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HomeEducation CodeDiv. 4Pt. 27Ch. 7Art. 2§ 49116 Minor Work Hour Limits

§ 49116 Minor Work Hour Limits

Education Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 49116 Minor Work Hour Limits

Key Takeaways

  • •Kids aged 14 or 15 can't work more than 3 hours a day or 18 hours a week while school is in session, and they can't work during school hours unless it's a special school program.
  • •Kids aged 16 or 17 can't work more than 4 hours on a school day unless they have a special job like working at school or have a work permit.
  • •If working is hurting a kid's schoolwork or health, the people who gave the work permit can take it away.
  • •This rule doesn't apply to kids who deliver newspapers.

Example

A 15-year-old wants to work at a grocery store after school.

The store can only let them work up to 3 hours on school days and not during school hours. If they work 3 hours Monday to Friday, that's 15 hours, so they can work up to 3 more hours over the weekend.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 49116 Minor Work Hour Limits

(a) While school is in session, an employer shall not employ a minor 14 or 15 years of age for more than three hours in any day, nor more than 18 hours in any week, nor during school hours, except that a minor enrolled in and employed pursuant to a school-supervised and school-administered work experience and career exploration program may be employed for no more than 23 hours, any portion of which may be during school hours. (b) An employer shall not employ a minor 16 or 17 years of age for more than four hours in any day in which that minor is required by law to attend school for 240 minutes or more, except as follows: (1) The minor is employed in personnel attendance occupations, as defined in the Industrial Welfare Commission Minimum Wage Order No. 15, school-approved work experience, or cooperative vocational education programs. (2) The minor has been issued a permit to work pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 49112 and is employed in accordance with the provisions of that permit. (c) If evidence is shown, to the satisfaction of the authority issuing the permit to work, that the schoolwork or the health of the minor is being impaired by the employment, that authority may revoke the permit. (d) Nothing in this section shall apply to any minor employed to deliver newspapers to consumers. (Amended by Stats. 1995, Ch. 887, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1996.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

personnel attendance occupationsemploymenteducationcommissionschoolhealthtrialport

Related Statutes

  • § 49112 Minor Work Permit Hours
  • § 49164 Work Permit Inspection Authority
  • § 52168 Limited English Proficiency Funding
  • § 84757 Noncredit Adult Education Funding
  • § 42238.016 Employee Salary Data Collection System

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Education Code. Section 49116.
View Official Source