
- Latest finish on a night before school: 7 p.m.; not after 9:30 p.m. (Colorado, [CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)).
- Earliest start: 10 a.m.; not before 5 a.m. (Colorado, [CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)).

### 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 | 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. | None | 4 | Yes |
| Thursday | 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. | None | 4 | Yes |
| Friday | Off |  |  | 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:

- Longest day: 8 hours; the limit is 8 (Colorado, [CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)).
- The week: 20 hours; the limit is 40 (Colorado, [CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)).

Colorado counts the 8 hours in any 24-hour period, not by calendar day ([CDLE INFO #22A](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf)), so an evening shift followed by a long shift the next morning can break the limit even when neither day does on its own. That's why Leo has Friday off before his Saturday shift.

The tables show unpaid breaks only. Each of these shifts also earns at least one paid 10-minute rest period ([CDLE INFO #4](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%234_meal_and_rest_periods_09.15.25.pdf)).

## How Mays handles this

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

- **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 Colorado marked "Not checked yet".** Mays checks the federal limits everywhere. Colorado's own limits aren't built into Mays yet: the location's card lists Colorado as **Not checked yet**, so check the Colorado 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
- [CDLE, INFO #22A: employment of minors, minimum wages, hours, exemptions, fines and procedures](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322a_employment_of_minors%2C_minimum_wages%2C_hours%2C_fines%2C_and_procedures_6.3.2026.pdf), checked October 5, 2026
- [Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 8 (uncertified printout)](https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-08.pdf), checked October 5, 2026
- [Colorado Liquor and Tobacco Enforcement Division, 2026 Colorado Liquor Rules (1 CCR 203-2)](https://sbg.colorado.gov/sites/sbg/files/documents/2026%20Colorado%20Liquor%20Rules%20%5Beff.%2007.2026%5D.pdf), 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
- [Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, youth law](https://cdle.colorado.gov/dlss/labor-laws-by-topic/youth-law), 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
- [CDLE, INFO #4: meal and rest periods](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%234_meal_and_rest_periods_09.15.25.pdf), checked September 24, 2026
- [CDLE, INFO #22B: prohibited and permitted duties for minors](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%2322b_prohibited_and_permitted_duties_for_minors_6.3.2026.pdf), checked October 5, 2026
- [CDLE, Colorado Youth Employment Standards Rules (7 CCR 1103-20)](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/adopted_colorado_youth_employment_standards_rules_1103-20_12.8.25.pdf), 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
- [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
- [CDLE, posting and notice requirements](https://cdle.colorado.gov/dlss/labor-laws-rules-resources/posters), checked October 5, 2026
- [Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, 2026 COMPS Order poster](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/2026_comps_order_poster_english_%5Baccessible%5D.pdf), checked October 5, 2026
- [CDLE, COMPS Order #40 (7 CCR 1103-1)](https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/adopted_2026_comps_order_%2340_7_ccr_1103-1_12.8.25.pdf), 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-colorado-2026