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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>363498</law_id><section_number>40.1-78</section_number><catch_line>Employment of children under fourteen and sixteen</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><referred_to_by><reference>58.1-4007</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="89" identifier="40.1">Labor and Employment</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="8" identifier="5">Child Labor</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> No child under fourteen years of age shall be employed, permitted or suffered to work in, about or in connection with any gainful occupation except as specified in this chapter. <a id="paragraph-1354606" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/40.1-78/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> No child under sixteen years of age shall be employed, permitted or suffered to work in, about or in connection with any gainful occupation during school hours unless he has reached the age of fourteen and is enrolled in a regular school work-training program and a work-training certificate has been issued for his employment as provided in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Work-training certificate" href="/40.1-88/">40.1-88</a>. <a id="paragraph-1354607" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/40.1-78/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Nothing in this section shall affect the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Certain employment prohibited or limited" href="/40.1-100/">40.1-100</a> A, <a class="law" title="Employment where hazard capable of causing serious physical harm or death" href="/40.1-100.1/">40.1-100.1</a>, <a class="law" title="Employment involving sexually explicit visual material prohibited" href="/40.1-100.2/">40.1-100.2</a>, <a class="law" title="Qualifications as to theaters" href="/40.1-101/">40.1-101</a> and <a class="law" title="Issuance of theatrical permit" href="/40.1-102/">40.1-102</a>. <a id="paragraph-1354608" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/40.1-78/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 40-96; 1956, c. 567; 1960, c. 434; 1968, c. 264; 1970, c. 321; 1991, c. 511.</history><metadata><court_decisions><item key="0"><name>Howarth v. Rockingham Pub. Co., Inc.</name><case_number>CIV. A. 96-0096-H</case_number><citation>20 F. Supp. 2d 959</citation><date>1998-10-01</date><url>https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2423520/howarth-v-rockingham-pub-co-inc/</url><abstract> .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. 20 F.Supp.2d 959 (1998) .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. </abstract><court_html>District Court, W.D. Virginia</court_html></item><item key="1"><name>Schleifer Ex Rel. Schleifer v. City of Charlottesville</name><case_number>97-1723</case_number><citation>159 F.3d 843</citation><date>1998-10-20</date><url>https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2966921/schleifer-ex-rel-schleifer-v-city-of-charlottesville/</url><abstract> .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. Affirmed by published opinion. Chief Judge WILKINSON wrote the majority opinion, in which Judge .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. </abstract><court_html>Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit</court_html></item><item key="2"><name>Daniel Schleifer v. City Of Charlottesville</name><case_number>97-1723</case_number><citation>159 F.3d 843</citation><date>1998-10-20</date><url>https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/758813/daniel-schleifer-v-city-of-charlottesville/</url><abstract> .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. 159 F.3d 843 .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. </abstract><court_html>Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit</court_html></item></court_decisions></metadata></law>
