What is the minimum age to work as a youth sports referee in Oregon?

14 (under 14: 9+ newspaper, 12+ agriculture berry/bean; parents) Parent-employed exempt; no referee carve-out (ORS 653.305 et seq.). Employer certificate needed even for seasonal event operators. State law keys on 'employ/permit to work' - no 1099 carve-out; misclassifying minor officials as contractors does not avoid child-labor rules.

When is a final paycheck due in Oregon if you let someone go?

End of next business day Penalty: wages continue up to 30 days (ORS 652.150). PTO per policy.

How does Oregon decide whether a coach or referee is a 1099 contractor or an employee?

Statutory (ORS 670.600: free from control + independently established business, multi-factor)

Does a youth sports league in Oregon need workers' compensation for 1099 referees and coaches?

Oregon covers employers with one or more subject workers. Independent contractors are nonsubject workers under ORS 656.027(7) only if they meet the ORS 670.600 statutory test: free from direction and control over the means and manner of work, and maintaining an independently established business (meeting at least three of five indicators such as a separate business location, bearing risk of loss, providing services to multiple customers, significant investment, and authority to hire). The same test governs UI (ORS 657.040). There is no IC exemption certificate or waiver; sole proprietors with no employees are simply not subject and may elect coverage. A hiring entity that uses a worker who fails ORS 670.600 is the employer and liable for premiums and claims; there is no separate statutory employer shield. Sports officials have two express WC exclusions: ORS 656.027(13) makes nonsubject any amateur sports official certified by a recognized Oregon or national certifying authority that requires or provides liability and accident insurance for officials (OSAA and Oregon Park and Recreation Society submit the roster), and 656.027(26) excludes youth or adult recreational soccer referees retained match-by-match. UI: ORS 657.088 excludes officiating at recreational, interscholastic or intercollegiate amateur events, except services for nonprofit, state, local government or tribal employing units, which remain covered. Bottom line: certified referees and match-by-match soccer referees are not covered; coaches and uncertified officials are at risk if misclassified.

For youth sports organizations and event operators · Oregon rulebook

Youth sports labor rules in Oregon: who can you put in the game, and what do you owe them?

State rules for everyone a youth sports organization pays: coaches and trainers on payroll, officials and event staff on 1099, program and front-office staff, and the teenagers you hire for a season. Wages, final pay, minors, contractor status, workers' comp, safe sport and youth safety, 50 states + DC, checked against statute text.

Last reviewed Oct 1, 202651 jurisdictions · 32 rules each

Step 1

Pick the state where the work happens

Rules follow where people work, not where you are based. Running an event? Use the event state. Operating a club or league? Use the state where your staff coach, officiate and work.

Color the map by

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Set a role, age and pay type below to see which rules apply to your organization.

Step 2

Check a staffing plan

Tell us who you are paying, how old they are, and whether they are on payroll or 1099. We rank what applies.

State where the work happens

Role

Worker age

Paid as

Not sure if someone should be 1099 or on payroll?Answer 5 plain-English questions. We explain the sticking points in your state.5-question check

Tourney Direct does not decide classification. Confirm with a tax advisor or attorney before you onboard anyone as a contractor.

Step 3

Everything on file for Oregon

All 32 rules for this state, with the statutes and agency pages they came from.

Wages and pay
Minimum wage (2026): $15.55 std; $16.80 Portland metro; $14.55 nonurban (indexed 7/1/2027)
Required pay frequency: Monthly (≤35 days apart)
Final paycheck if you let them go: End of next business day
Final paycheck if they quit: Immediately if ≥48 hrs notice; else within 5 business days or next payday, whichever first
Final-pay penalties: Penalty: wages continue up to 30 days (ORS 652.150). PTO per policy.
State income tax withholding: Yes
Workers' comp required at: 1+
New-hire report due (days): 20
Minors
Minimum working age: 14 (under 14: 9+ newspaper, 12+ agriculture berry/bean; parents)
Work permit: No per-minor permit; EMPLOYER must hold annual BOLI Employment Certificate to employ minors and keep proof of age
Ages 14 to 15, school in session: 3 hrs/school day, 18 hrs/wk, 6 days; 7am-7pm
Ages 14 to 15, summer and breaks: 8 hrs/day, 40 hrs/wk, 6 days; 7am-9pm June 1-Labor Day
Ages 16 to 17: 44 hrs/wk max (emergency overtime permit); no daily cap; no curfew
Weekend and evening games: 2026 law locks state minor-hour rules at no less protective than FLSA (eff. 1/1/2026)
Referee, coach and recreation exemptions: Parent-employed exempt; no referee carve-out (ORS 653.305 et seq.). Employer certificate needed even for seasonal event operators. State law keys on 'employ/permit to work' - no 1099 carve-out; misclassifying minor officials as contractors does not avoid child-labor rules.
Contractors and leave
How this state decides 1099 vs. payroll: Statutory (ORS 670.600: free from control + independently established business, multi-factor)
Same question, for unemployment insurance: Statutory (ORS 670.600 applies to UI under ORS 657.040)
Referee-specific rule: WC: ORS 656.027(13) certified amateur sports officials and (26) match-by-match recreational soccer referees are nonsubject workers. UI: ORS 657.088 (2011 c.106), 'Employment does not include officiating services' at recreational, interscholastic or intercollegiate amateur events, except for nonprofit, state, political-subdivision or tribal employing units.
Workers' comp for 1099 referees and coaches: Oregon covers employers with one or more subject workers. Independent contractors are nonsubject workers under ORS 656.027(7) only if they meet the ORS 670.600 statutory test: free from direction and control over the means and manner of work, and maintaining an independently established business (meeting at least three of five indicators such as a separate business location, bearing risk of loss, providing services to multiple customers, significant investment, and authority to hire). The same test governs UI (ORS 657.040). There is no IC exemption certificate or waiver; sole proprietors with no employees are simply not subject and may elect coverage. A hiring entity that uses a worker who fails ORS 670.600 is the employer and liable for premiums and claims; there is no separate statutory employer shield. Sports officials have two express WC exclusions: ORS 656.027(13) makes nonsubject any amateur sports official certified by a recognized Oregon or national certifying authority that requires or provides liability and accident insurance for officials (OSAA and Oregon Park and Recreation Society submit the roster), and 656.027(26) excludes youth or adult recreational soccer referees retained match-by-match. UI: ORS 657.088 excludes officiating at recreational, interscholastic or intercollegiate amateur events, except services for nonprofit, state, local government or tribal employing units, which remain covered. Bottom line: certified referees and match-by-match soccer referees are not covered; coaches and uncertified officials are at risk if misclassified.
Seasonal or recreation carve-out: ORS 653.020(10) excludes seasonal employees of a nonprofit organized camp or a for-profit organized camp with <$500,000 gross annual income; (11) excludes employees of nonprofit educational/charitable/religious conference grounds. No seasonal amusement/recreation exemption.
Paid sick leave: Yes: Oregon Sick Time: 1 hr/30 hrs up to 40 hrs (paid if 10+ EEs / 6+ in Portland); part-time/seasonal covered
Paid family and medical leave: Yes: Paid Leave Oregon: 1% total, 60% employee / 40% employer (employers <25 exempt from employer share)
What it costs to get it wrong: ORS 670.600 misclassification: back taxes + penalties; ORS 652/653 civil penalties
Safety
Background checks: Partial: ORS 329A.030/.250/.255 (Central Background Registry) applies to 'school-age recorded programs' (before/after-school & recreation programs recorded with DELC); private youth leagues not mandated, check municipal/league policy. NCPA channeling via OSP.
Safe sport: state law: No state safe-sport statute for private youth leagues; federal SafeSport Act baseline and NGB rules apply. Oregon's mandates on private youth sports are injury-based (Jenna's Law, ORS 417.875, annual concussion training; see coach_certification) and reporting-based: ORS 419B.005(6) makes compensated coaches, assistant coaches and trainers of child athletes mandated reporters (see mandatory_reporter_coaches). No statute requires abuse-prevention training, two-adult, electronic-communication, locker-room or travel policies, parent information sheets or SafeSport Code adoption for leagues, clubs or tournaments. School-affiliated coaches are covered by the sexual-conduct regime in ORS 339.370-339.400 (expanded by HB 4160, eff. 7/1/2024): every public, charter and most private "education providers" must adopt written sexual-conduct policies, train employees, contractors, agents and volunteers with unsupervised student contact, run background checks, report and investigate allegations and avoid rehiring offenders, which reaches volunteer school coaches but not independent clubs. ORS 163.197 (hazing) applies to college and university organizations only; the position-of-authority aggravator in ORS 163.345 and 163.425 is general. No pending 2027 safe-sport bill identified. Cross-reference: background_check_youth_sports (partial).
Safe sport: federal SafeSport Act and NGB rules: Nationally, the Safe Sport Act (36 U.S.C. 220541-220543, 220530; Pub. L. 115-126 as amended by Pub. L. 116-189, 2020) requires NGBs and amateur sports organizations in interstate or international competition to report suspected child abuse within 24 hours (34 U.S.C. 20341), limit one-on-one adult-minor contact (MAAPP), give SafeSport Core training and keep oversight procedures; the 2026 SafeSport Code applies. Oregon is stricter on reporting: paid coaches must report immediately to DHS or law enforcement under ORS 419B.010 at all times, not only when interstate competition is involved, and NGB clubs must add Jenna's Law concussion training. School coaches face overlapping ORS 339.400 sexual-conduct training; the OSAA does not separately require SafeSport.
Concussion law: ORS 336.485 (Max's Law, schools) & ORS 417.875 (Jenna's Law, 2013), non-school youth sports: referees and coaches must complete annual concussion training; parent info; RTP clearance by health-care professional.
Sudden cardiac arrest law: None youth-specific (OSAA policies).
CPR and AED: AED required at places of public assembly ≥50,000 sq ft w/ ≥50 people/day (ORS 431A.450), can include large sports facilities; school coaches first aid via OSAA. Youth league coaches: none.
Coaches as mandated reporters: Coaches named: ORS 419B.005(6): compensated coach/assistant coach/trainer of child athletes (2012). Volunteer coaches not named.
Coach certification: Jenna's Law annual training for youth coaches/referees (ORS 417.875).
Assault-on-official law: Yes (civil), ORS 30.882? (liquidated damages for offensive physical contact with sports official).

All states

Rulebook by state

Oregon at a glance: minimum wage $15.55 std; $16.80 Portland metro; $14.55 nonurban (indexed 7/1/2027). Final paycheck when you let someone go: End of next business day. Minimum working age: 14 (under 14: 9+ newspaper, 12+ agriculture berry/bean; parents). Background checks for youth sports: Partial: ORS 329A.030/.250/.255 (Central Background Registry) applies to 'school-age recorded programs' (before/after-school & recreation programs recorded with DELC); private youth leagues not mandated, check municipal/league policy. NCPA channeling via OSP.