Connecticut Child Labor Laws

Scott E. Schaffer, Esq. • July 5, 2012

Employment of Minors Generally


Connecticut law allows minors under the age of 18, who have graduated from high school, to work in any occupation during the same hours as adults; however, such minors are not exempt from federal employment prohibitions. Therefore, employers who are covered by both state and federal law regulating the employment of minors must comply with the more stringent provisions of the two sets of law.

Government Employees

Minors between the ages of 16 and 18 who are employees of the state or any political subdivision thereof shall be paid not less than 85% of the minimum wage. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-58a.

Agricultural Employees

Minors between the ages of 14 and 18 who are agricultural employees shall be paid not less than 85% of the minimum wage, except agricultural employees between the ages of 14 and 18 who are employed by employers who did not, during the preceding calendar year, employ 8 or more workers at the same time shall be paid not less than 70% of the minimum wage. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-58a.

Other Employees

Minors under the age of 18 working in other industries may be paid 85% of the minimum wage for the first 200 hours of employment, except for those working in institutional training programs specifically exempted by the Connecticut Labor Commissioner. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-58(j) and Conn. Agencies Regs. §§ 31-60-6 to 8.

Proof of Age

Employers must retain the working papers/statements of age for each employee under the age of 18 at the place of employment, unless the employer has written approval from the Labor Commissioner. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-23(d).

Under 18

Prohibited Occupations

Under Connecticut law, anyone under the age of 18 is prohibited from working in the following hazardous occupations, unless they have graduated from a secondary institution, or written approval has been received by the employer from the Connecticut Labor Department. These prohibitions do not apply to work study programs, apprentices in bona fide apprenticeship courses, office workers and those not directly a part of, or in contact with, production operations unless the occupations, as such, have been declared hazardous. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 31-23-25 and Conn. Agencies Regs. § 31-23-1.

  • Manufacturing and storage of explosives

  • Motor vehicle driving and outside helper

  • Mining

  • Logging and sawmilling

  • The use of electrical tools, circuits, or equipment (except double insulated hand tools)

  • Exposure to radioactive substances or ionization radiation

  • Power-driven hoisting apparatus

  • Power-driven metal-forming, punching or shearing machines

  • Slaughtering or meat packing, processing or rendering, including electric meat slicers.

  • Brick, tile, and kindred products manufacturing

  • Wrecking, demolition, and shipbreaking

  • Roofing operations

  • Excavation operations

  • Automotive maintenance and repair, EXCEPT (the following are permitted):

    • island work

    • changing passenger car tires (no truck tires or working under cars or in pits)

    • use of air hand tools

    • use of properly grounded electrical hand tools (no drill over ¼” diameter)

    • preparing cars for painting, limited to sanding and masking (no spray painting or welding)

    • hand cleaning and washing of motor vehicles (no flammable liquids)

    • clerical or bench work

  • Beverage bottling

  • Soldering, welding, brazing, smelting, rolling, flame cutting, or any other types of metal processing

  • Brick, clay or tile manufacturing

  • Coke and tar products processing/manufacturing

  • Dry cleaning/laundry operations

  • Processing of food products

  • Construction, EXCEPT the following:

    • Landscaping (planting small trees, shrubs, etc.)

    • General yard work/cleaning (no riding reel lawn mowers)

    • Brush painting & window cleaning (no ladders over 6 feet, no flammable cleaners/thinners, etc.)

    • Clerical/shipping/stock work

  • Glazing/glass cutting operations

  • Heat treating operations or helper

  • Ice manufacturing

  • Installation/maintenance/repair of electrical machinery/equipment

  • Paper/paper products/paperboard manufacturing

  • Plastic/plastic products manufacturing

  • Pharmaceutical products manufacturing

  • Operation of foot, hand or power presses

  • Printing operations

  • Pressure testing

  • Synthetic fiber manufacturing

  • Rubber/synthetic rubber products manufacturing/processing

  • Spray painting and dipping

  • Stone cutting and processing

  • Leather products processing/tanning

  • Sewing machine operation using needles over 1/16 inch diameter

  • Tire recapping, vulcanizing or manufacturing

  • Textile machinery operations

  • Trash/cardboard compactor

For more detail see Conn. Agencies Regs. § 31-23-1.

Time and Hour Restrictions for 16 and 17 Year Olds


The following time and hour restrictions do not apply to minors under the age of 18 who have graduated from high school.

Minors under the age of 18, who are enrolled in, but have not yet graduated from high school may only work during the following hours:


Restaurants - During school weeks:

  • 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. (midnight if school vacation/not prior to a school day/not attending school)

  • 6 hours per day/32 hours per week

  • 8 hours per day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Restaurants - During non - school weeks:

  • 8 hours per day/48 hours per week

  • 6 days per week

Recreational, Amusement, and Theater - During school weeks:

  • 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. (midnight if school vacation/not prior to a school day/not attending school)

  • 6 hours per day/32 hours per week

  • 8 hours per day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Recreational, Amusement, and Theater - During non-school weeks:

  • 8 hours per day/48 hours per week

  • 6 days per week

Manufacturing and Mechanical - During school weeks:

  • 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (11 p.m. if school vacation/not prior to a school day/not attending school)

  • 6 hours per day/32 hours per week

  • 8 hours per day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday





Manufacturing and Mechanical - During non-school weeks:

  • 8 hours per day/48 hours per week

  • 6 days per week

Retail/Mercantile - During school weeks:

  • 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (11 p.m. if school vacation/not prior to a school day/not attending school/ 12:00 midnight in a supermarket, if 3500 square feet, when no school the next day)

  • 6 hours per day/32 hours per week

  • 8 hours per day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Retail/Mercantile - During non-school weeks:

  • 8 hours per day/48 hours per week

  • 6 days per week

Hairdressing, Bowling Alley, Pool Hall, or Photography Gallery - During school weeks:

  • 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

  • 6 hours per day/32 hours per week

  • 8 hours per day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Hairdressing, Bowling Alley, Pool Hall, or Photography Gallery - During non-school weeks:

  • 8 hours per day/48 hours per week

  • 6 days per week

Minors under the age of 18 who are not enrolled in and have not graduated from high school may only work the following hours.

Retail/Mercantile:

  • 8 hours per day/48 hours per week

  • 6 days per week

Restaurant, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Recreation, Amusement, and Theater:

  • 9 hours per day/48 hours per week

  • 6 days per week


For all occupations, work experience as part of an approved educational plan will not be counted towards permitted hourly limits.


Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 31-12, 31-13, 31-14, 31-16 and 31-18.

14 and 15 Year Olds


Permitted Occupations


Under Connecticut law, 14 and 15 year olds are permitted to work in the following occupations:

  • Agriculture

  • Street trades (newspaper delivery, shoe shining, baby-sitting, etc.)

  • Hospitals (no food service or laundry)

  • Convalescent homes (no food service or laundry)

  • Hotels and motels (no food service or laundry)

  • Banks

  • Insurance companies

  • Professional offices (lawyers, CPAs, etc.)

  • Municipalities (library attendants, recreation departments, etc.)

  • Golf caddies

  • Acting

  • Household chores for private homeowners (yard work, etc.)

  • Licensed summer camps

  • Mercantile/solicitation –Minor must be at least 15 years old and may then be employed in any mercantile establishment as a bagger, cashier, or stock clerk

Prohibited Occupations


Under Connecticut law, minors under the age of 16 are prohibited from working in the following occupations.

  • Restaurant/food service

  • Recreational establishments

  • Manufacturing industries

  • Mechanical/service industries

  • Mercantile/solicitation –However minors who are at least 15 years old may be employed in any mercantile establishment as a bagger, cashier, or stock clerk

  • Theatrical industry

  • Barber shops

  • Any other business types not listed on the Permitted Occupation list.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-23(a).

These prohibitions may be lifted where authorized by the Labor Commissioner for minors aged 14 and 15 who are enrolled in (1) a public school in a work-study program, or (2) a summer work-recreation program sponsored by a town, city or borough or by a human resources development agency, or (3) a vocational probation pursuant to an order of the Superior Court, or (4) a vocational parole program by the Commissioner of Children and Families. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-23(a).

Hours of Work


Even when 14 & 15 year-old minors are permitted to work they may not be employed:

  • During school hours.

  • Before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m., except from July 1 to Labor Day, when evening hours are extended to 9 p.m.

  • More than 3 hours per day on school days, or 8 hours on non-school days.

  • More than 18 hours a week in school weeks, or 40 hours in non-school weeks.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-23(b).