Kansas Child Labor Laws

The earliest law regulating employment of minors was an apprenticeship act passed in 1855. In Kansas the child labor laws are administered by the Office of Employment Standards.  With Kansas being a major agricultural state, the industry is excluded from Kansas laws, although there are still federal guidelines in this area.

Child Labor Laws in Kansas For Minors Under 14​

Children under the age of 14 are generally not allowed to hold employment with certain exceptions.  Youth 12-13 may be employed in farming jobs during non-school hours with parental consent and supervision.  Those under the age of 12 may work on farms exempt from minimum wage standards.  Children younger than 14 may be employed in the entertainment industry as long as all earnings go to the child.  Infants older than one month, certified by a licensed physician as healthy may also work in entertainment.  Children under 14 may also do nonhazardous jobs for parents in addition to domestic household chores, deliver newspapers, and casual labor in private homes.

Child Labor Laws in Kansas For Minors 14 and 15 Years Old

No work permit is required except for 14 and 15 year olds not attending or enrolled in school.  They are permitted to work in nonhazardous jobs in agriculture, although they may not work operating tractors with 20 PTO horsepower, work with harvesting equipment, work in fruit silos/granaries/manure pits, work in a pen with a bull/boar/horse maintained for breeding purposes, transporting passengers in a motor vehicle, and exposure to toxic chemicals.  They may not work in an establishment that serves or sells alcohol for consumption.  They may not be employed in Hazardous Jobs as listed at the bottom.   Youth in this age group are also not allowed to work in Hazardous Occupations, which includes the following:

  • Construction
  • Manufacturing
  • Communications/Utilities Work
  • Door-to-Door Sales
  • Sign Waving
  • Work with Amusement park Rides
  • Poultry Catching/Catching
  • Baking
  • Work in Freezers/Meat Coolers
  • Warehouse Work
  • Work on Ladders/Scaffolding
  • Outside Window Washing from Windowsills
  • Public Messenger Work
  • Loading/Unloading Trucks

The Kansas Child Labor Law details restrictions on 14-15 year olds, including:

When public school is in session:

  • No working during school hours (except on a farm for a parent or guardian)
  • May work up to three hours on school days
  • May work up to eight hours on non-school days
  • A maximum of 18 hours per week
  • Not earlier than 7am or later than 7pm

When public school is not in session

  • May work up to eight hours per day
  • A maximum of 40 hours per week
  • Not earlier than 7am or later than 7pm between June 1 and Labor Day

Child Labor Laws in Kansas For Minors 16 and 17 Years Old

Minors 16-17 may work in a wide variety of jobs, including hazardous positions in agriculture.  They may not work in an establishment that sells or serves alcohol for consumption.  Minors in this age group may not work in Hazardous Occupations as listed below.

Kansas law details restrictions for 16-17 year olds, including:

When public school is in session:

  • No working during school hours (except on a farm for a parent or guardian)
  • No restriction on working hours or times outside school hours

When public school is not in session

  • No restriction on working hours or times

No minor under the age of 18 is permitted to work in the following Hazardous Occupations:

  • Work with Explosives
  • Driving a Motor Vehicle
  • Work with Power-Driven Machinery
  • Mining
  • Wrecking/Demolition
  • Roofing
  • Excavation
  • Exposure to Radioactive Substances
  • Logging/Sawmilling
  • Forest Fire Fighting/Prevention
  • Meat Packing/Processing
  • Manufacturing Brick/Tile