Florida Break Laws (2026)
Last updated: 2026-10-07 · Checked against the statute text and state agency guidance · Minors only
| Adult meal break | Not required |
|---|---|
| Adult rest break | Not required (short breaks you give must be paid) |
| Minors | 15 and under: 30 min after 4 h; 16–17: same, on days of 8+ h |
| Lactation | Federal PUMP Act only |
| Enforcing agency | Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Child Labor Program |
Heads up: Since July 1, 2024 (HB 49), Florida's 4-hour meal rule applies to 16- and 17-year-olds only on days they work 8 hours or more.
Florida break scheduler
Pick a state and enter the shift. You'll get every break the law requires, the latest time each can start, a suggested schedule, and — if you enter the breaks actually taken — a compliance check with California premium pay.
Florida · Adult (18+) · 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
On site 10 h · hours worked 10 h
No meal or rest break is required by Florida law for this shift.
Federal law still applies: breaks of about 5–20 minutes you choose to give must be paid, and an unpaid meal must be a real duty-free break (ordinarily 30+ minutes). Different rules apply to minors — switch the employee type.
Scheduling aid, not legal advice. Industry wage orders, union contracts and employer-specific exemptions can change the rules — see the Florida break law page for citations.
Florida meal break law
No state law requires meal periods for adult private-sector employees; federal FLSA applies (no meal break required; bona fide meal periods of 30+ minutes with the employee completely relieved of duty may be unpaid, 29 CFR 785.19).
Source: official guidance
Florida rest break law
No state rest-break requirement for adult private-sector employees. Federal rule: short breaks (about 5-20 minutes), if given, must be paid (29 CFR 785.18).
Breaks for minors in Florida
Minors 15 or younger may not work 'more than 4 hours continuously without an interval of at least 30 minutes for a meal period'; a period of less than 30 minutes does not interrupt a continuous period of work. Minors 16 and 17 who work 8 hours or more in any one day may not work more than 4 hours continuously without a 30-minute meal interval. Does not apply to 16-17-year-olds who graduated high school or have a GED, minors with a school-superintendent certificate of exemption, and other listed exemptions (§450.081(5)).
Source: Fla. Stat. §450.081(4)
Lactation breaks in Florida
No state workplace lactation-break law for private employers; federal PUMP Act applies. (Florida's Civil Rights Act bars sex and pregnancy discrimination by employers with 15+ employees, Fla. Stat. §760.10, but has no express pumping-break requirement.)
Federal floor (PUMP Act): reasonable break time and a private space that isn't a bathroom for one year after birth, for nearly all employees; unpaid unless the employee isn't fully relieved of duty. Employers with fewer than 50 employees may be exempt only if compliance would cause undue hardship.
Source: None (29 U.S.C. 218d applies)
Recent changes
- Jul 1, 2024HB 49 (ch. 2024-25, Laws of Fla.) amended §450.081: the 30-minute meal interval after 4 continuous hours now applies to 16-17-year-olds only on days they work 8 hours or more (previously it applied to all minors 17 and younger); it remains for all minors 15 and younger.
Frequently asked questions
Are breaks required by law in Florida?
No adult break law. Minors 15 and under: 30-minute meal after 4 continuous hours; 16–17: same, but only on days they work 8+ hours. Federal law requires no breaks, but short breaks that are given must be paid and unpaid meal periods must be duty-free.
How many breaks do you get for an 8-hour shift in Florida?
None for adults — Florida has no general meal or rest break law. Under federal law, any short break you give (5–20 minutes) must be paid.
Do minors get breaks in Florida?
Minors 15 or younger may not work 'more than 4 hours continuously without an interval of at least 30 minutes for a meal period'; a period of less than 30 minutes does not interrupt a continuous period of work. Minors 16 and 17 who work 8 hours or more in any one day may not work more than 4 hours continuously without a 30-minute meal interval. Does not apply to 16-17-year-olds who graduated high school or have a GED, minors with a school-superintendent certificate of exemption, and other listed exemptions (§450.081(5)).
Are lactation breaks required in Florida?
Florida has no state lactation-break law, so the federal PUMP Act applies: reasonable break time (unpaid unless the employee isn't fully relieved of duty) and a private space that isn't a bathroom, for one year after birth.
Official Florida sources
Figures checked against these sources on 2026-10-07Compare
Also “Minors only”: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin
← District of Columbia · All states table · Georgia → · Florida overtime
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Helpful guides
General information, not legal advice. Industry rules, union contracts and agency exemptions can change these requirements. Confirm with Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Child Labor Program.