Labor Law and Work Permits for Iowa.

Do you know the child actor labor laws for your state? If you’re looking to pursue a career in entertainment for your child or if you are an entertainment industry professional looking to employ a child in your production, it is important that you know the child actor labor laws in both your home state and any state in which you intend to work.

  • YES

    Generally youth under the age of 16 employed in Iowa are required to have work permits and must observe limited work hours. No person under 16 shall be employed or permitted to work with or without compensation in any occupation during regular school hours. Minors may not work before 7 AM or later than 7 PM, except June 1 – Labor Day when the hours may be extended to 9 PM. Minors may not be employed for more than 5 hour per day without an intermission of 30 minutes and not more than 8 hours in any one day (excluding intermission), or 40 hours in one week. When school is in session, minors may not work more than 4 hours in one day or 28 hours in one week.

    Entertainment industry employers desiring to employ minors outside of the scope of these regulations can apply for a ‘Special Order’ to vary the work hours and/or waive the work permit requirement so long as specific information pertaining to the proposed employment is provided to the Iowa Division of Labor at least two weeks prior to the date such permission is needed. Failure to file timely may result in not Special Order being issued.

    Click here for Iowa Law

    Click here for information on requirements for obtaining Special Orders

    MODELS:
    Nothing in Chapter 92 of the IA Child Labor Code shall be construed to prohibit a child under sixteen years of age from being employed or permitted to work, with or without compensation, as a model, for a period of up to three hours in any day between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., not exceeding twelve hours in any month, if the written permission of the parent, guardian or custodian of the child is obtained prior to the commencement of the modeling. However, if the child is of school age this exception allows modeling work only outside of school hours during the regular school year and does not allow modeling work during the summer term if the child is enrolled in summer school. This subsection does not allow modeling for an unlawful purpose or modeling that would violate any other law.

  • NO

  • NO

  • NO

  • NO

  • NO

  • NO

  • Division of Labor Services
    Iowa Workforce Development
    1000 East Grand Ave
    Des Moines, IA 50319
    Phone (515) 281-6374
    Fax (515) 281-7995

    Karen Pfab, Executive Officer
    515.242.5869
    karen.pfab@iwd.iowa.gov

    Laura Wood, Investigator
    515.725.2168
    laura.wood@iwd.iowa.gov