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Direct answer: Federal law doesn't require meal or rest breaks, but short breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes must be paid. Per the U.S. Labor Department's state tables, 21 states require meal breaks for adults, including Tennessee (30 minutes for 6+ scheduled hours), and 7 require paid rest breaks for most workers, such as California's 10 minutes per 4 hours.
By the numbers: 21 states with an adult meal-break law; 7 with paid rest breaks for most workers (CA, CO, KY, MN, NV, OR, WA) plus narrow rules in IL and VT; 29 states with neither, so only federal law applies (no required breaks). Source: U.S. DOL Wage and Hour Division meal-period and rest-period state tables (last revised Jan. 1, 2023)
“Federal law does not require lunch or coffee breaks. However, when employers do offer short breaks (usually lasting about 5 to 20 minutes), federal law considers the breaks as compensable work hours” — U.S. Department of Labor, Breaks and Meal Periods
Updated 2026-10-18
Yes. Tennessee requires a 30-minute unpaid meal or rest break if you're scheduled to work 6 consecutive hours or more, not during or before the first hour. It doesn't apply where the job by its nature gives ample chances to take a break (the state's examples: food and beverage, daycare, security guards), and there's no state rule for other breaks.
No. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act doesn't require lunch or coffee breaks. But if your employer gives short breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes, they count as paid work time; a real meal period (typically 30 minutes or more) where you're fully relieved of duty can be unpaid (U.S. Labor Department).
Seven states require paid rest breaks for most workers: California, Colorado, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon and Washington (typically 10 minutes for every 4 hours). Illinois requires them only for Cook County hotel room attendants, and Vermont requires “reasonable opportunities” to eat and use the restroom.
Two paid 10-minute rest breaks and one 30-minute meal break (required once you work more than 5 hours). A second 30-minute meal is required over 10 hours. If your employer doesn't provide a required meal or rest break, you're owed one extra hour of pay at your regular rate for each workday it happens (California DIR).
29 states have no adult meal or rest-break rule in the U.S. Labor Department's tables, including Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio and Michigan. Federal law still makes short breaks your employer gives paid time, and many states have separate meal-break rules for workers under 18.
Yes, under federal law most nursing employees get reasonable break time and a private place other than a bathroom to pump, for up to one year after the child's birth (PUMP Act, U.S. Labor Department Fact Sheet #73). Some states, such as Oregon and California, add more.
Meal and rest break rules from the U.S. Labor Department's state tables (last revised Jan. 1, 2023), cross-checked with CA DIR, WA L&I, Oregon BOLI and Tennessee's labor department; federal rules from DOL; checked Oct. 18, 2026.
As of Oct. 18, 2026 · U.S. Labor Department state tables last revised Jan. 1, 2023 · CA, WA, OR, TN checked with the state
Federal law requires no breaks, but short breaks your employer gives (about 5 to 20 minutes) must be paid. 21 states require an adult meal break, including Tennessee (30 minutes when scheduled 6+ consecutive hours); 7 require paid rest breaks for most workers; 29 states have neither.
The math:
Sources: DOL breaks page · DOL meal-period table · DOL rest-period table · Tennessee Labor Dept.
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Pick your state and type how long your shift is. We show what the state's adult break law requires.
Adult, private-sector rules from the U.S. Labor Department's meal-period and rest-period tables (last revised Jan. 1, 2023), with California, Washington, Oregon and Tennessee checked against the state's own page on Oct. 18, 2026. A meal break is usually unpaid if you're fully relieved of duty; rest breaks listed here are paid. Executive, administrative, professional and outside-sales employees are often exempt.
| State | Meal break | Paid rest breaks | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | None for adults | None | Separate rules for minors |
| Alaska | None for adults | None | Separate rules for minors |
| Arizona | None for adults | None | — |
| Arkansas | None for adults | None | — |
| California | 30 minutes if you work more than 5 hours; a 2nd 30 minutes over 10 hours | Paid 10 minutes for every 4 hours worked or major fraction | A shift of 6 hours or less can skip the meal by mutual consent; the 2nd meal can be waived if you work 12 hours or less and the 1st wasn't waived. A missed meal or rest break earns one extra hour of pay per workday (California DIR). None if you work under 3½ hours in the day. Separate rules for minors |
| Colorado | 30 minutes if your shift is more than 5 consecutive hours DOL's meal table still lists the coverage of Colorado's older wage order (4 industries); Colorado now uses its COMPS Order (see CDLE). | Paid 10 minutes for every 4 hours of work or major fraction | On-duty meal periods count as time worked when the work prevents relief from all duties. Separate rules for minors |
| Connecticut | 30 minutes if you work 7½ consecutive hours or more | None | Taken after the first 2 hours and before the last 2. Employers giving 30+ minutes of paid rest/meal time per 7½ hours are excluded; exemptions possible for employers with fewer than 5 on a shift. |
| Delaware | 30 minutes if you work 7½ consecutive hours or more | None | Taken after the first 2 hours and before the last 2; union or other written agreements can provide otherwise. Separate rules for minors |
| District of Columbia | None for adults | None | — |
| Florida | None for adults | None | Separate rules for minors |
| Georgia | None for adults | None | — |
| Guam | 30 minutes after 5 hours | None | A workday of 6 hours or less can skip it by mutual consent. Separate rules for minors |
| Hawaii | None for adults | None | Separate rules for minors |
| Idaho | None for adults | None | — |
| Illinois | 20 minutes if you work 7½ continuous hours or more, starting no later than 5 hours into the shift | Cook County hotel room attendants only: two paid 15-minute breaks when working 7+ hours Only hotel room attendants in counties over 3 million people (Cook County). | Cook County hotel room attendants: a 30-minute meal period when working at least 7 hours. Separate rules for minors |
| Indiana | None for adults | None | Separate rules for minors |
| Iowa | None for adults | None | Separate rules for minors |
| Kansas | None for adults | None | — |
| Kentucky | A reasonable off-duty meal period, ordinarily 30 minutes, between the 3rd and 5th hour of work | Paid 10 minutes during each 4-hour work period, on top of the meal period | Coffee breaks and snack time don't count toward the meal period. Separate rules for minors |
| Louisiana | None for adults | None | Separate rules for minors |
| Maine | 30 minutes after 6 consecutive hours | None | Not required where fewer than 3 employees are on duty and the work allows frequent paid breaks. |
| Maryland | Retail only: 15 minutes for 4-6 consecutive hours, 30 minutes for more than 6, plus 15 more for every additional 4 consecutive hours after 8 Only retail employers with 50 or more retail employees (not restaurants or wholesalers). | None | Separate rules for minors |
| Massachusetts | 30 minutes for each 6 hours worked in a day | None | You must be free of all duties and free to leave during the meal break. Separate rules for minors |
| Michigan | None for adults | None | Separate rules for minors |
| Minnesota | Enough unpaid time to eat a meal if you work 8 consecutive hours or more | Paid time to use the nearest restroom within each 4 consecutive hours of work | Breaks under 20 minutes can't be deducted from hours worked. Separate rules for minors |
| Mississippi | None for adults | None | — |
| Missouri | None for adults | None | — |
| Montana | None for adults | None | — |
| Nebraska | 30 minutes off the premises in each 8-hour shift Only assembly plants, workshops and mechanical establishments. | None | Separate rules for minors |
| Nevada | 30 minutes if you work 8 continuous hours | Paid 10 minutes for every 4 hours worked or major fraction | Employers of two or more employees; union contracts excluded. None if you work under 3½ hours; employers of 2+ employees. Separate rules for minors |
| New Hampshire | 30 minutes after 5 consecutive hours | None | Unless you can eat while working and your employer allows it. Separate rules for minors |
| New Jersey | None for adults | None | Separate rules for minors |
| New Mexico | None for adults | None | No meal break required; if one is given in industrial, mercantile and certain service jobs, it must be at least 30 minutes, unpaid. |
| New York | 30 minutes for shifts over 6 hours that span the noonday meal period (1 hour in factories) | None | Plus 20 minutes between 5 and 7 p.m. if your shift starts before 11 a.m. and runs past 7 p.m.; night shifts over 6 hours starting between 1 p.m. and 6 a.m. get 45 minutes (1 hour in factories) midway. Separate rules for minors |
| North Carolina | None for adults | None | Separate rules for minors |
| North Dakota | 30 minutes, if you want it, on each shift over 5 hours | None | Applies when two or more employees are on duty. Separate rules for minors |
| Northern Mariana Islands | None for adults | None | — |
| Ohio | None for adults | None | Separate rules for minors |
| Oklahoma | None for adults | None | Separate rules for minors |
| Oregon | 30 minutes for a work period of 6 hours or more (2 meals at 14 hours) | Paid 10 minutes for every 4 hours worked or major portion | Oregon BOLI's chart: 1 meal at 6 hours, 2 at 14, 3 at 22. A paid 20-29 minute meal is allowed where that's industry custom. Not required for adults working alone in retail/service under 5 hours in 16. Separate rules for minors |
| Pennsylvania | None for adults | None | Seasonal farm workers: 30-minute meal after 5 hours. Separate rules for minors |
| Puerto Rico | 1 hour if you work more than 5 consecutive hours; a 2nd meal over 10 hours | None | Can be waived for a workday of 6 hours or less, or shortened to 30 minutes by written agreement; work during the meal hour is paid at time and a half. Separate rules for minors |
| Rhode Island | 20 minutes in a 6-hour shift; 30 minutes in an 8-hour shift | None | Not for licensed health care facilities or employers with fewer than 3 people on a shift. Separate rules for minors |
| South Carolina | None for adults | None | — |
| South Dakota | None for adults | None | — |
| Tennessee | 30 minutes (unpaid) if you're scheduled 6 consecutive hours or more | None | Not during or before the first hour. Exception for workplaces that by their nature give ample opportunity to take a break (examples from the state: food and beverage, daycare, security guards); tipped servers may waive it in writing. No other breaks required. |
| Texas | None for adults | None | — |
| Utah | None for adults | None | Separate rules for minors |
| Vermont | “Reasonable opportunities” during work periods to eat and use the restroom | “Reasonable opportunities” to eat and use the restroom | — |
| Virgin Islands | None for adults | None | — |
| Virginia | None for adults | None | Separate rules for minors |
| Washington | 30 minutes if you work more than 5 hours, starting between the 2nd and 5th hour | Paid 10 minutes for every 4 hours worked; no more than 3 hours in a row without one | Another 30 minutes if you work 3 or more hours past your normal workday. Meal breaks can be waived by mutual agreement; rest breaks can't (WA L&I). Rest breaks can't be waived. Separate rules for minors |
| West Virginia | 20 minutes if you work 6 hours or more | None | Required where you aren't given breaks or allowed to eat while working. Separate rules for minors |
| Wisconsin | None for adults | None | Migrant workers: 30-minute meal after 6 hours; for others the state recommends (doesn't require) 30 minutes after 6 hours. Separate rules for minors |
| Wyoming | None for adults | None | — |
“None” means the Labor Department's tables show no adult rule; federal law requires no breaks, but short breaks an employer gives must be paid. State laws change: confirm with your state labor office. American Samoa is not shown. Sources: DOL meal-period table · DOL rest-period table · California DIR meals · California DIR rest · WA L&I · Oregon BOLI · Tennessee Labor Dept.
Sources: DOL breaks page · DOL Fact Sheet #22 · DOL Fact Sheet #73
How we built this: each state's rule is read from the U.S. Labor Department's meal-period and rest-period tables (saved with checksums and parsed in code; every rule is checked against the saved text), then cross-checked with California's Labor Commissioner, Washington L&I, Oregon BOLI (its shift-length chart matches our formula at every minute of a 24-hour shift) and Tennessee's labor department. The checker runs in your browser with the same rules as our server-side test.
Facts, not legal advice. The Labor Department's state tables were last revised Jan. 1, 2023 and say to consult the state labor office for official information. Rules for minors, health care, agriculture, union contracts and public employees aren't covered here.
Yes. Tennessee requires a 30-minute unpaid meal or rest break if you're scheduled to work 6 consecutive hours or more, not during or before the first hour. It doesn't apply where the job by its nature gives ample chances to take a break (the state's examples: food and beverage, daycare, security guards), and there's no state rule for other breaks.
No. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act doesn't require lunch or coffee breaks. But if your employer gives short breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes, they count as paid work time; a real meal period (typically 30 minutes or more) where you're fully relieved of duty can be unpaid (U.S. Labor Department).
Seven states require paid rest breaks for most workers: California, Colorado, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon and Washington (typically 10 minutes for every 4 hours). Illinois requires them only for Cook County hotel room attendants, and Vermont requires “reasonable opportunities” to eat and use the restroom.
Two paid 10-minute rest breaks and one 30-minute meal break (required once you work more than 5 hours). A second 30-minute meal is required over 10 hours. If your employer doesn't provide a required meal or rest break, you're owed one extra hour of pay at your regular rate for each workday it happens (California DIR).
29 states have no adult meal or rest-break rule in the U.S. Labor Department's tables, including Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio and Michigan. Federal law still makes short breaks your employer gives paid time, and many states have separate meal-break rules for workers under 18.
Yes, under federal law most nursing employees get reasonable break time and a private place other than a bathroom to pump, for up to one year after the child's birth (PUMP Act, U.S. Labor Department Fact Sheet #73). Some states, such as Oregon and California, add more.
Estimates, not financial advice. Taxes, insurance, PMI and fees vary by lender, county and city; confirm with your lender, dealer and state agency before acting.
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