Working as a teen in Hawaii: certificates, hours, and pay

Hawaii's Child Labor Law (Chapter 390 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes) calls the permit a 'child labor certificate.' There is no fee, and DLIR issues one as long as the job is not hazardous and you are not required to be in school during the work hours.

At 14 or 15, the employer needs a Certificate of Employment before you start. You and the employer fill out form CL-1, a parent or guardian signs it, and it goes to a DLIR Child Labor Office with proof of age such as a birth certificate, a Hawaii state ID, a passport, or a school record. A school ID card and a Social Security card do not count. DLIR issues a temporary authorization slip and mails the certificate to the employer. A new job means a new application.

At 16 or 17, you apply online for a Certificate of Age (form eCL-3). You do not need a job offer first. You show it and your proof of age to each employer at hiring, and one certificate lasts until you turn 18.

For 14 and 15 year olds, Hawaii sets clear caps. No more than 3 hours on a school day and 8 hours on a non-school day. No more than 18 hours in a school week and 40 hours in a non-school week. On school days and the day before one, work must fall between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.; on non-school days and the day before one, between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. You cannot work more than 6 days in a row, and after 5 straight hours you get at least a 30-minute meal or rest break.

For 16 and 17 year olds, Hawaii has no hours limit except during the time you are required to be in school.

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) also limits hours for 14 and 15 year olds, and DLIR warns that where Hawaii's rule is looser than the federal one, an employer covered by federal law must follow the federal rule. Congress has had that power since United States v. Darby (1941), where the Supreme Court upheld the FLSA and overruled Hammer v. Dagenhart (1918), which had blocked an earlier federal child labor law.

Hawaii's minimum wage is $16.00 per hour starting January 1, 2026, and it rises to $18.00 per hour on January 1, 2028, under a schedule the legislature already passed. That is well above the federal minimum wage. DLIR's minimum wage page does not list a separate lower rate for teenagers, so a 16-year-old stocking shelves in Kahului should expect the same hourly floor as an adult. If a job involves tips, ask about the tip credit, which DLIR explains on the same page.