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Have a question about state politics or policy in Massachusetts?
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Question:
How old must teenagers be to start working?
Answer:
According to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, which enforces the state’s child labor laws, a minor must be 14 to work. There are a number of exceptions, however. A 9-year-old can deliver newspapers with a special badge and consent from a parent or guardian. Youths 12 and older can sell certain items in public; but, they cannot engage in door-to-door sales until age 16.
Children aged 12 and 13 can work on a family farm or on other farms if they have written parental consent. (Children may work at any age on a farm owned or operated by their parents.) Ten- and 11-year-olds may engage in limited seasonal work with special permission from the U.S. Labor Department.
State law places also places restrictions on the hours a young person may work. During the summer from July 1 until Labor Day, 14- and 15-year-olds can work until 9:00 pm; after 8:00 pm they must be supervised by an on site adult who is “reasonably accessible,” unless the youth works at a kiosk, cart, or stand in an enclosed shopping mall’s common area that has security from 8:00 p.m. until the mall closes to the public.
Sixteen and 17-year-olds may not be employed between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am with certain exceptions. (During the school year, minors cannot work between 7:00 pm and 7:00 am.)
State and federal labor laws prohibit many jobs for youth. For example, children under 14 may not work in or around manufacturing facilities or factories, in mechanical establishments where machinery is used, on construction sites, or in garages or tunnels. Youths 16 and 17 may not work in or around blast furnaces or anywhere explosives are manufactured.
For complete details, consult the Attorney General’s FAQs on child labor and youth employment.
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