Working Under Eighteen
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 294.030 — three hours on a school day, and 7:00 p.m. outside the summer
In Missouri, the child labor chapter uses child to mean an individual under sixteen years of age, and no child under fourteen may be employed except as the chapter provides.
| Under 16 | The limit |
|---|---|
| Under 16A school day | The limitNot more than three hours |
| Under 16A day without school | The limitNot more than eight hours |
| Under 16A week | The limitNot more than six days or forty hours |
| Under 16Morning | The limitNot before seven in the morning |
| Under 16Labor Day to June first | The limitNot after 7:00 p.m. |
| Under 16June first to Labor Day | The limitNot after 9:00 p.m. |
Waivers. The director may waive these limits, in whole or in part, in writing to the employer, for the kinds of employment the chapter describes.
A regional fair. From June first to Labor Day, a child who has passed the fourteenth birthday but is under sixteen may work at a regional fair until 10:30 p.m., supervised by an adult and with parental consent, unless the employer is covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
Work certificates, prohibited occupations and the chapter's exclusions are not on this page. How these rules apply to a particular job, and the federal rules that may also apply, are questions for the state's labor department or a licensed Missouri attorney.
Sources for this section (3)
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 294.030 — Hours of work for minors
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 294.011 — Definitions
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 294.021 — Minors under fourteen not to be employed, exception
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Missouri attorney.