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A 15-year-old in Ames gets hired to run the register at a sandwich shop. The manager says she can close at 9 p.m. on a Tuesday. Is that legal? In Iowa, the honest answer is 'it depends on which rulebook covers the shop.' Iowa Code Chapter 92 is the state child labor law, and the Wage and Child Labor Unit (WCLU) of the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) enforces it. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) has its own limits, and the DIAL page says plainly that an employer covered by both must follow whichever rule protects the young worker more.
Two hours charts, and the stricter one usually wins
Iowa law says a minor must be at least 14 to be employed, with some exceptions. For 14- and 15-year-olds while school is in session (Labor Day through June 1), Iowa allows work between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., up to six hours on a school day, eight hours on a weekend day, and 28 hours a week. The federal FLSA is tighter: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., three hours on a school day (Friday counts as a school day), and 18 hours a week.
When school is out (June 1 through Labor Day), Iowa allows 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., eight hours a day, and 40 hours a week. Federal law allows 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., eight hours a day, and 40 hours a week.
So the Ames sandwich shop question turns on whether the shop is covered by the FLSA. Most businesses are. DIAL's own advice to employers is to default to the FLSA rules when unsure. Iowa also requires a half-hour break, paid or unpaid, for 14- and 15-year-olds working a shift of five hours or more. For 16- and 17-year-olds, neither Iowa nor federal law sets daily hour limits, but both keep a list of hazardous jobs they cannot do.
Pay: $7.25, with a tip rule to watch
Iowa's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, the same as the federal floor. It comes from Iowa Code Chapter 91D. DIAL's wage page adds one detail that matters for a teen bussing tables in Davenport: if you make $30 or more a month in tips, the employer may pay as little as $4.35 an hour, but your pay plus tips must average at least $7.25 for the week, and the employer owes the difference if it does not.
One gap to know about: DIAL says most small retail and service businesses grossing under $300,000 a year are not required to pay the Iowa minimum wage. If your employer is that small, ask whether federal minimum wage law covers you instead. We could not confirm on DIAL's pages whether Iowa has a separate lower 'training wage' for new or young workers, so treat $7.25 as the number and check the DIAL wage page if an employer says otherwise.
Why the federal rules apply at all: United States v. Darby
In 1918, in Hammer v. Dagenhart, the U.S. Supreme Court said Congress could not ban goods made with child labor from crossing state lines. That decision was overruled in United States v. Darby (1941), where the Court held that Congress can regulate wages, hours, and child labor for businesses whose goods move in interstate commerce. Darby is the reason a lumber mill in Georgia, and a sandwich shop in Iowa, both answer to the FLSA. The Iowa rules sit on top of that federal floor, not instead of it.
Permits, and who to call in Iowa
Iowa changed its child labor law in 2023, and we could not confirm from DIAL's current pages whether a work permit is still required for a 14- or 15-year-old in an ordinary job. Before a first day of work, read the DIAL child labor page (linked below) and its 'Hiring Iowa Teens' fact sheet, and ask the employer what paperwork they file. If the employer does not know, that is a sign to be careful.
If hours run past the chart, a break is skipped, a paycheck is short, or a job feels dangerous, the Wage and Child Labor Unit is the office that investigates. DIAL lists it at 6200 Park Avenue, Suite 100, Des Moines, IA 50321, phone 515.350.7821, with a 'File a Complaint' link on its site. DIAL says WCLU investigates every injury claim involving a minor employee, and that investigations can end in warning letters or money penalties for the employer. A parent, a teacher, or the teen can make the call. Keep your own record of the days and hours you worked; a photo of the schedule is enough.
기억하세요
- Iowa lets 14- and 15-year-olds work until 9 p.m. and 28 hours a week during the school year, but federal law (7 p.m., 18 hours) usually controls.
- Iowa requires a half-hour break for 14- and 15-year-olds on any shift of five hours or more.
- Minimum wage is $7.25; a tipped worker can be paid $4.35 only if tips bring the weekly average to $7.25.
- Complaints go to DIAL's Wage and Child Labor Unit in Des Moines, 515.350.7821.
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