Working Under Sixteen
SDCL § 60-12-1 — four hours on a school day, twenty in a school week, and not after 10 p.m. before school
| Under sixteen years of age | Most hours |
|---|---|
| Under sixteen years of ageA school day | Most hoursFour hours |
| Under sixteen years of ageA school week | Most hoursTwenty hours |
| Under sixteen years of ageA day without school | Most hoursEight hours |
| Under sixteen years of ageA week without school | Most hoursForty hours |
Nor after 10 p.m. on a day before a school day. A violation is a Class 2 misdemeanor; actors and seed corn detasseling on nonschool days are outside it.
Under fourteen. A child under fourteen years of age may not work in a factory, workshop or mine, and in a store only outside school hours and never after seven o'clock p.m.
Federal child labor law adds limits of its own. A particular job is a question for a licensed South Dakota attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- SDCL § 60-12-1 — Maximum hours for children under sixteen; Exceptions; Misdemeanor
- SDCL § 60-12-2 — Employment of child under fourteen years of age restricted; Violation as misdemeanor
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed South Dakota attorney.