Oregon Child Labor Laws

In 1913, Oregon enacted the first minimum wage law, which began regulation of wages paid to minors.  This law later influenced the start of a national minimum wage standard, developed as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938

Child Labor Laws in Oregon For Minors Under 14​

Oregon Child Labor Laws are administered by the Bureau of Labor and Industries.  Minors under the age of 14 are prohibited from working, with a few exceptions.  These include newspaper carrying and household work in private homes.  Children between the ages of nine and 11 may work in hand-harvesting on farms.  Minors aged 12 and 13 may work on farms outside of school hours.  Both age groups require written parental permission.

Entertainment jobs, such as performing, acting, modeling, or singing are permitted for all children over 15 days old. 

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

Minors 14 and 15 years old may work in certain jobs, but are not required to have a work permit. 

They are prohibited from working in establishments which sell or serve alcohol for consumption.

Fourteen and 15 year olds may not work in the following Hazardous Occupations:

  • Manufacturing/Processing
  • Workshop/Warehouse Jobs
  • Work on Boats/Docks
  • Construction
  • Door-to-Door Sales
  • Pressure Washing
  • Cooking with an Open Flame/Bakery Oven
  • Work with Golf Carts
  • Lumber Loading
  • Land Clearing
  • Washing/Loading/Unloading Trucks
  • Wood Cutting/Sawing
  • Work on Ladders/Scaffolding
  • Work in Grain Elevators
  • Work in Commercial Laundries
  • Surveying
  • Amusement Park Work
  • Gravel/Sand Plant Work
  • Power Mowing/Cutting/Blowing

They are also prohibited from working in the following Hazardous Farming Occupations:

  • Work in Grain Warehouses
  • Cattle Handling
  • Well Digging
  • Work in Feed Mills with Power-Driven Machinery
  • Work in Flour Mills with Power-Driven Machinery

They may not work in the Hazardous Occupations listed below prohibiting all minors under 18.

Oregon Child Labor Law details the restrictions as follows:

When public school is in session:

  • No working during school hours
  • No more than three hours on school days
  • A maximum of ten hours on non-school days
  • A maximum of 18 hours per week
  • A maximum of six days per week
  • No earlier than 7am or later than 7pm
  • Must have a 15 minute break every four hours
  • Must have a 30 minutes break for every five hours worked

When public school is not in session:

  • No more than ten hours per day
  • A maximum of 60 hours per week
  • A maximum of six days per week
  • No earlier than 6am or later than 10pm
  • Must have a 15 minute break every four hours
  • Must have a 30 minutes break for every five hours worked

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

Minors 16 and 17 years old may work in a variety of jobs with no work permit.  They are not allowed to work in establishments which sell or serve alcohol for consumption. 

They may not work in the following Hazardous Occupations which prohibit all minors under 18:

  • Work with Power-Driven Machinery
  • Operating Bakery Equipment
  • Logging/Saw Mill
  • Work Relating to Forest Fires
  • Roofing
  • Excavation in Trenches over Four Feet
  • Work with Explosives/Demolitions/Wrecking
  • Slaughtering/Meat Packing
  • Work with Saws/Nail Guns
  • Mining
  • Manufacturing of Brick/Tile
  • Exposure to Radioactive Substances

Oregon Child Labor Law details the restrictions as follows:

When public school is in session:

  • No working during school hours
  • No more than three hours on school days
  • A maximum of ten hours on non-school days
  • A maximum of 18 hours per week
  • A maximum of six days per week
  • No earlier than 7am or later than 7pm
  • Must have a 15 minute break every four hours
  • Must have a 30 minutes break for every five hours worked

When public school is not in session:

  • No more than ten hours per day
  • A maximum of 60 hours per week
  • A maximum of six days per week
  • No earlier than 6am or later than 10pm
  • Must have a 15 minute break every four hours
  • Must have a 30 minutes break for every five hours worked

Oregon Child Labor Laws allow minors 14 to 17 years of age to work in the following hazardous occupations as apprentices and student learners without restrictions:

  • Power-Driven Wood Working Machinery Operations
  • Power-Driven Metal Working Machinery Operations
  • Slaughtering/Meat Processing
  • Work with Power-Driven Paper Products Machinery
  • Operation of Power Saw/Shears
  • Roofing
  • Excavation