Hiring complianceRead at source, 30 September 2026
12-Hour Shift Laws by State: Overtime, Breaks and Rest Rules
Yes. For adults, 12-hour shifts are legal in every state; federal law and nearly every state regulate the pay and the breaks, not the length of the day. The one narrow cap we found is Oregon sawmills and logging camps. What changes by state: California, Alaska and Nevada (lower-paid staff) pay overtime after 8 hours in a day, Colorado after 12, and Oregon manufacturing after 10. Twenty-one states have a meal-break rule and eight a rest-break rule. Healthcare 12s add nurse-specific limits, and under-16s cannot work them.
Are 12-hour shifts legal? The federal baseline
Federal law does not limit adult hours. DOL Fact Sheet 23: “There is no limit in the Act on the number of hours employees aged 16 and older may work in any workweek.” The FLSA regulates pay: time and a half over 40 hours a week, nothing for the length of the day.
Each workweek stands alone: 29 CFR 778.104 forbids averaging, so a pattern alternating 36 and 48 hours owes overtime in the 48-hour week. The FLSA requires no meal or rest break for adults; breaks come from state law.
So are 12-hour shifts legal? For adults, yes, in every state. North Carolina’s labor department says it directly: the decision to work employees in “eight-hour shifts, 12-hour shifts, 16-hour shifts, etc., is entirely up to the employer.” The exception we found is industry-specific: Oregon’s ORS 652.020 caps manufacturing at 10 hours a day plus three of overtime, and sawmills, planing mills, shingle mills and logging camps at eight plus three, which rules out a 12 there unless an exemption applies (union-represented employees, repairs and emergencies, and a few listed jobs are exempt). Truck drivers are limited by 49 CFR 395.3: 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour window.
12-hour shift laws by state: overtime, meal and rest breaks
Four states have a general daily overtime rule and Oregon one for manufacturing. Twenty-one states have a meal-break rule, several narrow, and eight a general rest-break rule. Waivers and pay rules are on meal break laws by state; weekly overtime on overtime laws by state.
| State | Daily overtime | Meal break | Rest break | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Alaska | Over 8 hours a day at 1.5x; employers of 4 or more | None | None | AS 23.10.060 |
| Arizona | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Arkansas | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| California | Over 8 hours at 1.5x; over 12 at 2x | 30 min after 5 hours; a second 30 min after 10 | 10 min per 4 hours or major fraction: three on a 12 | Lab. Code 510, 512; IWC Order 5 |
| Colorado | Over 12 hours in a workday or 12 consecutive hours | 30 min when the shift exceeds 5 consecutive hours | 10 min per 4 hours: three on a 10-to-14-hour shift | COMPS Order #40, Rules 4.1, 5.1, 5.2 |
| Connecticut | None | 30 min at 7.5 or more consecutive hours | None | C.G.S. 31-51ii |
| Delaware | None | 30 min unpaid at 7.5 or more consecutive hours | None | 19 Del. C. 707 |
| District of Columbia | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Florida | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Georgia | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Hawaii | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Idaho | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Illinois | None | 20 min per 7.5 hours, plus 20 for each further 4.5: two on a 12 | Hotel room attendants only | 820 ILCS 140/3; IDOL |
| Indiana | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Iowa | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Kansas | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Kentucky | None | Reasonable lunch, 3rd to 5th hour | 10 min per 4 hours worked | KRS 337.355, 337.365 |
| Louisiana | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Maine | None | 30 min rest after 6 consecutive hours | None | 26 M.R.S. 601 |
| Maryland | None | Large retail only: 30 min over 6 hours, plus 15 min per extra 4 hours past 8 | None | Lab. & Empl. 3-710 |
| Massachusetts | None | 30 min after 6 hours | None | M.G.L. c.149 s.100 |
| Michigan | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Minnesota | None | 30 min at 6 or more consecutive hours | 15 min in each 4 consecutive hours, paid | Minn. Stat. 177.254, 177.253 |
| Mississippi | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Missouri | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Montana | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Nebraska | None | 30 min per 8-hour shift; plants and workshops only | None | Neb. Rev. Stat. 48-212 |
| Nevada | Over 8 hours, only if paid under 1.5x minimum wage | 30 min for 8 continuous hours | 10 min per 4 hours or major fraction | NRS 608.018, 608.019 |
| New Hampshire | None | 30 min after 5 consecutive hours | None | RSA 275:30-a |
| New Jersey | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| New Mexico | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| New York | None | Set by time of day: noon-day meal, plus 20 min between 5 and 7 p.m. on shifts from before 11 a.m. to after 7 p.m.; night shifts over 6 hours starting 1 p.m. to 6 a.m. get 45 min midway (60 in factories) | None | N.Y. Lab. Law 162 |
| North Carolina | None | None for employees 16 and older | None | NCDOL, hours worked guidance |
| North Dakota | None | 30 min over 5 hours when 2 or more are on duty | None | N.D. Admin. Code 46-02-07-02 |
| Ohio | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Oklahoma | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Oregon | Manufacturing: over 10 hours at 1.5x, 13 maximum | 30 min at 6 hours; a second at 14 | 10 min per 4 hours: three on a 12 | ORS 652.020; BOLI |
| Pennsylvania | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Rhode Island | None | 30 min in an 8-hour shift; not licensed health care facilities | None | R.I. Gen. Laws 28-3-14 |
| South Carolina | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| South Dakota | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Tennessee | None | 30 min unpaid if scheduled 6 consecutive hours | None | T.C.A. 50-2-103(h); TDLWD |
| Texas | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Utah | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Vermont | None | Reasonable opportunities to eat | Reasonable opportunities | 21 V.S.A. 304 |
| Virginia | None | None | None | DOL tables |
| Washington | None | 30 min; no more than 5 consecutive hours without one, so a 12 needs two | 10 min per 4 hours | WAC 296-126-092 |
| West Virginia | None | 20 min on a workday of 6 or more hours | None | W. Va. Code 21-3-10a |
| Wisconsin | None | Recommended only for adults | None | DWD 274.02 |
| Wyoming | None | None | None | DOL tables |
Daily overtime states: how a 3x12 or 4x12 schedule is paid
A three-by-twelve is 36 hours and owes no federal overtime; a four-by-twelve is 48 and owes eight premium hours. Daily rules change both:
| Rule | 3 x 12 (36 hours) | 4 x 12 (48 hours) |
|---|---|---|
| Federal FLSA only | 0 | 8 at 1.5x |
| California (Lab. Code 510) | 12 at 1.5x | 16 at 1.5x |
| Alaska (AS 23.10.060) | 12 at 1.5x | 16 at 1.5x |
| Nevada, employees under 1.5x the minimum wage | 12 at 1.5x | 16 at 1.5x |
| Colorado (COMPS Rule 4.1) | 0 | 8 at 1.5x |
| Oregon manufacturing (ORS 652.020) | 6 at 1.5x | 8 at 1.5x |
California alternative workweeks. A two-thirds secret-ballot vote under Labor Code 511 allows up to 10 hours a day without daily overtime; health care employers may adopt 12-hour days under IWC Wage Order 5, still with double time after 12. The second meal period on a 12 can be waived only if the first was not (Labor Code 512).
Alaska exemptions. The daily rule does not apply to employers with fewer than four employees, hospital employees who provide medical services, or approved flexible plans of up to 10 hours a day.
Healthcare 12s: nurse overtime and hour limits
Hospitals and nursing homes can use the federal 8-and-80 system under 29 CFR 778.601: a 14-day period by prior agreement, with time and a half after 80 hours in the period and after 8 hours in any workday. So a 12-hour nurse on 8-and-80 earns four premium hours a shift. Colorado allows 8-and-80 by individual agreement (COMPS Rule 2.4.5).
Several states also limit required hours. Four read today: California’s Wage Order 5 bars requiring a 12-hour-shift employee to work more than 12 hours in 24 unless a health care emergency is declared, with a 16-hour ceiling; Oregon’s ORS 441.770 bars a hospital from requiring nursing staff to work more than 12 hours in a 24-hour period or 48 in a week; Maine’s 26 M.R.S. 603 protects a nurse who refuses more than 12 consecutive hours; and New York’s Labor Law 167 bars requiring a nurse to work beyond regularly scheduled hours outside listed emergencies. The full state list of mandatory overtime limits is on overtime laws by state, and we do not repeat it here.
Minors: under-16s cannot work a 12, and 16- and 17-year-olds depend on the state
It is often said that minors cannot work 12s. Federally that is only true under 16: 29 CFR 570.35 caps 14- and 15-year-olds at 8 hours on a non-school day and 3 on a school day. Federal law sets no daily cap at 16 and 17, so the state decides; California caps them at 8 hours a day under Labor Code 1391. Every state’s rules are on child labor laws by state.
Recruiting on 12-hour schedules: how to advertise 3x12 and 2-2-3 shifts
For many hourly workers a 12-hour schedule is a feature: fewer commutes, more days off. It only sells if the ad says exactly what the pattern is.
- Name the pattern and the hours. “3x12, 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.” or “2-2-3, 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.”, not “flexible shifts.”
- Say what the weeks add up to. A 2-2-3 alternates short and long weeks; say so, and that hours past 40 are paid overtime.
- State the pay in the state’s terms. In California, Alaska and Nevada the daily overtime is a selling point; say “overtime after 8 hours each shift” if it applies.
- Keep the schedule promise. Some cities and Oregon require advance notice of schedules and pay for changes; see predictive scheduling laws by state.
Sample schedule lines:
“Three 12s a week, 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., four days off.”
“2-2-3 nights, overtime paid on the long week.”
“4x12 with overtime after 8 hours every shift” (California or Alaska).
The rest of the rulebook is on our hiring compliance hub. This is general information, not legal advice — confirm with counsel or your state agency.
Frequently asked questions
Are 12-hour shifts legal in my state?
Yes, for adults in every state. Federal law and most states regulate pay and breaks, not shift length. The narrow exception we found is Oregon, where ORS 652.020 caps sawmills, planing mills, shingle mills and logging camps at 8 hours plus 3 of overtime. The table on this page gives each state’s daily overtime, meal and rest rules.
Do 12-hour shifts require breaks?
Not under federal law, but 21 states have a meal-break rule and eight a rest-break rule. On a 12, California requires two meal periods (the second sometimes waivable) and three paid 10-minute rest breaks; Illinois and, in effect, Washington require two meals. Details are on meal break laws by state.
Which states require daily overtime after 8 hours?
California, Alaska and Nevada. California pays time and a half after 8 hours and double time after 12; Alaska pays time and a half after 8 for employers of four or more; Nevada pays after 8 only for employees earning less than one and a half times the minimum wage. Colorado’s daily trigger is 12 hours, and Oregon’s is 10 hours for mills, factories and manufacturing.
How is overtime calculated on a 12-hour shift in California?
Hours 1 to 8 at the regular rate, hours 9 to 12 at one and a half times, and anything past 12 at double time, under Labor Code 510. A 12-hour day is four premium hours, so a three-by-twelve week is 12 and a four-by-twelve 16. Health care employers with an adopted alternative workweek may schedule 12s without daily overtime.
Can a nurse be required to work more than 12 hours?
Under federal law, yes, if overtime is paid. Several states limit it: California (12-hour-shift staff, outside a declared health care emergency) and Oregon hospitals cap required work at 12 hours in 24, Maine protects nurses who refuse more than 12 consecutive hours, and New York bars mandatory nurse overtime outside emergencies. The full list is on overtime laws by state.
Are 12-hour shifts legal in North Carolina?
Yes. The North Carolina Department of Labor says no wage and hour law limits the daily or weekly hours of employees 18 or older, and that 12-hour shifts are “entirely up to the employer.” There is no daily overtime and no break rule for employees 16 and older; overtime is owed after 40 hours a week.
Are 12-hour shifts legal in Tennessee?
Yes. Tennessee has no daily overtime rule; its labor department refers overtime and working hours to the U.S. Department of Labor, so overtime follows the 40-hour federal week. The one state rule that touches a 12 is T.C.A. 50-2-103(h): a 30-minute unpaid break when scheduled six consecutive hours, except where the work gives ample opportunity to rest.
Can minors work 12-hour shifts?
Not under 16: federal rules cap 14- and 15-year-olds at 8 hours on a non-school day and 3 on a school day. Federal law sets no daily limit for 16- and 17-year-olds, but many states do; California caps them at 8 hours a day. Check child labor laws by state before scheduling anyone under 18.
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Book a DemoSources: 29 CFR 778.104, 778.601, 570.35; 49 CFR 395.3; DOL Fact Sheet 23 and state break tables; Cal. Labor Code 510-512, 1391, IWC Order 5; AS 23.10.060; NRS 608; COMPS Order #40; ORS 652.020, 441.770; state statutes cited in the table; NCDOL; TDLWD; 26 M.R.S. 603; N.Y. Labor Law 162, 167. General information, not legal advice. Last verified 30 September 2026. Read at source 30 September 2026.