# Hiring minors at a restaurant in Washington (2026)

*Guides · Mays Team · October 22, 2026*

![The Items page in Mays: the inventory items of one restaurant, from brioche buns and chicken breast to nitrile gloves, each with its category, count unit and scope](https://mays-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/site/blog__hiring-minors-restaurant-washington-2026__cover.52737645a9.png)

Washington's child labor rules reach every worker under 18, and they changed on July 1, 2026. Before a teen's first shift you need a minor work permit endorsement on your business license and a parent/school authorization form signed by you, the teen, a parent and the school. The school-week caps are tighter than federal law too, at every age, and teens get breaks far more often than adults.

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

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

Washington's Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) says the same: when state and federal standards differ, follow the one that is most protective of the minor ([WA L&I, hiring minors](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/how-to-hire-minors)). Washington's rules reach private employers of every size; state and local governments follow only the federal rules ([WA L&I, hiring minors](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/how-to-hire-minors)).

## Washington at a glance

| Rule | Washington |
| --- | --- |
| Youngest age for restaurant work | 14 ([WA L&I, hiring minors](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/how-to-hire-minors)) |
| Work permit | A minor work permit endorsement on your business license for each location, plus a parent/school authorization form for each teen ([WAC 296-125-041](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-041); [WAC 296-125-061](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-061)) |
| 14–15, school week | 3 hours on a school day before another school day, 16 a week, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. before a school day |
| 16–17, school week | 4 hours on a school day before another school day, 20 a week, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. before a school day |
| Breaks | Paid rest breaks and meal breaks for every minor, more often than for adults (see Breaks below) |
| Youth wage | $14.56 an hour for workers aged 14 or 15 (85% of the adult minimum wage) ([WAC 296-125-081](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-081)) |

## 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)).

Washington sets the same minimum: in general, 14 is the youngest age to work ([WA L&I, hiring minors](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/how-to-hire-minors)). A younger child can work only in narrow cases, such as in a business their parent owns, and only with a superior court judge's approval ([WA L&I, under 14](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/hiring-youth-under-age-14)).

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

| Limit | Federal | Washington |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hours on a school day | 3 ([29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)) | 3 on a school day before another school day; otherwise 8 ([WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)) |
| Hours in a school week | 18 ([29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)) | 16 ([WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)) |
| Hours on a day with no school | 8 ([29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)) | 8 ([WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)) |
| Hours in a week with no school | 40 ([29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)) | 40 ([WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)) |
| Days a week | No federal limit | 6, in school and non-school weeks ([WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)) |
| 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)) | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. before a school day; 9 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and the day before a school holiday or vacation, and 9 p.m. in weeks with no school ([WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)) |
| During school hours | Not allowed ([29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)) | Not allowed ([WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)) |

Washington is stricter than federal law on the school week: 16 hours, not 18, over no more than 6 days. Federal law is stricter on the day and the evening: a restaurant the FLSA covers still keeps a 14- or 15-year-old to 3 hours on every school day, Friday included, and ends their day at 7 p.m. outside June 1 through Labor Day. In Washington any week with school in it is a school week, and the work week for minors runs Sunday to Saturday ([WA L&I, hours of work](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/hours-of-work)).

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

| Limit | Federal | Washington |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hours on a school day | No federal limit | 4 on a school day before another school day; otherwise 8 ([WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)) |
| Hours in a school week | No federal limit | 20; up to 28 with a special variance ([WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101); [WAC 296-125-161](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-161)) |
| Hours on a day with no school | No federal limit | 8 ([WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)) |
| Hours in a week with no school | No federal limit | 48 ([WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)) |
| Days a week | No federal limit | 6 ([WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)) |
| Time of day | No federal limit | 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. before a school day; midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and the day before a school holiday or vacation; 5 a.m. to midnight in weeks with no school ([WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)) |
| During school hours | No federal rule | Not allowed, with exceptions such as a teen who is home-schooled or attends a private, alternative or online school ([WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101); [WA L&I, hours of work](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/hours-of-work)) |

Federal law sets no hours at this age, so Washington's limits are the ones to schedule by. With a special variance on the parent/school authorization form, signed by a parent and the school, a 16- or 17-year-old may work up to 6 hours on a school day before another school day and 28 in a school week; it ends with the school year ([WAC 296-125-161](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-161)). A teen who is a parent, has a high school diploma or equivalency, or is in a college program such as Running Start or an approved career and technical education program may work the non-school-week hours all year ([WA L&I, hours of work](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/hours-of-work)).

## Work permits and age certificates

Before you hire anyone under 18, add a minor work permit endorsement to your business license through the state's business licensing service, one for each location where minors work; one endorsement covers any number of minors there ([WAC 296-125-041](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-041); [WA L&I, hiring minors](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/how-to-hire-minors)). It expires at the end of the month 1 year after it's issued, or with your business license if that comes first ([WAC 296-125-041](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-041)).

Each teen also needs a parent/school authorization form on file before their first shift. You fill in your part first (the workplace, the duties, the earliest and latest hours and the hours a week), then the teen, a parent and the teen's school sign it; for a teen hired only for the summer, a parent authorization for summer work form does instead ([WAC 296-125-061](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-061)). Each parent/school authorization form expires on September 30, so renew it every school year, and a parent or the school can withdraw it at any time ([WAC 296-125-061](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-061)). Keep proof of the teen's age too, such as a birth certificate, a driver's license or a passport ([WAC 296-125-031](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-031)).

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

Washington: Outside agriculture, 16- and 17-year-olds get an uninterrupted 30-minute meal break, with no more than 5 hours in a row without one, and a paid 10-minute rest break when working 4 hours or more, with no more than 3 hours without one. Under 16: a 30-minute meal break, with no more than 4 hours in a row without one, a paid 10-minute rest break, and no more than 2 hours in a row without a meal or rest break. Meal breaks come on top of rest breaks, and minors can't waive either ([WA L&I, youth breaks](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/wages-rest-breaks-and-meal-periods)).

Rest breaks are paid and count as hours worked, and minors can't give up either break ([WA L&I, youth breaks](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/wages-rest-breaks-and-meal-periods)). The rules are in the state's administrative code: one section for under-16s and one for 16- and 17-year-olds ([WAC 296-125-111](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-111); [WAC 296-125-121](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-121)).

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))

### Washington's own rules

- Under 16: no cooking or baking, no work with or near any power-driven machinery, no ladders or scaffolds, no loading or unloading delivery trucks, and no maintenance or repair work in a food service establishment ([WAC 296-125-141](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-141)). Washington has no exception for grills or automatic fryers, so a 14- or 15-year-old stays off the line.
- Every minor: no work in freezers or meat coolers beyond stepping in briefly to grab something, and no preparing meat for sale; wrapping, labeling and stocking away from the cutting area are allowed ([WAC 296-125-131](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-131)).
- Every minor: no work more than 10 feet above the floor, and no running, cleaning or setting up power-driven bakery machines such as a Hobart mixer, meat-processing machines or trash compactors ([WAC 296-125-131](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-131); [WA L&I, prohibited duties](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/prohibited-duties)).
- After 8 p.m., a minor in a service occupation must be supervised by a responsible adult employee who is on the premises the whole time ([WAC 296-125-131](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-131)).
- Alcohol: in a licensed restaurant, staff from 18 may take orders for, serve and sell alcohol, but those under 21 not in the bar, the cocktail lounge or other areas off limits to under-21s ([RCW 66.44.350](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=66.44.350)). A teen under 18 may not take alcohol orders or serve it, and may not stay in those off-limits areas at all ([RCW 66.44.310](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=66.44.310)).

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

Washington has a youth rate: a worker under 16 may be paid 85 percent of the adult minimum wage, $14.56 an hour in 2026 against $17.13, and 16- and 17-year-olds earn the full adult rate ([WAC 296-125-081](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-081); [WA L&I, minimum wage](https://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/wages/minimum-wage/)). L&I has announced $15.07 an hour for 14- and 15-year-olds from January 1, 2027 ([WA L&I, minimum wage](https://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/wages/minimum-wage/)). L&I adds that where federal or local law requires a higher minimum wage, that one applies ([WA L&I, youth breaks](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/wages-rest-breaks-and-meal-periods)). Both Washington rates are far above the federal youth wage below, so it doesn't apply in Washington.

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

Post Washington's *Your Rights as a Worker* notice where employees can read it; it has a section on minor workers ([WA L&I poster](https://www.lni.wa.gov/forms-publications/F700-074-000.pdf)). Keep a file for each minor, on paper or electronic, with their authorization forms, proof of age and any variances, for 3 years after their last day, at the workplace or the office where you keep your records ([WAC 296-125-031](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-031)).

## 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 6 p.m. | None | 2 | Yes |
| Wednesday | Off |  |  | Yes |
| Thursday | 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. | None | 2 | Yes |
| Friday | Off |  |  | Yes |
| Saturday | 10 a.m. to noon | None | 2 | No |
| Sunday | Noon to 2 p.m. | None | 2 | No |

That's 8 hours over 4 days. How the week measures up:

- Longest school day: 2 hours; the limit is 3 (federal, [29 CFR 570.35](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-570.35)).
- The week: 8 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: 6 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: 2 hours; the limit is 3 (Washington, [WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)).
- Longest day: 2 hours; the limit is 8 (Washington, [WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)).
- The week: 8 hours; the limit is 16 (Washington, [WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)).
- Days worked: 4; the limit is 6 (Washington, [WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)).
- Latest finish on a night before school: 6 p.m.; not after 7 p.m. (Washington, [WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)).
- Latest finish: 6 p.m.; not after 9 p.m. (Washington, [WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)).
- Earliest start: 10 a.m.; not before 7 a.m. (Washington, [WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)).
- Longest stretch without a break: 2 hours; the limit is 2 (Washington, [WAC 296-125-111](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-111)).

### Leo, 17, in a school week

| Day | Shift | Unpaid break | Hours | School day? |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monday | Off |  |  | Yes |
| Tuesday | 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. | None | 3 | Yes |
| Wednesday | Off |  |  | Yes |
| Thursday | 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. | None | 3 | Yes |
| Friday | 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. | None | 3 | Yes |
| Saturday | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | None | 3 | No |
| Sunday | Noon to 3 p.m. | None | 3 | No |

That's 15 hours over 5 days. How the week measures up:

- Longest school day before another school day: 3 hours; the limit is 4 (Washington, [WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)).
- Longest day: 3 hours; the limit is 8 (Washington, [WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)).
- The week: 15 hours; the limit is 20 (Washington, [WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)).
- Days worked: 5; the limit is 6 (Washington, [WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)).
- Latest finish on a night before school: 9 p.m.; not after 10 p.m. (Washington, [WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)).
- Latest finish: 9 p.m.; not after midnight (Washington, [WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)).
- Earliest start: 11 a.m.; not before 7 a.m. (Washington, [WAC 296-125-101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101)).
- Longest stretch without a break: 3 hours; the limit is 3 (Washington, [WAC 296-125-121](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-121)).

In Washington both weeks use short shifts on purpose. A 15-year-old may work only 2 hours in a row before a meal or rest break ([WAC 296-125-111](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-111)), and a 17-year-old only 3 hours before a rest break, with a paid rest break of at least 10 minutes once a shift reaches 4 hours ([WAC 296-125-121](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-121)). Longer shifts are fine when you schedule those breaks, and a meal break of at least 30 minutes on top of them past the meal-break limit.

## How Mays handles this

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

- **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 Washington marked "Not checked yet".** Mays checks the federal limits everywhere. Washington's own limits aren't built into Mays yet: the location's card lists Washington as **Not checked yet**, so check the Washington 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
- [Washington L&I, how to hire minors](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/how-to-hire-minors), checked October 5, 2026
- [WAC 296-125-041 (minor work permits)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-041), checked October 5, 2026
- [WAC 296-125-061 (parent/school authorization)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-061), checked October 5, 2026
- [WAC 296-125-081 (minimum wages for minors)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-081), 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
- [Washington L&I, hiring youth under age 14](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/hiring-youth-under-age-14), checked October 5, 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
- [WAC 296-125-101 (hours of work for minors)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-101), checked October 5, 2026
- [Washington L&I, hours of work for minors](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/hours-of-work), checked October 5, 2026
- [WAC 296-125-161 (special variance)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-161), checked October 5, 2026
- [WAC 296-125-031 (hiring minors: recordkeeping)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-031), 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
- [Washington L&I, youth employment: wages, rest breaks and meal periods](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/wages-rest-breaks-and-meal-periods), checked October 5, 2026
- [WAC 296-125-111 (meal and rest breaks under 16)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-111), checked October 5, 2026
- [WAC 296-125-121 (meal and rest breaks at 16 and 17)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-121), 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
- [WAC 296-125-141 (prohibited employment under 16)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-141), checked October 5, 2026
- [WAC 296-125-131 (prohibited and hazardous employment, all minors)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-125-131), checked October 5, 2026
- [Washington L&I, prohibited duties for minors](https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/youth-employment/prohibited-duties), checked October 5, 2026
- [RCW 66.44.350 (employees 18 to 21 serving alcohol)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=66.44.350), checked October 5, 2026
- [RCW 66.44.310 (minors in off-limits areas)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=66.44.310), checked October 5, 2026
- [Washington L&I, minimum wage](https://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/wages/minimum-wage/), 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
- [Washington L&I, Your Rights as a Worker (workplace poster F700-074-000)](https://www.lni.wa.gov/forms-publications/F700-074-000.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-washington-2026