---
title: "Tennessee Meal and Rest Break Laws | MCC Solutions"
description: "Tennessee break rules: 30 min, at 6 hrs for meals, no state rule for rest breaks, with Tennessee's own wording and a shift-length table."
url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/bookkeeping/meal-break-laws-tennessee"
---

Breaks · Tennessee

# Tennessee meal and rest break laws

When Tennessee requires a meal break, whether short rest breaks are required, the rule for young workers, and what Tennessee's official pages say about waivers, who is covered and missed breaks.

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**Short answer.** A 30-minute unpaid meal or rest period for a shift scheduled for 6 consecutive hours. No separate short rest breaks are required.

## Tennessee breaks at a glance

Meal break

A 30-minute unpaid meal or rest period for a shift scheduled for 6 consecutive hours.

Rest breaks

No breaks are required beyond the 30-minute period.

Paid?

Meal: unpaid.

Minors (under 18)

Minors under 18 scheduled for 6 consecutive hours get a 30-minute unpaid break or meal period, not during or before the first hour of the day.

Law

Tenn. Code Ann. 50-2-103(h); 50-5-115

Agency

Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Labor Standards

## In Tennessee's words

**Meal break**

Hiring in another state? [Employer registration in Tennessee, done for you](/bookkeeping/out-of-state-employer-registration), or [a free bookkeeping health check](/bookkeeping/health-check).

"a thirty (30) minute unpaid meal or rest period"

**Rest breaks**

"There are no state requirements for additional breaks."

**Minors**

"A minor must be provided a thirty (30) minute unpaid break or meal period"

## Breaks by shift length in Tennessee

For an adult working the hours in one stretch, Tennessee's rule as we read it calls for:

| Shift | Meal break | Rest breaks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 4 hours | None yet | No state rule |
| 5½ hours | None yet | No state rule |
| 6 hours | 30 minutes | No state rule |
| 8 hours | 30 minutes | No state rule |

Other shift lengths: [open the checker set to Tennessee](/bookkeeping/meal-and-rest-break-checker?state=tn).

## Who the Tennessee rule covers

Doesn't apply where the nature of the workplace gives ample opportunity to rest or take a break; the Department names food service and security work as examples.

## Waivers and exceptions in Tennessee

The ample-opportunity exemption and the waiver don't apply to employees under 18.

## If a Tennessee employer misses a break

Not giving the 30-minute meal or rest period is a violation of state law; the Department lists no amount.

## Official Tennessee sources

- [Tennessee LWD: Wages, fringe benefits, paychecks and breaks](https://www.tn.gov/workforce/employees/labor-laws/labor-laws-redirect/wages-breaks.html) (checked November 2026)
- [Tennessee LWD: Child Labor Act](https://www.tn.gov/workforce/employees/labor-laws/labor-laws-redirect/child-labor.html) (checked November 2026)

Tennessee rules as published on the pages above, checked November 2026. General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. A union contract, an industry order or a city ordinance can add to them.

## Tennessee break questions

**When is a meal break required in Tennessee?**

A 30-minute unpaid meal or rest period for a shift scheduled for 6 consecutive hours. Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Labor Standards puts it as "a thirty (30) minute unpaid meal or rest period."

**Does Tennessee require short rest breaks?**

No breaks are required beyond the 30-minute period.

**Is a meal break paid in Tennessee?**

On the official page we checked, the meal break is unpaid.

**Can a Tennessee employee skip or waive a break?**

The ample-opportunity exemption and the waiver don't apply to employees under 18.

**Who is covered by the Tennessee break rule?**

Doesn't apply where the nature of the workplace gives ample opportunity to rest or take a break; the Department names food service and security work as examples.

**What breaks do minors get in Tennessee?**

Minors under 18 scheduled for 6 consecutive hours get a 30-minute unpaid break or meal period, not during or before the first hour of the day. (Ages: under 18.)

All states: [meal and rest break laws by state](/bookkeeping/meal-and-rest-break-laws-by-state) · [Rhode Island](/bookkeeping/meal-break-laws-rhode-island) · [Washington](/bookkeeping/meal-break-laws-washington)

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