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Washington Break Laws (2026)

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

Short answer: 30-minute meal between the 2nd and 5th hour (no more than 5 hours without one); paid 10-minute rest per 4 hours, never more than 3 hours without one. New minors' rules since July 2026.
Adult meal break30 min if over 5 h; between hours 2 and 5
Adult rest break10 min paid per 4 h worked
MinorsUnder 16: meal within 4 h, a break at least every 2 h; 16–17: meal within 5 h, rest within 3 h
LactationUnpaid now; paid from Jan. 1, 2027 (15+ employees)
Enforcing agencyWashington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I)

Heads up: Washington's minors' meal and rest rules changed on July 1, 2026 (WSR 26-11-048); guides written earlier show the old rules. Paid lactation breaks start Jan. 1, 2027.

Washington 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:

Washington · 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: 9:45 AM

    Must start by 11:00 AM.

    No more than 3 hours of work without a rest break.

  2. Meal break 1 · 30 min · unpaid if fully relievedSuggested: 11:30 AM

    Not before 10:00 AM. Must start by 1:00 PM.

    Shift with more than 5 hours of work: meal must start between hour 2 and hour 5 of work.

  3. Rest break 2 · 10 min · paidSuggested: 3:00 PM

    Must start by 3:00 PM.

    No more than 3 hours of work without a rest break.

Employees working 3+ hours longer than their normal workday get an additional 30-minute meal before or during the overtime. Where work allows intermittent rest equal to 10 minutes per 4 hours, scheduled rests aren't required.

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

Washington meal break law

Employees shall be allowed a meal period of at least 30 minutes 'which commences no less than two hours nor more than five hours from the beginning of the shift.' 'No employee shall be required to work more than five consecutive hours without a meal period.'

Who's covered
Employees covered by chapter 296-126 WAC (most nonexempt private-sector employees). Excludes newspaper vendors/carriers, domestic or casual labor around a private residence, sheltered workshops, and agricultural labor (agriculture has its own rule, WAC 296-131-020). Construction-trade rules may be superseded by a CBA that specifically addresses meal/rest periods. L&I may grant variances.
Longer shifts
Employees working three or more hours longer than a normal work day shall be allowed at least one additional 30-minute meal period prior to or during the overtime period.
Paid or unpaid
Unpaid only if the employee is relieved of duty; meal periods are on the employer's time (paid) when the employer requires the employee to remain on duty on the premises or at a prescribed work site in the employer's interest.
Waivers
Not stated in the rule.
Exemptions
Excluded categories listed in coverage; CBA supersession for construction trades; L&I variances.

Source: WAC 296-126-092(1)-(3)

Washington rest break law

Employees shall be allowed a rest period of not less than 10 minutes, on the employer's time, for each 4 hours of working time, scheduled as near as possible to the midpoint of the work period. 'No employee shall be required to work more than three hours without a rest period.' Where the nature of the work allows intermittent rest periods equivalent to 10 minutes per 4 hours, scheduled rest periods are not required.

Pay: Paid ('on the employer's time').

Source: WAC 296-126-092(4)-(5)

Breaks for minors in Washington

Effective July 1, 2026 (WSR 26-11-048): UNDER 16 - must not work more than 4 consecutive hours without an uninterrupted meal break of at least 30 minutes (separate from rest breaks); rest breaks are at least 10 minutes on the business's time; must not work more than 2 consecutive hours without either a meal break or a rest break (WAC 296-125-111). AGES 16-17 - must not work more than 5 consecutive hours without an uninterrupted meal break of at least 30 minutes; when working 4 or more hours, must receive a paid rest break of at least 10 minutes; must not work more than 3 hours without a rest break (WAC 296-125-121).

Source: WAC 296-125-111 and 296-125-121 (eff. July 1, 2026; replaced WAC 296-125-0285 and -0287)

Lactation breaks in Washington

CURRENT (through Dec. 31, 2026): employers with 15 or more employees must provide reasonable break time to express breast milk for two years after the child's birth each time needed, plus a private location other than a bathroom if one exists at the worksite (otherwise employer and employee must identify a convenient location and schedule); employer may not claim undue hardship for this accommodation or require medical certification (RCW 43.10.005). STARTING JAN. 1, 2027 (2025 c 379, new RCW 49.92): coverage expands to employers with ONE or more employees, and 'any break time and any time traveling to a location... to express milk must be paid to the employee at the employee's regular compensation rate'; employees may not be required to use paid leave, and pumping breaks are in addition to the meal and rest periods required under ch. 49.12 RCW. RCW 43.10.005 is repealed effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Pay: Not required to be paid until Dec. 31, 2026; PAID at the regular rate (including travel time to the pumping location) from Jan. 1, 2027.

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: RCW 43.10.005 (until 12/31/2026); RCW 49.92.010-.050 (2025 c 379, eff. 1/1/2027)

Penalties for missed breaks in Washington

No statutory premium; missed rest breaks are compensable as additional work time (Washington Supreme Court: employees who work through a rest break are owed an additional 10 minutes of pay, incl. at overtime rates - Wingert v. Yellow Freight Sys., 50 P.3d 256 (Wash. 2002); Wash. State Nurses Ass'n v. Sacred Heart Med. Ctr., 287 P.3d 516 (Wash. 2012), as quoted in Colorado CDLE INFO #4). From Jan. 1, 2027, L&I may assess civil penalties for lactation-accommodation violations (RCW 49.92.030).

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

Recent changes

  1. Jul 1, 2026New minors' meal/rest rules (WSR 26-11-048): under-16s may not work more than 4 consecutive hours without a 30-minute meal or more than 2 consecutive hours without a meal or rest break; 16-17-year-olds: meal within 5 consecutive hours, 10-minute rest when working 4+ hours and no more than 3 hours without a rest. Replaced WAC 296-125-0285/-0287.
  2. Jan 1, 2027Upcoming: 2025 c 379 (new RCW 49.92) makes lactation break time and travel time paid at the regular rate and extends pregnancy/lactation accommodation duties to employers with 1+ employees; RCW 43.10.005 repealed.

Frequently asked questions

Are breaks required by law in Washington?

30-minute meal between the 2nd and 5th hour (no more than 5 hours without one); paid 10-minute rest per 4 hours, never more than 3 hours without one. New minors' rules since July 2026. 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 Washington?

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

Do minors get breaks in Washington?

Effective July 1, 2026 (WSR 26-11-048): UNDER 16 - must not work more than 4 consecutive hours without an uninterrupted meal break of at least 30 minutes (separate from rest breaks); rest breaks are at least 10 minutes on the business's time; must not work more than 2 consecutive hours without either a meal break or a rest break (WAC 296-125-111). AGES 16-17 - must not work more than 5 consecutive hours without an uninterrupted meal break of at least 30 minutes; when working 4 or more hours, must receive a paid rest break of at least 10 minutes; must not work more than 3 hours without a rest break (WAC 296-125-121).

Are lactation breaks required in Washington?

CURRENT (through Dec. 31, 2026): employers with 15 or more employees must provide reasonable break time to express breast milk for two years after the child's birth each time needed, plus a private location other than a bathroom if one exists at the worksite (otherwise employer and employee must identify a convenient location and schedule); employer may not claim undue hardship for this accommodation or require medical certification (RCW 43.10.005). STARTING JAN. 1, 2027 (2025 c 379, new RCW 49.92): coverage expands to employers with ONE or more employees, and 'any break time and any time traveling to a location... to express milk must be paid to the employee at the employee's regular compensation rate'; employees may not be required to use paid leave, and pumping breaks are in addition to the meal and rest periods required under ch. 49.12 RCW. RCW 43.10.005 is repealed effective Jan. 1, 2027. The federal PUMP Act also applies: reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for one year after birth.

Official Washington sources

Figures checked against these sources on 2026-10-07

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

← Virginia · All states table · West Virginia → · Washington overtime

Related Resources on This Site

General information, not legal advice. Industry rules, union contracts and agency exemptions can change these requirements. Confirm with Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I).