Only the following occupations are open to children under 14 years of age:
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Download Now Agriculture. Nonhazardous agricultural jobs are open to children over 12 if they have written parental consent and do not work during school hours. If no 12-year-old workers are available, an employer can apply for a waiver from the Department of Labor (DOL) to allow children over 10 to work in hand-harvesting jobs. However, they can work for no more than 8 weeks per year and only if there is no risk of adverse health effects resulting from the use of pesticides.
Newspaper delivery. There is no federal age restriction applicable to newspaper carriers who deliver to subscribers and who sell newspapers on the street. However, the deliveries must be to individual subscribers or consumers and not to drop stations, newsstands, or distribution centers.
Acting and performing. Actors and performers are exempt from federal child labor laws, but most states regulate their employment.
Employment by parent. Parents may employ their own children in any occupation except manufacturing, mining, and other occupations where the minimum age requirement is 18 years.
Children who are under the age of 16 are generally excluded from all manufacturing, mining, processing, public messenger, or machine-tending work. They are also excluded from transportation, warehouse work, construction, communications, and public utility occupations, except for office or sales work in connection with these. They are also prohibited from operating a motor vehicle or providing service as a helper on a motor vehicle. They may not perform any job on the “hazardous” list applying to minors under the age of 18.