Permits, hours & minimum wage: what Florida law actually requires before your first shift, and the federal rule that can legally cut your pay to $4.25 an hour.
Three things decide what your first job in Florida can look like: Florida is one of 13 states that issues no work permits at all, the state keeps setting hour limits after you turn 16, where most of the country stops, and the minimum wage is $14.00. They come from three different rulebooks, and two of them change on your 16th birthday.
Where the jobs are: Theme parks around Orlando, beaches on both coasts, and a tourism economy that never fully switches off. Florida has one of the deepest teen job markets in the country, and the busiest months are winter and spring break rather than midsummer.
No. Florida does not issue work permits or employment certificates, so there is no paperwork for you to collect before your first shift. Your employer still has to obtain and keep proof of your age on file, so expect to be asked for a birth certificate, driver's licence or passport. That makes Florida one of 13 states with no permit requirement at all. If you have friends in neighbouring states who had to get working papers, this is why you did not.
Two rulebooks apply depending on your age. Under 16 the federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets limits that hold in every state. At 16 and 17 federal law sets none at all, so what Florida adds is the entire limit you are working under.
These are the federal limits, and they apply in Florida:
| Limit | Rule |
|---|---|
| Hours per school day | 3 maximum |
| Hours per school week | 18 maximum |
| Hours per non-school day | 8 maximum |
| Hours per non-school week | 40 maximum |
| Earliest start | 7:00 a.m. |
| Latest finish | 7:00 p.m. |
| Latest finish, June 1 to Labor Day | 9:00 p.m. |
Florida is one of the states that does set rules here:
| Limit | Rule |
|---|---|
| School week | 30 hours maximum |
| Non-school days | 8 hours, across no more than 6 consecutive days |
| Time window | 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. when school is scheduled the next day |
| Non-school weeks and summer | No state hour cap |
A parent, guardian or school superintendent can sign a state waiver removing the 30-hour school-week cap. It is your choice to make with them, not something an employer can require.
Federal law requires no breaks at any age, so anything you get in Florida comes from state law rather than federal. Florida requires an uninterrupted 30-minute meal break for any minor working more than 4 consecutive hours, which is a lower trigger than most states. That is one of the few rules where being under 18 gets you more than the adults working beside you.
As of January 1, 2026 the Florida minimum wage is $14.00 an hour. It rises to $15.00 on September 30, 2026.
| Situation | 2026 rate |
|---|---|
| Most employees | $14.00/hr |
| Under 20, first 90 consecutive days | $4.25/hr (federal youth wage) |
| Tipped employees | A lower cash wage plus tips, which must reach the full rate |
Work rules stop at the state line, and if you live near one it is worth knowing which side is easier to get hired on:
| State | Work permit | Min wage 2026 | Hours at 16 to 17 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | None required | $14.00 | State limits |
| Georgia | Under 16 | $7.25 | No state cap |
| Alabama | Employer holds it | $7.25 | State limits |
| South Carolina | None required | $7.25 | No state cap |
| Mississippi | Under 16 | $7.25 | No state cap |
Federal law bars anyone under 18 from occupations classed as hazardous, and states add their own lists on top. In practice that is why teen jobs cluster in food service, retail, recreation and childcare. The restrictions cover things like operating most power-driven machinery, roofing, demolition, and work at significant heights, and they are stricter at 14 and 15 than at 16 and 17. In a state where a lot of teen work is seasonal and outdoors, the ones to watch are lifeguarding certifications, boat and watercraft operation, and anything involving commercial kitchen equipment during a busy season. Before accepting anything involving machinery, ladders, or a commercial kitchen's slicers and mixers, check the current list with the Florida labor department.
No. Florida issues no work permits or employment certificates at any age. Your employer must still keep proof of your age on file, so bring ID when you are hired.
Florida sets specific limits at 16 and 17: school week — 30 hours maximum; non-school days — 8 hours, across no more than 6 consecutive days; time window — 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. when school is scheduled the next day; non-school weeks and summer — No state hour cap.
Up to 3 hours on a school day and 18 hours in a school week, or 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week when school is out, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. and extending to 9:00 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day. Those are the federal limits and they apply in Florida as they do everywhere. What Florida does not add is paperwork: there is no work permit to collect at 14 or 15.
$14.00 an hour as of January 1, 2026. It rises to $15.00 on September 30, 2026. Federal law separately allows a youth wage of $4.25 an hour for workers under 20 during their first 90 consecutive calendar days with an employer, after which you move to the full rate.
Federal law requires no breaks at any age, so anything you get in Florida comes from state law rather than federal. Florida requires an uninterrupted 30-minute meal break for any minor working more than 4 consecutive hours, which is a lower trigger than most states. That is one of the few rules where being under 18 gets you more than the adults working beside you.
Fourteen for most non-farm jobs, which is the federal floor and applies in Florida as everywhere else. Below 14 the exceptions are narrow: babysitting, newspaper delivery, working for your parents in a non-hazardous business, and performing. If you are not 14 yet, babysitting is the realistic route, and the age and licensing rules for that in Florida are different from the employment rules on this page.