Child labor - South Carolina

Summary of differences between federal and state regulations

The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Office of Labor Services administers the child labor laws.

Work age

Youths must be:

• No age specified for domestic labor in private homes and retail clerking
• 12 for agricultural jobs
• 14 for jobs in movies, television, and theater and non-hazardous farm jobs, with parental consent or when business is owned by parents (only when school is not in session)
• 16 for jobs in factories, mining, and processing  
• 18 for all hazardous and non-hazardous jobs

Work hours

Youths under age 16 may work:

• 7 am to 7 pm (9 pm from June 1 through Labor Day)
• 8 hours/day, 40 hours/week (3 hours/day, 18 hours/week when school is in session, but not during school hours)

South Carolina has no work hour restrictions for youth 16 and older.

Permits

Employers are required to keep a copy of the birth certificate for youth under age 18. The Department of Labor issues federal age certificate upon request for youth under age 18.

Postings

Employers must post a summary of the child labor laws included in the state wage and hour poster.

State

Contact

South Carolina Office of Labor Services

Regulations

South Carolina child labor rules can be found in Chapter 13 of Title 41, South Carolina Code of Laws.

Federal

Contact

The Department of Labor is the sole federal agency that monitors child labor and enforces child labor laws. Enforcement of the Fair Labor Standard Act's child labor provisions is handled by the Wage and Hour Division of the Department’s Employment Standards Administration.

Department of Labor

Regulations

U.S. child labor regulations can be found in CFR 29:

Part 570 Child Labor Regulations, Orders and Statements of Interpretation

Part 575 Waiver of Child Labor Provisions for Agricultural Employment of 10 and 11 Year Old Minors In Hand Harvesting of Short Season Crops

Part 579 Child Labor Violations – Civil Money Penalties