# Teen work rules in Indiana

In Indiana, you can start most non-farm jobs at 14. Indiana does not require a state work permit. At 14 and 15 you can work up to 3 h on a school day, 18 h in a school week, 40 h in a summer week. There are no state hour limits at 16 and 17.

- Minimum age: 14
- Work permit: not required
- Hours at 14–15: 3 h on a school day, 18 h in a school week, 40 h in a summer week
- Hours at 16–17: no limits

## Recent changes

- 2026-07-01: HEA 1302 (2026): the Youth Employment System (YES) portal was shut down. Employers no longer register or report minor employees to the state, and the related late-reporting penalties were dropped.
- 2025-01-01: Youth employment rules revised to mirror federal law. 16–17-year-olds may now work the same hours and days as adults. 14–15-year-olds may work until 9 p.m. on any day from June 1 to Labor Day. Employers with 5 or more minors had to register them in YES and post monthly updates. Employers had to update the 14–15 youth employment poster. The bill number is not stated on the DOL page.
- 2021-07-01: Work permits (formerly issued by schools) ended for ages 14–17. Employers with 5 or more minor employees had to register them in the state Youth Employment System instead (IC 22-2-18.1-26). This predates the 2022–2026 window and is included for context.

## Employers hiring at 14 here

- AMC Theatres
- McDonald's
- Chick-fil-A
- Publix
- Culver's
- Dairy Queen
- Burger King
- Hy-Vee
- Fareway
- Rita's Italian Ice
- Arby's
- Jimmy John's
- Runza
- Braum's

## Sources

- Indiana DOL – Youth Employment Home (YES decommissioned 2026-07-01 under HEA 1302): https://www.in.gov/dol/youth-employment/youth-employment-home/
- Indiana DOL – Changes to Youth Employment Laws (effective 2025-01-01): https://www.in.gov/dol/youth-employment/youth-employment-home/changes-to-youth-employment-laws/
- Indiana DOL – Work Restrictions for Youth Employees poster (effective 2026-07-01): https://www.in.gov/dol/publications/Youth%20Employment%20Form%20Update%20July%201%202026.pdf
- US DOL WHD – State child labor laws applicable to non-farm employment: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/child-labor
- US DOL WHD – Employment/Age Certification table (IN: not issued since 2021-07-01; employer database): https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/age-certificates

Page: https://hiringage.com/indiana/ — please cite with a link.