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Kentucky Break Laws (2026)

Last updated: 2026-10-07 · Checked against the statute text and state agency guidance · Meal and paid rest breaks

Short answer: A reasonable lunch period between the 3rd and 5th hour of the shift; a paid 10-minute rest during each 4 hours worked. Minors: 30-minute lunch within 5 hours.
Adult meal breakReasonable time if over 3 h; between hours 3 and 5
Adult rest break10 min paid per 4 h worked
MinorsUnder 18: 30-min lunch within 5 continuous h; paid 10-min rest per 4 h
LactationAccommodation law (15+ employees)
Enforcing agencyKentucky Education and Labor Cabinet, Office of Workplace Standards

Kentucky 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.

Quick shifts:

Kentucky · Adult (18+) · 8:00 AM–6:00 PM

On site 10 h · hours worked 9 h 30 min (unpaid meal time excluded)

  1. Rest break 1 · 10 min · paidSuggested: 10:00 AM

    Must start by 11:50 AM.

    One rest break during each 4 hours of work.

  2. Meal break 1 · reasonable time to eat · unpaid if fully relievedSuggested: 12:00 PM

    Not before 11:00 AM. Must start by 1:00 PM.

    Shift with more than 3 hours of work: meal must start between hour 3 and hour 5 of work.

  3. Rest break 2 · 10 min · paidSuggested: 3:15 PM

    Must start by 4:20 PM.

    One rest break during each 4 hours of work.

Kentucky sets no minimum lunch length (a bona fide meal is ordinarily 30 minutes) and no minimum shift length; the lunch can't be required before hour 3 or after hour 5.

Scheduling aid, not legal advice. Industry wage orders, union contracts and employer-specific exemptions can change the rules — see the Kentucky break law page for citations.

Kentucky meal break law

Employers shall grant employees 'a reasonable period for lunch,' as close to the middle of the scheduled shift as possible. 'In no case shall an employee be required to take a lunch period sooner than three (3) hours after his work shift commences, nor more than five (5) hours from the time his work shift commences.' No minimum shift length or minute count is set in the statute; under 803 KAR 1:065 a bona fide meal period is ordinarily 30 minutes or more (shorter may suffice under special conditions) and the employee must be completely relieved from duty.

Who's covered
All employers except those subject to the Federal Railway Labor Act. Does not negate a collective bargaining agreement or mutual agreement between employee and employer.
Paid or unpaid
Unpaid if a bona fide meal period (employee completely relieved from duty; ordinarily 30+ minutes). Coffee breaks/snack time are rest periods, not meal periods (803 KAR 1:065).
Waivers
Statute does not negate a collective bargaining agreement or a mutual agreement between employee and employer.
Exemptions
Employers subject to the Federal Railway Labor Act.

Source: KRS 337.355; 803 KAR 1:065

Kentucky rest break law

'No employer shall require any employee to work without a rest period of at least ten (10) minutes during each four (4) hours worked,' in addition to the regularly scheduled lunch period. 'No reduction in compensation shall be made for hourly or salaried employees.' Does not apply where a CBA provides total rest minutes equal to or exceeding 10 minutes per 4 hours; if a CBA has no rest-period provision, the statutory rest period applies.

Pay: Paid (no reduction in compensation).

Source: KRS 337.365 (amended 2020 Ky. Acts ch. 48, eff. 3-27-2020)

Breaks for minors in Kentucky

(1) No minor under 18 may work 'more than five (5) hours continuously without an interval of at least thirty (30) minutes for a lunch period'; a period of less than 30 minutes does not interrupt a continuous period of work. The state poster adds that the start and end of the lunch period must be documented. (2) No employer shall require a minor under 18 to work without a paid rest period of at least 10 minutes during each 4 hours worked, in addition to the lunch period, with no reduction in compensation.

Source: KRS 339.270 (amended 2020 Ky. Acts ch. 48, eff. 3-27-2020)

Lactation breaks in Kentucky

Kentucky Pregnant Workers Act (2019): employers with 15 or more employees in Kentucky (in each of 20+ calendar weeks) must make reasonable accommodations for known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions unless it would impose an undue hardship; listed accommodations include 'more frequent or longer breaks' and 'private space that is not a bathroom for expressing breast milk.' No specific break length, pay rule or time limit after birth is stated. Employers must post notice of these rights.

Pay: Not specified (no state paid-break requirement for pumping).

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: KRS 344.030(6), 344.040 (2019 Ky. Acts ch. 200, eff. 6-27-2019)

Penalties for missed breaks in Kentucky

Any employer who violates the rest-period law (KRS 337.365) is assessed a civil penalty of $100 to $1,000 (KRS 337.990(10)). Child labor violations (incl. KRS 339.270) are penalized under KRS 339.990.

Under federal law, a “meal” break during which the employee keeps working is paid time — and can create unpaid overtime. Check the Kentucky overtime rules.

Frequently asked questions

Are breaks required by law in Kentucky?

A reasonable lunch period between the 3rd and 5th hour of the shift; a paid 10-minute rest during each 4 hours worked. Minors: 30-minute lunch within 5 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 Kentucky?

For an 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. shift (8 hours worked plus an unpaid meal), Kentucky requires 1 meal period (the first starting by 1:00 PM) and 2 paid rest breaks for adult employees.

Do minors get breaks in Kentucky?

(1) No minor under 18 may work 'more than five (5) hours continuously without an interval of at least thirty (30) minutes for a lunch period'; a period of less than 30 minutes does not interrupt a continuous period of work. The state poster adds that the start and end of the lunch period must be documented. (2) No employer shall require a minor under 18 to work without a paid rest period of at least 10 minutes during each 4 hours worked, in addition to the lunch period, with no reduction in compensation.

Are lactation breaks required in Kentucky?

Kentucky Pregnant Workers Act (2019): employers with 15 or more employees in Kentucky (in each of 20+ calendar weeks) must make reasonable accommodations for known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions unless it would impose an undue hardship; listed accommodations include 'more frequent or longer breaks' and 'private space that is not a bathroom for expressing breast milk.' No specific break length, pay rule or time limit after birth is stated. Employers must post notice of these rights. The federal PUMP Act also applies: reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for one year after birth.

Official Kentucky sources

Figures checked against these sources on 2026-10-07

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Also “Meal and paid rest breaks”: California, Colorado, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Washington

← Kansas · All states table · Louisiana → · Kentucky overtime

Related Resources on This Site

General information, not legal advice. Industry rules, union contracts and agency exemptions can change these requirements. Confirm with Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet, Office of Workplace Standards.