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Restrictions for hiring under 16 years of age in Missouri

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What restrictions are there for hiring under 16 years of age in Missouri? I have a shop in Missouri and have a few 15 year old applicants. I need to know if it will be worthwhile to even interview these applicants.

Briefly, under the Missouri Child Labor Laws, youths under the age of 16 may only work 3 hours per day on school days. They can work 8 hours per day on non-school days, but only between 7 am and 7 pm during the school year.

From June 1 until Labor Day, young people under the age of 16 can work from between 7 am and 9 pm, but are still limited to 8 hours per day.

No 15-year-old can legally work more than 6 days per week, or more than 40 hours per week in Missouri.

Youths under the age of 16 are prohibited from doing certain jobs that are considered dangerous by the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (MDLIR) . These include operating slicers and fryers in restaurants, handling toxic chemicals and dangerous duties such as roofing or driving. Special regulations apply to employment of youths in hotels, and in businesses that sell alcoholic beverages.

Every minor under the age of 16 must have a work certificate to be employed during the school months. The certificate is approved and issued by the local public school superintendent with the parent’s consent. Even young people who are home-schooled are required to have work certificates.  

For more info, see the MDLIR website at http://www.dolir.mo.gov/ls/childlabor/.