Meal and Rest Break Laws by State (2026)
Which states require meal or rest breaks for adult workers, and the rules in each.
| State | Meal and rest breaks |
|---|---|
| Alabama | No state requirement for adults. Alabama's break rules apply only to workers under 16. U.S. Department of Labor state meal period table |
| Alaska | No state requirement for adults (18 and over). If an employer does give a break shorter than 20 minutes, it must be paid. Alaska Wage and Hour Employee FAQ |
| Arizona | No state requirement for adults. U.S. Department of Labor state meal period table (no Arizona requirement listed) |
| Arkansas | No state requirement for adults. U.S. Department of Labor state meal period table (no Arkansas requirement listed) |
| California | Required. A 30-minute meal break for work periods over 5 hours (can be waived by mutual consent if the workday is no more than 6 hours), provided by the end of the fifth hour; a second 30-minute meal break for workdays over 10 hours (can be waived if the workday is no more than 12 hours and the first break was not waived). A paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours worked or major fraction of 4 hours (more than 2 hours). Cal. Labor Code § 512; IWC Wage Orders; California Labor Commissioner, Meal Periods and Rest Periods FAQs |
| Colorado | Required. A paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours worked, and a 30-minute meal break for workdays over 5 hours. The meal break may be unpaid only if the employee is fully relieved of duty and free to leave; otherwise it is paid time. COMPS Order (7 CCR 1103-1); CDLE INFO #4 and KNOWLEDGE #1 |
| Connecticut | Employees who work 7½ or more consecutive hours must get a meal break of at least 30 consecutive minutes, taken after the first 2 hours and before the last 2 hours of work. Some exemptions apply. No rest break requirement for adults. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-51ii |
| Delaware | Employees who work 7½ or more consecutive hours must be allowed an unpaid meal break of at least 30 consecutive minutes, given after the first 2 hours and before the last 2 hours of work. Exceptions include shifts with fewer than 5 employees, single-person positions, and certain public-safety or continuous operations. No rest break requirement for adults. 19 Del. C. § 707 |
| District of Columbia | No D.C. requirement for adults. U.S. Department of Labor state meal period table (no D.C. requirement listed) |
| Florida | No state requirement for adults. Florida's break rules apply only to minors. U.S. Department of Labor state meal period table |
| Georgia | No state requirement. Neither federal nor Georgia law requires breaks or meal periods for adults. If an employer gives short breaks (about 5 to 20 minutes), federal law requires that they be paid. Georgia Department of Labor FAQ (Fair Labor Standards Act) |
| Hawaii | No state requirement for adults. Hawaii's break rules apply only to minors. U.S. Department of Labor state meal period table |
| Idaho | No state requirement for adults. U.S. Department of Labor state meal period table (no Idaho requirement listed) |
| Illinois | Employees working 7½ continuous hours or more must get a meal break of at least 20 minutes, starting no later than 5 hours into the work period, plus another 20-minute meal break for each additional 4½ continuous hours. Hotel room attendants (in counties over 3 million people) get two paid 15-minute rest breaks and a 30-minute meal break on days of 7 or more hours. 820 ILCS 140/3 (One Day Rest in Seven Act) |
| Indiana | Generally no requirement for adults. Breaks are required only for employees under 18. Indiana Department of Labor FAQ |
| Iowa | No state requirement for adults. Iowa requires a 30-minute break only for minors under 16 who work 5 or more hours, and all employees must be allowed restroom breaks when needed. DIAL Wage Claims FAQ |
| Kansas | No state requirement for adults. U.S. Department of Labor state meal period table (no Kansas requirement listed) |
| Kentucky | A paid rest break of at least 10 minutes for every 4 hours worked, in addition to a reasonable lunch period. The lunch period must come no sooner than 3 hours and no later than 5 hours after the shift starts, unless the employee and employer agree otherwise. A duty-free meal period may be unpaid. KRS 337.355; KRS 337.365 |
| Maine | Employees may not work more than 6 hours in a row without a chance to take at least 30 minutes of rest time, which may be unpaid only if the employee is fully relieved of duty. Does not apply where fewer than 3 employees are on duty and the work allows frequent shorter paid breaks, or where a union contract or other written agreement provides otherwise. 26 M.R.S. §601 |
| Maryland | No general break requirement for adults. Retail employers with 50 or more retail employees in Maryland must give a 15-minute break for shifts of 4 to 6 consecutive hours, a 30-minute break for shifts over 6 hours, and an extra 15 minutes for every additional 4 hours after 8 hours. Md. Code, Labor & Employment §3-710 (Healthy Retail Employee Act) |
| Massachusetts | A meal break of at least 30 minutes for anyone working more than 6 hours in a day. No rest-break requirement. M.G.L. c. 149, §100 |
| Minnesota | Since January 1, 2026: a rest break of at least 15 minutes (or enough time to reach the nearest restroom, if longer) within each 4 consecutive hours worked, and a meal break of at least 30 minutes for shifts of 6 or more consecutive hours. Breaks under 20 minutes must be paid; meal breaks can be unpaid only if the employee is fully relieved of duty. Minn. Stat. 177.253 and 177.254; Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Work breaks |
| Mississippi | No state requirement for adults. U.S. Department of Labor state meal period table (no Mississippi requirement listed) |
| Nebraska | No general break requirement for adults. Assembly plants, workshops and mechanical establishments must give at least 30 consecutive minutes for lunch in each 8-hour shift, off the premises, unless a union contract or other written agreement provides otherwise. Neb. Rev. Stat. 48-212 |
| Nevada | A meal period of at least 30 minutes for a continuous 8-hour work period, and a paid 10-minute rest period for every 4 hours worked (or major fraction), unless the employee works under 3.5 hours a day. Does not apply where only one person works at the location or under a union contract. NRS 608.019 |
| New Hampshire | A 30-minute lunch or eating period after 5 consecutive hours of work, unless the employee can eat while working and the employer allows it. No rest-break requirement. RSA 275:30-a |
| New Jersey | No state requirement for adults; break and lunch periods are set by company policy. Minors under 18 must get a 30-minute meal period after 5 consecutive hours. New Jersey Wage and Hour worker FAQs |
| New Mexico | No state requirement for adults. Employers do not have to provide lunch breaks, coffee breaks or rest periods, but no deduction can be made from wages if less than 30 minutes is allowed for a break. NMDWS Labor Relations Division, Frequently Asked Questions about Wage and Hour Rights (rev. 06/2023) |
| New York | All employees must get time off for meals after working a certain number of hours; in general, at least 30 minutes of unpaid time off when working more than 6 hours. Details depend on shift times under the Department's Meal Period Guidelines. No separate rest-break rule. New York State Department of Labor, Day of Rest and Meal Periods; Labor Law §162 |
| North Carolina | No state requirement for employees 16 or older. Workers under 16 must get a 30-minute break after 5 hours (generally at smaller businesses not covered by federal law). If an employer gives a break shorter than 30 minutes, it must be paid. North Carolina Department of Labor, What to Know About Breaks |
| North Dakota | A 30-minute meal break is required in each shift longer than 5 hours when two or more employees are on duty. It can be unpaid only if the employee is fully relieved of duties. The employee may waive the break by agreement with the employer. Short rest breaks are not required, but if the employer gives them they must be paid. N.D. Admin. Code § 46-02-07-02(5) |
| Ohio | No state requirement for adults. Workers under 18 must get a 30-minute rest period after five consecutive hours of work. Ohio Rev. Code § 4109.07(C) |
| Oklahoma | No state requirement for workers 16 and older; company policy controls. Mandatory breaks apply only to children under 16. Oklahoma Department of Labor, Labor Law in Oklahoma (FAQ 4) |
| Oregon | Meal break: at least 30 minutes, unpaid and free of all duties, for non-exempt employees who work 6 or more hours (taken in a set window in the middle of the shift); a second meal period is required for shifts of 14 hours or more. If the employee must work during the meal, the whole period is paid. Rest break: a paid 10-minute break for every 4 hours worked or major part of 4 hours, taken near the middle of each segment, separate from the meal break. Limited exceptions apply (for example, undue hardship with notice, and voluntary meal waivers by tipped food and beverage servers 18 and older). ORS 653.261 and BOLI rules (OAR chapter 839, division 20) |
| Pennsylvania | No state requirement for adults. Workers under 18 must get a 30-minute meal period after five consecutive hours of work. Pennsylvania Child Labor Act |
| Rhode Island | A 20-minute meal break for a 6-hour shift and a 30-minute meal break for an 8-hour shift. The break may be unpaid. It does not apply to licensed health care facilities or to employers with fewer than three employees at one site during a shift. No rest-break requirement for adults. R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-3-14 |
| South Carolina | No state requirement. South Carolina law does not require employers to give breaks or a lunch period. LLR Wages and Child Labor FAQ |
| South Dakota | No state requirement. Rest breaks and meal periods are a matter of employer policy. DLR, South Dakota Labor and Employment Laws: What You Need to Know |
| Tennessee | Employees scheduled to work six consecutive hours must get a 30-minute unpaid meal or rest period, except in workplaces where the nature of the business gives ample opportunity to rest or take a break (for example, food and beverage service or security guards). No other breaks are required. Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-2-103(h) |
| Texas | No state requirement. If an employer chooses to give short breaks of 20 minutes or less, federal rules require them to be paid; meal breaks of 30 minutes or more with no work may be unpaid. TWC Payday Law guidance |
| Utah | No state requirement for adults. Minors must get at least a 30-minute lunch within the first five hours of their workday. UALD wage claim guidance |
| Vermont | Employers must give employees reasonable opportunities during work periods to eat and to use toilet facilities. The law does not set a specific length or number of breaks. 21 V.S.A. § 304 |
| Washington | Rest break: a paid 10-minute break for every 4 hours worked, with no more than 3 hours worked without a break. Meal break: at least 30 minutes for shifts over 5 hours, starting between the 2nd and 5th hour; unpaid only if the employee is completely free of duties. Additional meal periods apply to shifts running more than 3 hours past schedule. Employees may waive the meal break by agreement with the employer. Different rules apply to minors, agricultural workers and some health care workers. WAC 296-126-092 |
| West Virginia | During a workday of six or more hours, employers must allow at least 20 minutes for a meal break, at times the employer reasonably sets. This applies where employees are not otherwise given breaks or allowed to eat while working. No separate rest-break requirement. W. Va. Code § 21-3-10a |
| Wisconsin | No state requirement for workers 18 and older (the state encourages a 30-minute lunch break). Any authorized break shorter than 30 consecutive minutes counts as paid work time. Workers under 18 must get a 30-minute duty-free meal period for every six consecutive hours worked. DWD Labor Standards guidance |
| Wyoming | No state requirement. Wyoming law does not require meal or rest breaks. DWS Labor Standards guidance |
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.