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Division of Labor Services

Brief Comparison of State and Federal Child Labor Laws

Iowa Teens Hiring Guide
(Allowable Jobs, Hours)

Teen Summer Jobs:  Safety Pays

YouthRules! U.S. Dept. of Labor, Child Labor Information

Iowa Child Labor Law
(Iowa Code Chapter 92) as Amended by HF618

Iowa Child Labor Rules
(Iowa Admin. Code 875 Chapter 32)

Hazardous Chemicals Policy

Special Order Requirements

NEW - Guide to Issuing Child Labor Form

Physician's Certification of Minor's Age

Child Labor "Vice" Jobs
(Liquor, Tobacco, Lottery)

Nursing, Dietary, Laundry, Housekeeping Aid Declaratory Order

Interpretation Letter Regarding 15-Year-Old Lifeguards and Ladders

Link to Work-Based Learning Guide 2002

Child Labor Law
Child Work Permits

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS Increased Penalties for Violations of Child Labor Laws:    Effective July 1, 2009, legislation increased the penalties for violations of the child labor laws.  The legislation also created flexibility for young people attempting to document their ages to obtain a work permit.  The Labor Commissioner will propose new rules addressing both of these topics.  Watch this space for further developments.

Youth under the age of 16 in Iowa are required to have a work permit before starting work. The following information is intended to clarify some of the Iowa Child Labor laws. 

Who needs a work permit? People under 16 years of age cannot be employed or permitted to work, with or without compensation, unless the person, firm, or corporation employing the youth receives and keeps a work permit on file, accessible to any officer charged with the enforcement of the child labor laws. The employer also is required to keep a complete list of the names and ages of anyone under 16 years of age in his employ.

How to get a work permit. A youth first must go in person to the local school official designated as an issuing officer or the Iowa Workforce Development Center and provide one of the following acceptable forms of evidence of age: a certified copy of a birth certificate, current passport or certified copy of baptismal record showing the date and place of birth and the place of the child’s baptism. If none of these is available, then a written certification from a physician appointed by the local board of education certifying that, in the physician’s opinion, the applicant is 14 years of age or older, is required. The employer then must complete the work permit (Child Labor Form), specifically listing all work the minor will be performing, equipment he will use, and hours to be worked. After completing this section, the minor’s parent completes and signs his portion of the form. The form then is returned to the issuing officer for review and approval.

What hours can 14 or 15-year-olds work? Outside school hours, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., from the day after Labor Day (in September) through May 31, and no more than four hours per day, Monday through Friday, or eight hours per day on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. No more than a total of 28 hours per week is allowed. From June 1 through Labor Day, a minor may work up to eight hours per day between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., but not more than 40 hours per week.

For more information on State of Iowa child labor laws or to file a child labor complaint, contact:  

Federal child labor laws restrict maximum work hours to 18 hours per week, from the day after Labor Day (in September) through May 31, with three hours per day, Monday through Friday, outside of school hours, and eight hours on Saturday, Sundays and holidays, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Who needs a Certificate of Age? An employer may require that a prospective minor employee obtain a Certificate of Age. Youths who are 16 or older  can obtain a Certificate of Age by going to the local Workforce Development Center or the local school official designated as the issuing officer with one of the following acceptable forms of evidence of age: a certified copy of a birth certificate, current passport or certified copy of a baptismal certificate, or a physician’s certification of age, completed by a physician appointed by the local board of education certifying that, in the physician’s opinion, the minor is 14 years of age or older.

Under Iowa Child Labor laws, Iowa Code Chapter 92, minors under the age of 18 are prohibited from working in certain occupations, performing certain duties, and from using certain equipment.

For more information on federal child labor laws, contact the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, in Des Moines at (515) 284-4625.

(For an employer subject to both state and federal child labor laws, the employer should follow the more restrictive law.)

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