What Do I Need to Get a Work Permit?

Age Requirements

Minors under the age of 12 are prohibited to obtain a work permit, except in the entertainment industry. Minors ages 14 and 15 are permitted to work three hours maximum per day, and 18 hours per week while school is in session. During the summer, minors ages 14 and 15 are permitted to work eight hours per day or 40 hours a week. Minors ages 15 to 17 are permitted to work four hours maximum per day on Monday through Thursday, and eight hours per day on Friday through Sunday. During the summer, minors ages 16 and 17 are permitted to work eight hours a day or 48 hours a week from 5:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Work permit applications are available at school career centers or offices while school is in session and during spring break. During the winter and summer breaks, applications are available at local county offices of education or by visiting a permit officer. Permit applicants may also be downloaded from a state's Department of Education website.

Work permits require various documents to verify qualifications. Requirements include the minor's birth certificate or other proof of age, social security card, written parental consent and a hiring statement from an employer explaining job duties and work hours. The application typically takes about 48 hours to process. The typed work permit must be brought back to the prospective employer. Work permits must be renewed at the beginning of each school year, and are required all year long, not just when school is in session.

The Federal Government has listed 17 hazardous occupations under the Fair Labor Standards Act for those under the age of 18. There are no exceptions to these federal employment regulations. A partial list of these hazardous occupations includes serving alcoholic beverages, driving on public highways, power-driven woodworking machines, exposure to radioactive substances like X-rays, roofing operations, mining operations, logging and sawmill operations, occupations in slaughtering, meat packing and rendering plants, and wrecking, demolition or ship-breaking operations.