CHAPTER 3. Working Hours [1390. - 1399.]

Cal. Labor Code - LAB 3.
in effect

Cal. Labor Code - LAB § 1390. Section 1390.

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates: (a) “Horticultural” includes the curing and drying but not the canning of all varieties of fruit. (b) “Drama” or “play” includes the production of motion picture plays.

Cal. Labor Code - LAB § 1391. Section 1391.

(a) Except as provided in Sections 1297, 1298, and 1308.7: (1) An employer shall not employ a minor 15 years of age or younger for more than eight hours in one day of 24 hours, or more than 40 hours in one week, or before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m., except that from June 1 through Labor Day, a minor 15 years of age or younger may be employed for the hours authorized by this section until 9 p.m. in the evening. (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), while school is in session, an employer shall not employ a minor 14 or 15 years of age for more than three hours in any schoolday, nor more than 18 hours in any week, nor during school hours, except that a minor enrolled in and employed pursuant to a school-supervised and school-administered work experience and career exploration program may be employed for no more than 23 hours, any portion of which may be during school hours. (3) An employer shall not employ a minor 16 or 17 years of age for more than eight hours in one day of 24 hours or more than 48 hours in one week, or before 5 a.m., or after 10 p.m. on any day preceding a schoolday. However, a minor 16 or 17 years of age may be employed for the hours authorized by this section during any evening preceding a nonschoolday until 12:30 a.m. of the nonschoolday. (4) Notwithstanding paragraph (3), while school is in session, an employer shall not employ a minor 16 or 17 years of age for more than four hours in any schoolday, except as follows: (A) The minor is employed in personal attendant occupations, as defined in the Industrial Welfare Commission Minimum Wage Order No. 15 (8 Cal. Code Regs. Sec. 11150), school-approved work experience, or cooperative vocational education programs. (B) The minor has been issued a permit to work pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 49112 of the Education Code and is employed in accordance with the provisions of that permit. (b) For purposes of this section, “schoolday” means any day in which a minor is required to attend school for 240 minutes or more. (c) Any person or the agent or officer thereof, or any parent or guardian, who directly or indirectly violates or causes or suffers the violation of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 60 days, or both. Any person who willfully violates this section shall, upon conviction, be subject to a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or to imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six months, or both. No person shall be imprisoned under this section, except for an offense committed after the conviction of that person for a prior offense under this chapter. (d) This section does not apply to any minor employed to deliver newspapers to consumers.

Cal. Labor Code - LAB § 1391.1. Section 1391.1.

Minors 16 years of age or older and under the age of 18 years enrolled in work experience or cooperative vocational education programs approved by the State Department of Education or in work experience education programs conducted by private schools may work after 10 p.m. but not later than 12:30 a.m., providing such employment is not detrimental to the health, education, or welfare of the minor and the approval of the parent and the work experience coordinator has been obtained. However, if any such minor works any time during the hours from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., he or she shall be paid for work during that time at a rate which is not less than the minimum wage paid to adults.

Cal. Labor Code - LAB § 1391.2. Section 1391.2.

(a) Notwithstanding Sections 1391 and 1391.1, any minor under 18 years of age who has been graduated from a high school maintaining a four-year course above the eighth grade of the elementary schools, or who has had an equal amount of education in a private school or by private tuition, or who has been awarded a certificate of proficiency pursuant to Section 48412 of the Education Code, may be employed for the same hours as an adult may be employed in performing the same work. (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of the orders of the Industrial Welfare Commission, no employer shall pay any minor described in this section in his employ at wage rates less than the rates paid to adult employees in the same establishment for the same quantity and quality of the same classification of work; provided, however, that nothing herein shall prohibit a variation of rates of pay for such minors and adult employees engaged in the same classification of work based upon a difference in seniority, length of service, ability, skill, difference in duties or services performed, whether regularly or occasionally, difference in the shift or time of day worked, hours of work, or other reasonable differentiation, when exercised in good faith.

Cal. Labor Code - LAB § 1392. Section 1392.

Every person who has a minor under his or her control, as a ward or an apprentice, and who, except in household occupations, requires the minor to work more than eight hours in any one day, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Cal. Labor Code - LAB § 1393. Section 1393.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter and Article 2 (commencing with Section 49110) of Chapter 7 of Part 27 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, the Labor Commissioner may issue an exemption from laws regulating the employment of minors to employers operating agricultural packing plants that employ minors 16 and 17 years of age during any day during which school is not in session, for up to 10 hours per day during the peak harvest season. These exemptions shall only be granted if they do not materially affect the safety and welfare of minor employees and will prevent undue hardship on the employer. The Labor Commissioner may require an inspection of an agricultural packing plant prior to issuing an exemption. (b) Any exemption granted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be in writing to be effective, and may be revoked after reasonable notice is given, in writing, by the Labor Commissioner. Any notice of revocation shall include the reason for the revocation. (c) An application for an exemption under subdivision (a) shall be made by an employer on a form provided by the Labor Commissioner, and a copy of the application shall be posted at the employer’s place of employment at the time the application is filed with the division.

Cal. Labor Code - LAB § 1394. Section 1394.

This chapter and Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 1285) do not prohibit or prevent either of the following: (a) The employment of any minor at agricultural, horticultural, viticultural, or domestic labor during the time the public schools are not in session, or during other than school hours, when the work performed is for or under the control of his parent or guardian and is performed upon or in connection with premises owned, operated or controlled by the parent or guardian. However, nothing herein shall permit children under schoolage to work at these occupations while the public schools are in session. (b) The full-time employment of minors who meet all other legal employment requirements, if they are exempt from compulsory school attendance under Section 48231 of the Education Code.

Cal. Labor Code - LAB § 1399. Section 1399.

This chapter does not limit the authority of the Attorney General or the district attorney of any county, either upon their own complaint or the complaint of any person acting for himself or the general public, to prosecute actions, either civil or criminal, for violations of this chapter, or to enforce the provisions thereof independently and without specific direction of the director.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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