DUPONT, WA — Governor Bob Ferguson signed House Bill 1644 into law on April 28, 2025, establishing new penalties for violations of Washington’s youth labor laws.
The legislation, sponsored by Representative Mary Fosse (D-Everett) and Senator Derek Stanford (D-Bothell), increases fines for employers who violate child labor regulations. It also authorizes the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) to bar certain employers from hiring minors following multiple serious or repeat violations.
Under the law, penalties start at $100 for failing to obtain a minor work permit and a minimum of $71,000 for violations resulting in the serious injury or death of a minor. Beginning July 1, 2027, the Department of Labor & Industries will adjust the penalty amounts for inflation every two years.
The law requires L&I to conduct health and safety inspections before issuing certain minor work permits. Employers with three or more serious, repeat, or willful violations of youth labor laws or safety standards will be prohibited from hiring minors.
According to the Department of Labor & Industries, minor worker injury claims in Washington increased by 60% between 2009 and 2023. Employment among 16- to 19-year-olds rose by more than 30% during the same period, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The bill was signed at the Western Washington Sheet Metal Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee campus in DuPont.
