Teen jobs in Wyoming: no permit needed, but the hour limits still count

A 15-year-old in Gillette gets hired to run the snack counter at the town pool for the summer. Nobody hands her a form to take to school. That is normal here: Wyoming does not require work permits for minors. What does apply are hour limits, a list of banned tasks, and a pay floor, and most of those come from federal law rather than from Cheyenne.

No work permit, but proof of age

The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services says it plainly in its youth FAQ: minors do not need a work permit. The employer only has to keep proof of your age on file, such as a birth certificate or another ID.

That proof matters because the rules change with your age. Almost every Wyoming employer has to follow the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the national law on wages and child labor. The department says only very small businesses that meet strict tests (fewer than two employees, under $500,000 in yearly sales, and operating only inside Wyoming) may follow state-only rules instead.

Hours for 14- and 15-year-olds, and for 16 and 17

At 14 or 15, school comes first. You cannot work during school hours, more than 3 hours on a school day, or more than 18 hours in a school week. On a day with no school the federal cap is 8 hours, and in a week with no school it is 40. Work must fall between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., except from June 1 to Labor Day, when the evening limit moves to 9 p.m. Parents cannot sign away these limits.

At 16 and 17, federal law sets no hour limits at all. The limit that stays is the list of hazardous jobs. Wyoming's labor agency names meat slicers, food mixers, forklifts, and driving for work as off-limits to minors, along with roofing, mining, and logging.

The federal government's power to set these rules was settled in United States v. Darby (1941). The Supreme Court ruled that Congress may use its power over trade between states to set wage and child-labor rules, and it overruled Hammer v. Dagenhart (1918), which had struck down an earlier child-labor law.

Pay: $5.15 on paper, $7.25 for most jobs

Wyoming's state minimum wage is $5.15 an hour. Most Wyoming employers must pay the higher federal minimum of $7.25, according to the Department of Workforce Services.

The department's FAQ also says minors must be paid at least the same minimum wage that applies to adults. If you are allowed to work more than 40 hours in a week, the extra hours are paid at time and a half.

If something is wrong at work

Important

Start with the Labor Standards Division of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. It is free. You can file a claim for unpaid wages online, or call its offices in Cheyenne or Casper; the numbers are on the division's contact page.

For hour limits and dangerous tasks, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division enforces the federal rules and also takes complaints. Before you call, write down your shifts, your hours, and what you were paid.

Remember this

Wyoming does not require work permits for minors; your employer only keeps proof of your age.
At 14 and 15: no more than 3 hours on a school day, 18 in a school week, and only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (9 p.m. from June 1 to Labor Day).
The state minimum wage is $5.15, but most Wyoming employers must pay the federal $7.25.
Unpaid wages go to the Labor Standards Division in Cheyenne or Casper; hour and safety problems can also go to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Sources

This article provides general educational information, not individualized legal advice. KidsKnowRights is not a law firm, and reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws vary by state, age, and circumstances, and they change over time. For advice about a real situation, talk with a licensed attorney or a legal aid organization.