How long can baby turtles stay out of water?

Leave it in the water. just think about how they are in nature. Leave the turtle in but provide a basking area. if you don't know what a basking area is look it up on YouTube.

A baby turtle can go out of water for about 5 minutes. No more than that or it will suffocate. Baby turtles shouldn't be taken out a lot, only about 1-3 times a day not even!

Evelyn H says: I have had my baby aquatic turtle for eleven months. Her shell measures 2.5" x 2.5". She's grown about an inch all the way around, since I bought her. I've taken my turtle on road trips from Georgia to NYC, and from Georgia to Washington state. She fits inside of a 6" x 6" glass vase. During our time on the road, she rode with no water in the vase for many hours. I splashed a little bit of water on the gravel, and that was it. When I checked into motels for the night, I filled her vase up like normal so she could eat and defecate. She showed no signs of distress by being out of the water for hours. Her appetite was good during long trips. I feed her floating reptile sticks and juvenile turtle pellets. When she gets big enough for a tank, I will get her a rock to bask on. For now, the little critter seems content, and she's very active. I change her water twice a week. I've had other pet turtles, but she is by far my favorite one. No fuss and no frills.