Last verified October 25, 2026 · How we verify
Missouri break laws
Missouri sets no break rules of its own. What federal law still requires, how overtime and teen work hours are limited in Missouri, and where to complain.
Missouri sets no break rules of its own. What federal law still requires, how overtime and teen work hours are limited in Missouri, and where to complain.
Missouri 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 is due after 40 hours in a workweek; there is no daily overtime.
Missouri 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
Most workers must be paid 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Missouri has no daily overtime rule.
“Overtime is based on a 40 hour workweek, not an eight-hour day.”
Verified October 26, 2026 · Source: Missouri Dept. of Labor, When does overtime come into effect?
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.
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 Missouri have limits on how long and how late they can work. Where the Missouri and federal limits differ, the stricter one applies. Missouri is not among the 33 states that the U.S. Department of Labor lists as having a separate meal-break rule for minors.
| Age | Hour limits | Can't work between |
|---|---|---|
| Under 16 (Missouri) | Non-school days and weeks: up to 8 hours a day and 40 a week, 6 days a week School days and weeks: up to 3 hours a day and 40 a week, 6 days a week | 7 p.m. (9 p.m. June 1 through Labor Day) (10:30 p.m. at regional Fairs or expositions where entity is not covered by FLSA) to 7 a.m. |
| 16 and 17 (Missouri) | No state limit listed | 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 Missouri 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. For pay below minimum wage or missing overtime, file the online Minimum Wage Complaint Form with the Division of Labor Standards (573-751-3403). For other unpaid wages, the state cannot order payment; you can go to small claims court (under $5,000) or circuit court. Official page ↗ Verified October 25, 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.
Missouri law requires covered employers to give you a statement at least once a month showing the total amount deducted from your pay for that period. Source ↗ Verified October 25, 2026
Paid break time counts as hours worked, at no less than Missouri's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. Missouri minimum wage details ↗ Keep your own record to compare: the time card calculator totals your week with Missouri's rules and saves a PDF.
| State | Meal break | Rest breaks | Overtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | None required | None required | Weekly, 40 h |
| Arkansas | None required | None required | Weekly, 40 h |
| Illinois | A 20-minute meal break for shifts of 7.5 hours or more | None required | Weekly, 40 h |
| Iowa | None required | None required | Weekly, 40 h |
| Kansas | None required | None required | 46 h/week* |
| Kentucky | A reasonable lunch period, starting between the 3rd and 5th hour of the shift | A paid 10-minute rest break in each 4 hours | Weekly, 40 h |
| Nebraska | A 30-minute lunch break only in assembling plants, workshops and mechanical establishments | None required | Weekly, 40 h |
| Oklahoma | None required | None required | Weekly, 40 h |
| Tennessee | A 30-minute meal break for 6 consecutive scheduled hours | None required | Weekly, 40 h |
* Kansas: only for jobs not covered by federal overtime law. 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 25, 2026, the oldest of those dates. How we verify.