Colorado meal and rest break law
The short answer
Employees are entitled to an uninterrupted, duty-free meal period of at least 30 minutes (½ hour) when the shift exceeds 5 consecutive hours; when an uninterrupted meal period is impractical, an on-duty meal must be allowed and fully compensated. (Colorado administratively issued Wage Order / COMPS (U.S. DOL WHD meal period table)) Paid 10-minute rest period for each 4 hours of work or major fraction thereof, in the middle of the work period as practicable. (Colorado Minimum Pay Standards (COMPS) Order (U.S. DOL WHD rest period table))
Last verified Sep 24, 2026 · How we verify every rule
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Meal breaks
Do adult employees get a meal break?30 minutesVerified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources
Employees are entitled to an uninterrupted, duty-free meal period of at least 30 minutes (½ hour) when the shift exceeds 5 consecutive hours; when an uninterrupted meal period is impractical, an on-duty meal must be allowed and fully compensated. (Colorado administratively issued Wage Order / COMPS (U.S. DOL WHD meal period table))
“Colorado ½ hour if work shift exceeds 5 consecutive hours. On-duty meal period counted as time worked and permitted when nature of work prevents relief from all duties.”
“Meal Periods. Employees shall be entitled to an uninterrupted and duty-free meal period of at least a 30-minute duration when the shift exceeds 5 consecutive hours.”
Rest breaks
Do adult employees get paid rest breaks?10 min per 4 hoursVerified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources
Paid 10-minute rest period for each 4 hours of work or major fraction thereof, in the middle of the work period as practicable. (Colorado Minimum Pay Standards (COMPS) Order (U.S. DOL WHD rest period table))
“Colorado Paid 10-minute rest period for each 4 hours of work, or major fractions thereof. As practicable the rest period should be in the middle of the work period.”
“Rest Periods. Every employer shall authorize and permit a compensated 10minute rest period for each 4 hours of work, or major fractions thereof, for all employees, as follows, except as provided in exemptions or variances in Rule 2:”
What it means for an employer
- Write down the break schedule for each shift length and give it to your staff.
- Short breaks you offer (about 5 to 20 minutes) count as paid work time under federal rules (U.S. DOL).
- A meal period can be unpaid only when the employee is completely relieved from duty (29 CFR 785.19).
- Record meal periods in your time system so you can show when each one started and ended.
The federal default
“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 that would be included in the sum of hours worked during the workweek and considered in determining if overtime was worked.”
“Bona fide meal periods are not worktime. Bona fide meal periods do not include coffee breaks or time for snacks. These are rest periods. The employee must be completely relieved from duty for the purposes of eating regular meals.”
State rules can add to the federal default. The Colorado rules above are the ones we verified; for anything not covered, ask the state labor office.
Breaks: Colorado and its neighbors
| State | Meal break | Rest break |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 30 minutes | 10 min per 4 hours |
| Wyoming | No state rule | No state rule |
| Nebraska | Not verified | Not verified |
| Kansas | Not verified | Not verified |
| Oklahoma | No state rule | No state rule |
| New Mexico | Not verified | Not verified |
| Arizona | Not verified | Not verified |
| Utah | No state rule | No state rule |
Only verified rules are shown. "Not verified" means we have not checked that state's rule yet; open its rulebook for the official source.
Related
Questions about Colorado break laws
Do adult employees get a meal break in Colorado?
Employees are entitled to an uninterrupted, duty-free meal period of at least 30 minutes (½ hour) when the shift exceeds 5 consecutive hours; when an uninterrupted meal period is impractical, an on-duty meal must be allowed and fully compensated. (Colorado administratively issued Wage Order / COMPS (U.S. DOL WHD meal period table))
Do adult employees get paid rest breaks in Colorado?
Paid 10-minute rest period for each 4 hours of work or major fraction thereof, in the middle of the work period as practicable. (Colorado Minimum Pay Standards (COMPS) Order (U.S. DOL WHD rest period table))
Sources (5)
Checked Sep 24, 2026 · How we verify every rule · Report an error