Youth Employment Home
Indiana Department of Labor Youth Employment Division monitors and enforces Indiana youth employment laws.
Indiana Youth Employment laws may be viewed here.
YES PORTAL DECOMMISSIONED EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2026
The online Youth Employment System (YES) database has been officially decommissioned and no longer exists.
Pursuant to Indiana House Enrolled Act 1302, Indiana employers are no longer required to report, register, or track minor employees through a centralized state portal. The state-run database has been permanently discontinued
- What this means: You do not need to log in, register your business, or enter teen worker data. All reporting obligations and associated late-reporting monetary penalties have been eliminated.
- Important Compliance Reminder: While state tracking has ended, all Indiana youth employment and federal child labor laws regarding hour restrictions and prohibited hazardous duties remain strictly in effect and fully enforced.
Changes to Indiana's Youth Employment Laws (January 1, 2025)
Effective January 1, 2025, Indiana’s Youth Employment rules have changed to more closely mirror federal child labor laws, with a few notable differences.
Changes to the Youth Employment laws include:
- 16- and 17-year-olds may now work the same hours and days as an adult. No parental permission is required for 16- and 17-year-olds to work longer or later hours.
- 14- and 15-year-olds are still bound by the same hour and day restrictions but may now work until 9:00 PM on any day between June 1st and Labor Day. (some exceptions may apply)
- The restrictions on minors working in prohibited or hazardous occupations continue to mirror federal law.
- Employers of 14- and 15-year-olds must update their youth employment posters to reflect the changes in law. This and other labor posters are available for free online at www.in.gov/dol/publications/ . These posters may also be offered by other, for-profit organizations. Please ensure whatever poster you choose contains complete and correct information.
If you have specific questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us by phone at (317) 232-2655 or by e-mail at YouthEmployment@dol.in.gov .
Youth Employment (YE) FAQs
Do minors have to receive a break/lunch when working 6 hours or longer?
Employers are no longer required to provide a minor with a break or lunch regardless of the number of hours worked in a day.
My child is a homeschool/online school student, what hours are they allowed to work?
Students 14- and 15-year-olds who are homeschooled or enrolled in an online school are considered the same as a minor who attends school in person. The school district calendar where the minor lives is used to determine beginning/end of school year, breaks, and holidays.
Are there restrictions for the number of hours 16- and 17-year-olds work?
There are no hour restrictions for 16- and 17-year-olds. 16- and 17-year-olds may now work the same hours and days as an adult. No parental permission is required for 16- and 17-year-olds to work longer or later hours.
Can a 14/15 year old work until 9:00pm on the weekends during the school year?
No. 14- and 15-year-olds can only work until 7:00pm regardless of the day of the week, except from June 1 to Labor Day.
From June 1 to Labor Day, 14- and 15-year-olds can work until 9:00pm, except once school is back in session. If school starts before Labor Day, 14- and 15-year-olds old can only work until 7:00pm on a night before a school day. They would still be allowed to work until 9:00 pm on a night not followed by a school day until Labor Day. After Labor Day, they would return to only being allowed to work until 7:00 pm.
View all FAQs with Knowledge Base.