What federal law says
The federal child labor rules do not require a permit. DOL Fact Sheet 43 says the federal provisions do not "require minors to obtain 'working papers' or 'work permits,'" though many states do (revised December 2016). DOL keeps a table of state employment and age certificate rules, last revised January 1, 2024, and notes that it "does not administer State laws." We used that table as a starting point and confirmed every row below on the state's own labor department, workforce agency, or statute page on October 19, 2026.
Three terms show up on state pages. An employment certificate or work permit is tied to a specific job and employer. An age certificate proves your age and is not tied to a job. A few states license the employer instead of the teen: Oregon issues an annual certificate to employers of minors, Alabama issues Class I and Class II certificates to employers, and Washington adds a minor work permit endorsement to the employer's business license.
How the process works in most permit states
The steps on state pages follow a common pattern. You get a job offer first. The employer fills in the job and hours. A parent or guardian signs. You bring proof of age, such as a birth certificate, passport, or state ID. Then the form goes to the issuer: the school in New York ("School officials issue all working papers"), an online state system in New Jersey and North Carolina, or the state labor department in Maryland and Virginia. Massachusetts also requires a physician's signature if you are 15 or younger. You cannot start work until the permit is approved in states such as Maine and New Jersey.
Start the week you get an offer. A permit does not change the hours you may work; those rules are in teen work hours by state.
State-by-state permit rules
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| State | Who needs a permit or certificate | Where to get it | What the employer keeps | State source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | The employer: a Class I certificate to hire 14 and 15 year olds, Class II for 16 and 17; 14 and 15 year olds also need a school Eligibility to Work form | Employer applies online with the state | Employee information form, proof of age and time records on premises | Alabama Dept. of Workforce child labor page; DOL certificate table |
| Alaska | All minors 14 to 16; at 17 only if the employer is a restaurant licensed to sell alcohol | Employer and parent complete the state form; the Wage and Hour office approves it | Permit on file with the Department; proof of age at the work site | Alaska DOLWD child labor page |
| Arizona | No one: "Work permits are not required in the State of Arizona" | Not applicable | Employers "need to verify ages" | Industrial Commission of Arizona FAQ |
| Arkansas | No one: "child labor work permits (other than entertainment work permits) are no longer REQUIRED" under Act 195 of 2023 | Not applicable | Not stated | Arkansas Dept. of Labor and Licensing |
| California | "All minors under 18 years of age employed in the state of California must have a permit to work," with exceptions in law | An authorized person at the minor's school; in summer, the superintendent of the home school district | "Employers must possess a valid Permit to Employ and Work" | Labor Commissioner minors page |
| Colorado | No general permit; 14 and 15 year olds working during school hours need a school release permit; age certificates on request | School district superintendent or designee | Any age certificate received, for the length of employment | C.R.S. 8-12-111 and 8-12-113 |
| Connecticut | "You MUST have working papers before you start work" | Public high school in your town or the superintendent's designee, with a promise of employment and proof of age | Working papers until 2 years after the minor turns 18 | CT DOL minors FAQ and working papers steps |
| Delaware | "Minors under 18 must obtain a work permit before starting a job" | School district superintendent or designee, or the Department of Labor | Certificate on file at all times | Delaware Division of Industrial Affairs; Delaware Code Title 19, Section 504 |
| Florida | No one; "Employers must obtain and keep proof of age on record" | Not applicable | Proof of age during employment | Florida DBPR child labor FAQ |
| Georgia | Under 16 only; "Work permits are not required for minors that have reached their 16th birthday" | The school the minor attends or the county superintendent's office | Copy on the premises where the work is done | Georgia DOL employer FAQ |
| Hawaii | 14 and 15: Certificate of Employment, obtained by the employer; 16 and 17: Certificate of Age, good until 18 | DLIR Wage Standards Division, online | Employer checks the certificate against proof of age and records its number | Hawaii DLIR child labor page |
| Idaho | No permit provision in Idaho Code 44-1301 to 44-1308 | Not applicable | Names, ages and residence of minors 14 and 15 (44-1303) | Idaho Code Title 44, Chapter 13 |
| Illinois | Under 16 | "The Superintendents of Schools or their duly authorized agents"; "The Illinois Department of Labor does not issue work permits" | Employment certificates on the premises where the minor works | Illinois DOL compliance page and FAQ |
| Indiana | No one; employers "are no longer required to report, register, or track minor employees through a centralized state portal" (portal closed July 1, 2026) | Not applicable | Not stated | Indiana DOL youth employment page |
| Kansas | Under 16 and "not enrolled in or attending secondary school" | Superintendent of schools or a district court judge | Permit on file, open to inspectors | KDOL FAQ; K.S.A. 38-604 and 38-606 |
| Kentucky | No permit described; "proof of age on file for each minor under eighteen" | Not applicable | Birth certificate, driver's license or school ID copy | Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet |
| Louisiana | Ages 14 to 17 (Youth Employment Certificate) | School or school board office; the minor applies with written parental permission | Certificate for each minor, kept 14 days after the job ends | Louisiana Workforce Commission; La. R.S. 23:182 to 23:187 |
| Maine | Under 16, a new permit for every job | Superintendent's office, which sends it to Maine DOL for approval; no work until approved | "A stamped, approved work permit on file" | Maine DOL guide to employment of minors |
| Maryland | "Work permits are required for all minors under the age of 18" | Online with the Division of Labor and Industry; minor, parent and employer sign | Keeping permits 3 years is "strongly encouraged" | Maryland Dept. of Labor |
| Massachusetts | "People younger than 18 who want to work must have a work permit" | Superintendent or designee of your school, with a job offer, parent signature, proof of age, school records, and a physician's signature if 15 or younger | Permit on file while employed or until 18, with a copy at each location; returned if the minor leaves before 18 | Mass.gov, apply for a youth work permit |
| Michigan | All minors under 18 (MCL 409.104) | LEO's online Youth Employment Permit Portal, where employers register and minors complete their part | Copy of the permit at the place of employment | Michigan LEO YESA page; MCL 409.104 |
| Minnesota | Under 16 only to work during school hours on school days | School district superintendent | Proof of age for every minor (age certificate, birth record, driver's license or Form I-9) | Minnesota DLI; Minn. Stat. 181A.05 and 181A.06 |
| Missouri | 14 and 15 | Superintendent of public schools in the child's district, after the employer signs a statement of intent | Copy of the certificate plus each child's hours, kept 2 years on the premises | Missouri Dept. of Labor youth employment |
| Nebraska | 14 and 15 | School issuing officer in designated districts | Certificate during employment and 12 months after | Nebraska DOL employment of minors |
| Nevada | No certificate for 14 to 17; under 14 needs written permission from a district judge | Not applicable | Proof of age within 10 days if a school official asks | NRS 609.245 and 609.260 |
| New Hampshire | Under 16: a certificate; 16 and 17: a signed parent or guardian permission instead | School principal or a parent or guardian | Certificate within 3 business days of the first day; parent permission for 16 and 17 on file | RSA 276-A:4 and 276-A:5 |
| New Jersey | "Every New Jersey minor under 18 must have working papers before starting work" | Online at MyWorkingPapers.nj.gov after a job offer; "Schools are no longer part of the working papers process" | Not stated | NJDOL news release, April 6, 2026 |
| New Mexico | 14 and 15; "A work permit is not required when you turn 16," though some companies require one to 18 | The school, the superintendent's office, or a DWS office; a parent must be present | Not stated | NM DWS child labor and work permit pages |
| New York | Ages 14 to 17 | "School officials issue all working papers" | Working papers at the workplace for as long as the minor has the job | NYSDOL working papers page |
| North Carolina | "Youth under the age of 18 who work in North Carolina must have a Youth Employment Certificate" | The employer starts it online with NCDOL; youth, parent and employer sign before the first day | Copy for 3 years after the youth turns 18 or leaves | NC DOL youth employment certificate page |
| North Dakota | 14 and 15 | State Employment and Age Certificate filed with the Dept. of Labor and Human Rights | Evidence of age | ND DLHR youth employment page |
| Ohio | Minors of compulsory school age; 16 and 17 year olds need none for summer vacation jobs (proof of age and parent consent instead) | Superintendent of the home school district, or the head of a nonpublic school | Records of each minor's name, address, job, hours and wages, kept 2 years | R.C. 4109.02, 3331.01 and 4109.11 |
| Oklahoma | 14 and 15 | Principal or administrative officer of the minor's school, or parents if homeschooled | "Employers are legally required to have this certificate on file" | Oklahoma Dept. of Labor child labor page |
| Oregon | No individual permits for 14 to 17; the employer needs an annual BOLI certificate to employ minors | Employer applies to BOLI | Proof of age for each minor, a list of minors hired, and the certificate posted | Oregon BOLI minor workers page |
| Pennsylvania | All minors under 18; under 16 also need a parent's signed statement | The school district's issuing officer, in person or virtually | Employer notifies the issuing officer of duties, hours and permit number within 5 days | PA DLI Child Labor Act page and abstract LLC-5 |
| Rhode Island | 14 and 15 (Special Limited Permit to Work); no Certificate of Age for 16 and 17 since July 1, 2023 | School department in the city or town where the minor lives | Copy of the permit at the place of business | RI DLT child labor laws page |
| South Carolina | No one: "South Carolina does not issue Worker's Permits for minors" | Not applicable | Copy of a document showing birth date | SC LLR wages FAQ |
| South Dakota | No general permit in SDCL 60-12; a permit exists only when a minor's work is needed for family support | Not applicable | List and permits for those cases (60-12-6) | SDCL Chapter 60-12 |
| Tennessee | No one: "the state does not require work permits" | Not applicable | Proof of age, such as a birth certificate, driver's license, state ID or passport | Tennessee DLWD support article |
| Texas | TWC's child labor page lists no work permit; it offers an Application for Certificate of Age | Texas Workforce Commission | Not stated; an employer relying on an apparently valid certificate has a good-faith defense | Texas Workforce Commission |
| Utah | No one: "Minors are not required to have a work permit for employment purposes" | School districts give age information on request | Not stated | Utah Labor Commission |
| Vermont | Under 16, only to work during school hours | Commissioner of Labor, after a school record, proof of age and a physician's certificate | Certificate deposited with the employer | 21 V.S.A. 431 and 432 |
| Virginia | "All 14 and 15 year old workers in Virginia are required to obtain an Employment Certificate" | Virginia DOLI, online through VAeECS or by mail | Signed certificates, time records and proof of age for inspection | Virginia DOLI youth employment page |
| Washington | All minors under 18: the employer needs a minor work permit endorsement for each location, plus a Parent/School Authorization form for each minor | Endorsement through the Department of Revenue; form signed by employer, minor, school official and parent, expiring September 30 each year | Completed authorization form and proof of age for each teen | Washington L&I; L&I news release 21-029 |
| West Virginia | 14 and 15 (age certificate); 16 and 17 only for junior volunteer firefighting | WV Division of Labor Commissioner, since July 11, 2025 | Not stated | WV Division of Labor child labor FAQ |
| Wisconsin | Under 16 | DWD Equal Rights Division, online | A valid permit for each minor before work starts | Wisconsin DWD employment of minors guide |
| Wyoming | No one: "Wyoming does not require minors to obtain work permits" | Not applicable | Proof of age on file | Wyoming DWS youth FAQ |
The three groups at a glance
- A permit or certificate at 16 and 17 (17 states): Alabama (employer certificate), Alaska (16, and 17 at employers licensed for alcohol), California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii (certificate of age), Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio (during the school year), Oregon (employer certificate), Pennsylvania, Washington.
- Only under 16 (17 states): Colorado and Minnesota (school hours only), Georgia, Illinois, Kansas (if not in school), Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire (16 and 17 need parent permission instead), New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Vermont (school hours only), Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.
- No permit (13 states): Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Nevada (except under 14), South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wyoming. Most of these still require the employer to keep proof of age.
What employers must keep
Retention rules differ. North Carolina employers keep the certificate 3 years after the youth turns 18 or leaves. Connecticut employers keep working papers until 2 years after the minor turns 18. Missouri requires 2 years, Nebraska 12 months after the job ends, and Louisiana 14 days after. Massachusetts employers return the permit if a minor leaves before 18. In states with no permit, such as Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wyoming, the employer keeps proof of age instead (state pages above, viewed October 19, 2026).
For you, this means bringing an original ID to the first day and keeping your own copy of the permit. In Maine and Massachusetts each permit covers one job, so a new job means a new permit (state pages above).
Before you apply
Check the posting for an age line; jobs that hire at 16 lists employers whose pages state an age, and jobs for 14 and 15 year olds covers the stricter federal rules at those ages. Summer programs set their own deadlines; see summer jobs for teens. After you start, your first paycheck explained walks through the deductions.
Current openings
See retail jobs nationwide, or by city: New York, where minors need working papers, and Miami and Dallas, in states with no permit.
Source-linked openings
Current source-linked listings could not be confirmed in this sample. Check the category search and each original posting for availability.
How to verify a listing
Every opening on JobPin links to its source posting. Open it, check the date, and confirm the minimum age on the employer's own site. A permit form comes from your school, your state labor department, or the state's own website, never from a stranger who asks for a fee. Do not send a Social Security number or a photo of your ID to anyone before a real job offer; see job scams warning signs and how JobPin verifies listings.
How JobPin dates and sources listings: How JobPin verifies listings and events. Report a listing.