Child Labor Laws in Indiana

Navigating the state’s child labor laws is essential for all employers in Indiana to foster a safe, compliant, and positive work environment for young employees. Its laws are enforced by the Indiana Department of Labor’s Youth Employment Division. In 2025, Indiana implemented some significant updates to its laws, particularly for older teens. It has relaxed hour restrictions for 16- and 17-year-olds and has replaced traditional work permits with an online registration system. 

Let’s take a closer look at Indiana’s child labor laws. 

How the State Regulates Child Labor

Indiana has several key mechanisms to oversee youth employment across the state. 

• Minimum Age: The state has set the minimum working age at 14, with some exceptions.
• Youth Employment System (YES): Indiana has eliminated physical work permits. Rather, all employers with 5 or more minor employees must register them through an online Youth Employment System (YES).
• Hour Restrictions: As of January 1, 2025, the state has removed hour restrictions for 16- and 17-year-olds, but they remain in place for 14- and 15-year-olds.
• Hazardous Occupations: Indiana defers to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for its list of prohibited hazardous occupations for minors.

Relation to Federal Law

The state’s child labor laws align closely with the federal standards, especially in the case of older teens. For 16- and 17-year-olds, the state has removed nearly all of its own restrictions, deferring to the less restrictive federal law. For 14- and 15-year-olds, Indiana’s hour restrictions are similar to the federal FLSA. In events where state and federal laws differ, the more protective law applies. For hazardous/dangerous occupations, Indiana explicitly adopts the federal list of restrictions.

Minimum Working Age in Indiana

In Indiana, the minimum working age is 14 years. However, some exemptions exist, such as:

• Working on a farm
• Providing domestic services like babysitting, etc.
• Golf caddying
• Delivering newspapers

Work Permits for Minors in Indiana

As of July 1, 2021, Indiana has shifted from conventional paper-based work permits to the online Youth Employment System (YES). Herein, all employers with five or more minor employees must register them using YES.   

Key points about the YES system are as follows:

• Employers must register the location of their business and provide information for all minor employees.
• Employers with fewer than five minor employees are exempt from using the YES system. However, they can also do so voluntarily.
• The system helps in tracking and reporting minor employee information to the Department of Labor.

Hour Restrictions for Minors in Indiana

As of January 1, 2025, work hour restrictions have significantly changed in the state of Indiana. The changes are as follows. 

Prohibited Jobs for Minors in Indiana

Since the state follows the federal FLSA, the following occupations are deemed hazardous and are off limits for employing minors. 

Penalties for Non-Compliance

The state has imposed penalties on employers for violating Indiana’s child labor laws. Although they are lower than what’s observed by the other states.  

• Parental Liabilities: While the legal responsibility lies with the employer, however, as per a 2023 law it prohibits government entities from forcing a child to withhold information from their parents, reinforcing parental rights.
• Employer Penalties:

• • Civil Penalties: For most violations, including hazardous work, the penalty structure in the state of Indiana is as follows:
    • 1st violation: Warning letter
    • 2nd violation: $100 fine
    • 3rd violation: $200 fine
    • 4th or subsequent violation: $400 fine
  • Failing to comply with YES registration can also lead to a fine of up to $400 per employee.

HR Notifications and Documentations

With the shift from conventional paperwork to the YES system, documentation requirements in the state have changed. The table below shows these changes.