Virginia Law

A. Minors 14 and 15 years old may not be employed in any occupation declared hazardous for 16- and 17-year-old minors and, in addition, are prohibited from being employed in any of the following:

1. In any mechanical establishment.

2. In any commercial cannery.

3. In the operation of any automatic passenger or freight elevator.

4. In any dance studio.

5. In any hospital, nursing home, clinic, or other establishments providing care for resident patients.

6. As a laboratory helper, therapist, orderly, or nurse's aide.

7. At any veterinary hospital.

8. In any undertaking establishment or funeral home.

9. In curb service at restaurants.

10. In hotel and motel room service.

11. In any brick, coal, or lumber yard.

12. In any ice plant.

13. As ushers in theaters.

14. In any scaffolding work or construction trade.

15. In any outdoor theater, cabaret, carnival, fair, floor show, pool hall, club, or roadhouse.

16. As a lifeguard at a beach.

17. In the solicitation, sale, or obtaining of subscription contracts or orders for books, magazines, or other periodical publications other than newspapers.

18. Any manufacturing occupation.

19. Any mining occupation.

20. Processing occupations such as filleting of fish, dressing poultry, cracking nuts, or laundering as performed by commercial laundries and dry cleaning (except in a retail, food service, or gasoline service establishment in those specific occupations expressly permitted in 16VAC15-30-230).

21. Occupations requiring the performance of any duties in workrooms or workplaces where goods are manufactured, mined, or otherwise processed (except to the extent expressly permitted in retail, food service, or gasoline service establishments in accordance with 16VAC15-30-230).

22. Operation or tending of hoisting apparatus or of any power-driven machinery (other than office machines and machines in retail, food service, and gasoline service establishments that are specified in 16VAC15-30-230 as machines that such minors may operate in such establishments).

23. Occupations in connection with:

a. Transportation of persons or property by rail, highway, air, on water, pipeline, or other means. Exception: Office or sales work in connection with these activities is permitted.

b. Warehousing and storage. Exception: Office or sales work in connection with these activities is permitted.

c. Communications and public utilities. Exception: Office or sales work in connection with these activities is permitted.

B. EXCEPTIONS: Activities 14- and 15-year-old minors may be engaged in include:

1. Children 14 years of age and over may be engaged in office work of a clerical nature in bona fide office rooms in the establishments listed in subsection A of this section.

2. Children 14 years of age and over may be employed by dry cleaning or laundry establishments in branch stores where no processing is done on the premises.

3. Children 14 years of age and over may be employed in hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics where they may be engaged in kitchen work, tray service, or room and hall cleaning.

4. Children 14 years of age and over may be employed in bowling alleys completely equipped with automatic pin setters, but not in or about such machines.