North Carolina meal and rest break law
The short answer
No state meal break requirement for employees 16 years of age or older. (U.S. DOL WHD, Table of Meal Period Requirements Under State Law (North Carolina not listed)) No state rest break requirement for employees 16 years of age or older. (U.S. DOL WHD, Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements Under State Law, footnote 1) The federal default below applies.
Last verified Sep 24, 2026 · How we verify every rule
General information, not legal advice. This page is for general information only and isn’t legal, financial or tax advice. Laws vary by state and change; check the official source or talk to a qualified professional about your situation. Every rule on this page links to its official source.
Meal breaks
Do adult employees get a meal break?No state ruleVerified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources
No state meal break requirement for employees 16 years of age or older. (U.S. DOL WHD, Table of Meal Period Requirements Under State Law (North Carolina not listed))
“Table of Meal Period Requirements Under State Law For Adult Employees in Private Sector”
“Again, there are no required rest breaks or meal breaks at all for employees 16 years of age or older.”
Rest breaks
Do adult employees get paid rest breaks?No state ruleVerified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources
No state rest break requirement for employees 16 years of age or older. (U.S. DOL WHD, Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements Under State Law, footnote 1)
“States not listed do not require paid rest periods.”
“Again, there are no required rest breaks or meal breaks at all for employees 16 years of age or older.”
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 North Carolina rules above are the ones we verified; for anything not covered, ask the state labor office.
Breaks: North Carolina and its neighbors
| State | Meal break | Rest break |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | No state rule | No state rule |
| Virginia | No state rule | No state rule |
| Tennessee | Not verified | Not verified |
| Georgia | No state rule | No state rule |
| South Carolina | Not verified | Not verified |
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 North Carolina break laws
Do adult employees get a meal break in North Carolina?
No state meal break requirement for employees 16 years of age or older. (U.S. DOL WHD, Table of Meal Period Requirements Under State Law (North Carolina not listed))
Do adult employees get paid rest breaks in North Carolina?
No state rest break requirement for employees 16 years of age or older. (U.S. DOL WHD, Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements Under State Law, footnote 1)
Sources (5)
Checked Sep 24, 2026 · How we verify every rule · Report an error