# Illinois — Meal and rest break requirements by US state — hours worked before a break is owed, its length, and whether it's paid, quoted from the state's own labor law

For Illinois, meal break rule is Every employer shall permit its employees who are to work for 7 1/2 continuous hours, except those specified in this Section, at least 20 minutes for a meal period beginning no later than 5 hours after the start of the work period; statute or regulation is 820 ILCS 140/3, recorded from its source on 2026-09-02.

- **State:** Illinois _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Meal break rule:** Every employer shall permit its employees who are to work for 7 1/2 continuous hours, except those specified in this Section, at least 20 minutes for a meal period beginning no later than 5 hours after the start of the work period _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_
- **Statute or regulation:** 820 ILCS 140/3 _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_

## What the source says

> Every employer shall permit its employees who are to work for 7 1/2 continuous hours, except those specified in this Section, at least 20 minutes for a meal period beginning no later than 5 hours after the start of the work period. An employee who works in excess of 7 1/2 continuous hours shall be entitled to an additional 20-minute meal period for every additional 4 1/2 continuous hours worked.

## Where each value comes from

This source states these in separate places, so each value is shown with the passage that states it.

### Meal break rule

> Every employer shall permit its employees who are to work for 7 1/2 continuous hours, except those specified in this Section, at least 20 minutes for a meal period beginning no later than 5 hours after the start of the work period. An employee who works in excess of 7 1/2 continuous hours shall be entitled to an additional 20-minute meal period for every additional 4 1/2 continuous hours worked.

### Statute or regulation

> (820 ILCS 140/3) (from Ch. 48, par. 8c)

## Source

- https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=082001400K3

Last verified: 2026-09-02. Review by: 2027-09-02.
Part of [Meal and rest break requirements by US state — hours worked before a break is owed, its length, and whether it's paid, quoted from the state's own labor law](https://referencesource.org/meal-and-rest-break-requirements-by-state/).