In most of the United States, you can babysit at 13. Federal labor law specifically exempts casual babysitting from its minimum-age rules, and the large majority of states set no minimum babysitting age either.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 29 – 213 A few states do set a floor, and a handful of legal risks are worth understanding before you take a job.
What Federal Law Allows
The Fair Labor Standards Act generally bars employing children under 14 in non-agricultural work, but casual babysitting is carved out of both the minimum-age rule and the wage-and-hour rules.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 29 – 213 The Department of Labor confirms that children under 14 may perform work not covered by the FLSA, including “casual baby-sitting.”2U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 43: Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act for Nonagricultural Occupations No permit, license, or paperwork is required at the federal level.
The exemption depends on the word “casual.” Federal regulations describe casual babysitting as work that generally stays under 20 hours per week across all the families you sit for combined. If your hours spike above that occasionally, you’re still covered so long as it isn’t a regular pattern.3eCFR. 29 CFR 552.104 – Babysitting Services Performed on a Casual Basis
There’s also a limit on household chores. If a family has you doing cleaning, laundry, or other housework unrelated to the kids, and that work takes more than 20 percent of your time during a job, the casual exemption doesn’t apply for that assignment.3eCFR. 29 CFR 552.104 – Babysitting Services Performed on a Casual Basis Picking up toys or rinsing a few dishes is fine. Being asked to deep-clean the kitchen is not.
Do States Set a Minimum Age?
Most states have no law fixing a minimum babysitting age. A small number do, with floors ranging from about 12 to 14. Several other states set a minimum age for a child to be left home alone, which indirectly affects babysitting, because a sitter younger than that threshold would technically be an unsupervised minor themselves.
Rules vary, so check your state’s child welfare agency or department of labor before taking a job. Even where no statute exists, child protective services in every state can investigate if a child is harmed and the caregiver’s age or maturity contributed. The real question isn’t only whether you’re old enough, but whether a reasonable person would consider you capable of keeping these particular kids safe.
Legal Risk If Something Goes Wrong
When you accept responsibility for someone else’s children, you owe them a legal duty of care. If a child gets hurt because you didn’t supervise them the way a reasonable person in your position would have, that’s negligence, and it can lead to a civil lawsuit.
Courts generally hold minors to a lower standard than adults. A 13-year-old isn’t expected to react the way a professional nanny would. But age alone isn’t a full defense. If a toddler climbed the furniture while you were on your phone, or a young child wandered near a pool unsupervised, being 13 won’t shield you from a finding of negligence.
Both Sets of Parents Have Exposure
The family hiring you takes on risk too. If they leave their child with a sitter who clearly wasn’t mature enough for the job and the child is hurt or neglected, they can face scrutiny from child protective services, and in serious cases a neglect investigation.
Your own parents can also be on the hook. Many states hold parents responsible for certain harmful acts by their minor children, especially where the parents knew or should have known their child wasn’t ready for the responsibility. Having your parents meet the hiring family, review expectations, and stay reachable by phone isn’t only good practice; it lowers everyone’s legal exposure.
Insurance Gaps
A family’s homeowners insurance policy usually covers injuries to a casual domestic worker on the property, but coverage often has limits and may not apply if you sit often enough to be considered an employee rather than a casual worker. If you babysit regularly for the same family, ask them to confirm with their insurer that you’re covered.
Training You Don’t Have to Have, But Should
No state requires a babysitting certification, but finishing a recognized course is one of the most useful things you can do at 13. It builds real skills, reassures the families hiring you, and creates a paper trail showing you prepared seriously if anything ever goes wrong.
The American Red Cross offers two courses open to youth as young as 11. The online Babysitting Basics course covers infant and child care, emergency response, age-appropriate activities, and behavior management, with a printable certificate at the end.4American Red Cross. Babysitting Basics – Online The fuller Babysitters Training course adds leadership, business basics, and first aid, and issues a digital certificate with a unique ID and QR code for verification.5American Red Cross. Babysitters Training
Pediatric CPR from any accredited provider is worth the time on top of that. Most babysitting emergencies are minor. Choking and an unresponsive child are the ones you can’t afford to face unprepared.
Getting Paid and the Tax Rule Teens Miss
Rates for teen babysitters vary by location, number of children, and extra duties like cooking or homework help. Hourly pay generally falls in the range of $10 to $20, higher in major metros and lower in rural areas. Multiple children or late hours often justify a higher rate. Agree on the rate and duties before the job starts, so there are no surprises about pay or expectations afterward.
Babysitting income is taxable, even at 13. Most young sitters won’t owe federal income tax, but the self-employment tax threshold catches people off guard. If your net babysitting earnings reach $400 or more in a year, you’re required to file a return and pay self-employment tax, which covers Social Security and Medicare.6Internal Revenue Service. Self-Employment Tax (Social Security and Medicare Taxes) That floor applies regardless of your age.
Are You Self-Employed or a Household Employee?
Classification matters for the family too. If a family controls not just what you do but how you do it, such as dictating exact childcare routines and providing all supplies, the IRS may treat you as a household employee rather than a self-employed sitter. When a family pays a single household employee $3,000 or more in cash wages during 2026, they’re required to withhold Social Security and Medicare taxes.7Internal Revenue Service. Publication 926 (2026), Household Employer’s Tax Guide
Most casual teen sitters are self-employed in practice, because they work for several families and control how they do the job. A 13-year-old sitting for the same family four days a week under detailed instructions starts to look more like an employee under IRS guidelines.7Internal Revenue Service. Publication 926 (2026), Household Employer’s Tax Guide Occasional evening and weekend jobs across different families usually aren’t a concern.
Even if you never owe a dollar, track your earnings. Write down the date, hours, family, and amount for every job. Payment apps keep records automatically; cash payments need a notebook or spreadsheet. Your parents can help you decide whether a return is needed at year-end, especially as you approach the $400 mark. If you use a payment app, your parents should hold the account, since most platforms require users to be at least 18.
What Families Will Expect From You
Your core job is keeping the children safe. Everything else is secondary. Stay in the same area as the kids, scan for hazards like unlocked doors or accessible cleaning supplies, and know where emergency contacts and supplies are before the parents leave.
Beyond safety, most families expect you to:
- Follow the family’s routine, including bedtimes, screen-time rules, and dietary restrictions.
- Keep kids engaged with age-appropriate games, reading, outdoor play, or crafts rather than parking everyone in front of a screen.
- Handle basic care, such as simple snacks or meals, bathroom help for younger kids, and diaper changes for infants.
- Manage conflicts calmly by redirecting behavior and separating kids who are fighting, without yelling or physical discipline.
- Communicate with the parents: texts with updates, a call if something feels off, and an honest recap when they get home.
Ask about allergies, medications, off-limits areas of the house, and whether anyone is expected to have a friend over. Families notice when a sitter asks good questions before they walk out the door. It signals maturity more than age ever could.