Iowa Code § 92.8 (2026)
Under eighteen — prohibited work activities
No person under eighteen years of age shall be employed or permitted to work with or without compensation at any of the following work activities or business establishments:
1. Work activities in or about plants or establishments manufacturing or storing explosives or articles containing explosive components, except for the following:
a. Performing light assembly work as long as the assembly is not performed on machines or in an area with machines.
b. Selling or assisting in the sale of consumer fireworks in accordance with section 10A.519.
2. Logging and the operation of any sawmill, lath mill, shingle mill, or cooperage-stock mill.
3. Operation of power-driven woodworking machines.
4. Work activities involving exposure to radioactive substances and to ionizing radiations.
5. Operation of elevators and other power-driven hoisting apparatus.
6. Operation of power-driven metal forming, punching, and shearing machines.
7. Mining.
8. Work activities in or about slaughtering and meat packing establishments and rendering plants.
9. Operation of certain power-driven bakery machines. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, this subsection does not apply to the operation of pizza dough rollers that are a type of dough sheeter that have been constructed with safeguards contained in the basic design so as to prevent fingers, hands, or clothing from being caught in the in-running point of the rollers, that have gears that are completely enclosed, and that have microswitches that disengage the machinery if the backs or sides of the rollers are removed, only when all the safeguards detailed in this subsection are present on the machinery, are operational, and have not been overridden. However, this subsection does apply to the setting up, adjusting, repairing, oiling, or cleaning of pizza dough rollers as described in this subsection.
10. Operation of certain power-driven paper products machines, except loading balers if the machine is powered off and the key is stored in a separate area from the machine.
11. Manufacturing of brick, tile, and related products.
12. Operation of circular saws, band saws, and guillotine shears.
13. Wrecking, demolition, and shipbreaking operations. \n Tue Dec 09 22:29:27 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 92 (42, 0) 5 CHILD LABOR, §92.12\n\n 14. Roofing operations.
15. Excavation.
16. Work activities in or about foundries; provided that office, shipping, and assembly area employment shall not be prohibited by this chapter.
17. Operation of dry cleaning or dyeing machinery.
18. Work activities involving exposure to lead fumes or its compounds, or to dangerous or poisonous dyes or chemicals.
19. Transmission, distribution, or delivery of goods or messages between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
20. Work activities in establishments where nude or topless dancing is performed.
21. Work activities prohibited by rules adopted pursuant to chapter 17A by the director. [SS15, §2744-a, -b, -c; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §1526, 1529, 1536, 1539; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, §92.1, 92.4, 92.11, 92.14; C71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §92.8] 86 Acts, ch 1245, §924; 2017 Acts, ch 66, §2; 2022 Acts, ch 1091, §1; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §1853; 2023 Acts, ch 92, §8 Referred to in §92.8A, 92.17 \n