How Many Hours Can A Minor Work?

In California, kids 15 and younger can’t work more than 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week.  They also can’t work before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m.  But during most of the summer they can work till 9 p.m.  When school is not on break, 14 and 15-year-olds can only work a maximum of 3 hours on school days and 18 hours in any week.

Kids 16 and older can’t work more than 8 hours in a day, more than 40 hours in a week, or before 5 a.m., or after 10 p.m. on school nights (usually Sunday to Thursday).  But they can work late, until 12:30am, on weekends.  While school is in session they generally cannot work more than 4 hours on school days unless they have an exception or permit to do so.