Last verified October 26, 2026 · How we verify
Alaska break laws
Alaska sets no break rules of its own. What federal law still requires, how overtime and teen work hours are limited in Alaska, and where to complain.
Alaska sets no break rules of its own. What federal law still requires, how overtime and teen work hours are limited in Alaska, and where to complain.
Alaska has no state law requiring meal or rest breaks for adult workers, so breaks are up to your employer. Federal pay rules still apply to any break you do get. Overtime starts after 8 hours in a day or 40 in a week (employers with three or fewer employees may pay straight time).
Alaska has no state law requiring meal or rest breaks for adult private-sector employees. It is not listed in the U.S. Department of Labor's tables of state meal-period and rest-period laws, which list every state that has one.
“States not listed do not require paid rest periods.”
So only the federal rules apply. Federal law does not require meal or rest breaks. Short breaks (about 5 to 20 minutes) that an employer gives count as paid work time; meal periods of 30 minutes or more can be unpaid if the employee is completely relieved of duty.
“Rest periods of short duration, running from 5 minutes to about 20 minutes, are common in industry”— 29 CFR 785.18-785.19 (rest and meal periods)
Verified October 26, 2026 · Sources (DOL tables last revised January 1, 2023): U.S. DOL, Minimum Length of Meal Period Required under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector; U.S. DOL, Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector
Alaska has daily overtime: you earn 1.5 times your regular rate for hours over 8 in a day or over 40 in a week. Employers with three or fewer employees may pay straight time.
“If you work more than 8 hours in a single day and/or more than 40 hours in a single week”
Verified October 26, 2026 · Source: Alaska DOLWD, Wage and Hour Employee FAQ
Nursing employees also have a federal right to reasonable unpaid break time and a private place, not a bathroom, to pump breast milk for one year after the birth. What the federal pump-break rule covers.
How the rules above apply to four typical shifts. Hours worked exclude the unpaid lunch.
| Shift | Meal break | Rest breaks | Daily overtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-hour shift, no break | Not required by Alaska law | Not required by Alaska law | None (under 8 hours) |
| 8-hour shift, 30-min lunch | Not required by Alaska law | Not required by Alaska law | None (under 8 hours) |
| 10-hour shift, 30-min lunch | Not required by Alaska law | Not required by Alaska law | 2h at 1.5× |
| 12-hour shift, 30-min lunch | Not required by Alaska law | Not required by Alaska law | 4h at 1.5× |
Rules for adult, non-exempt private-sector workers. Industry orders, union contracts, local laws and exemptions can change the answer. General reference, not legal advice.
Teen workers in Alaska have limits on how long and how late they can work. Where the Alaska and federal limits differ, the stricter one applies. Alaska is also one of 33 states with a separate meal-break rule for minors; when a teen is covered by both the adult and the minor rule, the employer must follow the higher standard (U.S. DOL). Ask the Alaska labor department for its details.
| Age | Hour limits | Can't work between |
|---|---|---|
| Under 16 (Alaska) | Up to 9 hours a day and 23 a week, 6 days a week (school and work hours combined) | 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. |
| 16 and 17 (Alaska) | 6-day week | No state limit listed |
| Under 16 (federal) | Non-school days and weeks: up to 8 hours a day and 40 a week School days and weeks: up to 3 hours a day and 18 a week | 7 p.m. (9 p.m. June 1 through Labor Day) to 7 a.m. |
| 16 and 17 (federal) | No hour limits | No night limits |
Verified October 26, 2026 · Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Selected State Child Labor Standards Affecting Minors Under 18 in Non-farm Employment, as of July 15, 2025. School-day limits usually apply only to students.
Because Alaska has no break law, there is no state claim for a missed break itself. But if your employer deducts short breaks (5 to 20 minutes) from your pay, or you work through an unpaid lunch, that is unpaid work time under federal law. File a wage claim with the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Wage and Hour section. Claims for unpaid minimum wage or overtime must be filed within two years; straight-time wages within three years. Official page ↗ Verified October 26, 2026
You can also call the federal Wage and Hour Division free at 1-866-487-9243. Firing or punishing you for a wage complaint is illegal.
You must get a pay stub every pay period showing how long you worked, your rate of pay, gross wages, tax deductions and any other authorized deductions. Source ↗ Verified October 26, 2026
Paid break time counts as hours worked, at no less than Alaska's minimum wage of $14.00 an hour, rising to $15.00 on July 1, 2027. Alaska minimum wage details ↗ Keep your own record to compare: the time card calculator totals your week with Alaska's rules and saves a PDF.
| State | Meal break | Rest breaks | Overtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | None required | None required | Daily + weekly |
| California | A 30-minute unpaid meal break for shifts over 5 hours, and a second one over 10 hours | A paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours | Daily + weekly |
| Colorado | A 30-minute duty-free meal break for shifts over 5 hours | A paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours | Daily + weekly |
| Nevada | A 30-minute meal break for 8 continuous hours of work | A paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours | Daily + weekly |
| Washington | A 30-minute meal break, with no more than 5 hours of work without one | A paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours | Weekly, 40 h |
See all 50 states and DC.
Every rule on this page was checked against the official source below; the quotes are verbatim and were found in the source on the date shown next to each rule. This page was last verified on October 26, 2026, the oldest of those dates. How we verify.