What are Child Labor Laws?

The Montana Child Labor Standards Act of 1993 establishes the hours children may work and hazardous occupations in which they may not work ‐ unless specifically exempted. The Montana Child Labor Laws apply to all children, migrant as well as resident children. It is the intent of these laws to protect young workers from employment possibly interfering with their educational opportunities or be detrimental to their health or well‐being. These laws parallel, but do not supersede the federal child labor laws. The federal law is similar to the Montana law but is more restrictive in certain areas. In addition to safety concerns, it is also important that municipalities understand how to deal with child labor standards, as seasonal employees are frequently minors. The Montana Child Labor Standards Act MCA, 41-2 Part 1 should be reviewed to make sure that children/minors are not subjected to prohibited employment conditions. Sections 41‐2-106 through 41-2-108 MCA, address conditions that affect the employment of minors ages 14‐15; Section 41-2-110 addresses exemptions from prohibited employment of minors who are 16-17 years old. Employment of minors standards can be found at the Department of Labor and Industry website. Please contact MMIA or the Montana Department of Labor and Industry for more information on the employment of minors.