Meal and Rest Break Requirements in Iowa

At a glance

Iowa's rule in practice

Iowa does not require an ordinary private employer to schedule a meal period or short rest break for an adult employee. The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing states that Iowa has no law mandating adult meal breaks. An employer policy, contract, collective-bargaining agreement, or a narrower occupation-specific rule may still require one.

The state rule changes for a worker under 16. Iowa Code § 92.7 requires an intermission of at least 30 minutes when the minor is employed five hours or more in a day. The agency describes the ordinary covered group as workers ages 14 and 15 and says the half-hour break may be paid or unpaid. Under § 92.7A, a 16- or 17-year-old may work the same hours as an adult, so the child-labor intermission does not extend through age 17.

Federal pay rules govern breaks an employer otherwise provides. Under 29 C.F.R. § 785.18, a short rest of five minutes to about 20 minutes counts as hours worked. Under § 785.19(a), a bona fide meal may be unpaid only when the employee is completely relieved from duty.

What trips people up

The five-hour trigger is based on total employment in the day. § 92.7 says the intermission is due when a worker under 16 is employed for five hours or more; it does not say the worker first completes five uninterrupted hours and then receives the break.

The child-labor break has a state enforcement consequence even though Iowa has no adult missed-break premium. Under § 92.22(1), an employer that violates Chapter 92 may face a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for each violation. The director must provide a 15-day grace period before imposing a penalty and may waive or reduce it.

Common questions

Must an adult receive lunch on an eight-hour Iowa shift?

No general Iowa law requires it. A workplace policy or contract may still promise a meal period.

Does a 15-year-old need a break on a five-hour shift?

Yes. § 92.7 requires at least 30 minutes when the minor is employed five hours or more in the day.

Must a short break offered to an adult be paid?

Yes, as a general federal wage rule. 29 C.F.R. § 785.18 counts short rests of five minutes to about 20 minutes as hours worked.

Statutes and sources

• Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing wage guidance. The current official page confirms that Iowa does not mandate adult meal breaks and summarizes the under-16 rule. Official guidance (accessed July 12, 2026).
• Iowa Code §§ 92.7 and 92.7A. The current official text supplies the under-16 intermission and the adult-hours rule for ages 16 and 17. Section 92.7 and section 92.7A (accessed July 12, 2026).
• Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing child-labor guidance. The agency states that the age-14-and-15 break may be paid or unpaid. Official guidance (accessed July 12, 2026).
• Iowa Code § 92.22(1). The current official text supplies the civil penalty and grace period. Official text (accessed July 12, 2026).
• 29 C.F.R. §§ 785.18-.19. The current federal rules treat short rests as paid work and require complete relief from duty for an unpaid bona fide meal. Short rests and meals (accessed July 12, 2026).