How to Fill Out the AT-17 Application for Employment Certificate (Working Papers)

To fill out the AT-17 application for working papers in New York, a minor and their parent or guardian complete Part I of the form together, gather proof of age and a completed AT-16 physical fitness certification, and bring everything to the issuing office at the minor’s school or school district. An official then verifies the documents, fills in the remaining parts, and issues the employment certificate. The AT-17 is a free, fillable PDF from the New York State Education Department, and there is no fee to apply.¹

What to Gather Before You Open the Form

You need three things in hand before Part I makes sense to fill out: proof of age, a physical fitness certification, and a parent or guardian willing to sign.

Proof of Age

New York Education Law sets a strict order of preference for age documents, and the issuing official will ask for the highest-ranked one you can produce:

A certified transcript of a birth certificate or a certified record of baptism showing date of birth.
If neither exists, a passport showing the minor’s date of birth.
If a passport is also unavailable, other documentary or recorded evidence that has existed for at least two years and satisfies the issuing official. An affidavit of age is never accepted.²

You bring the document; you don’t write anything about it on the form. The issuing official records what they reviewed in Part II.

Physical Fitness Certification (Form AT-16)

Every applicant must submit documentation of a physical examination given within the 12 months before the certificate is issued. The exam has to be performed by a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner authorized to practice in New York.¹ The provider records the result on Form AT-16, “Physical Fitness Certification”: Part A confirms the minor is physically qualified for lawful employment, and Part B is used when the minor has a disability that limits the type of work they can do.³ If Part B is marked, the issuing official will issue a Limited Employment Certificate valid for no more than six months, or longer if the limitation is permanent.

A recent school physical often counts, so long as it falls inside that 12-month window. If your exam is expired, the issuing office will hand you a blank AT-16 to take to a healthcare provider.

One change to watch: legislation signed as part of New York’s FY26 state budget eliminates the physical fitness certificate requirement effective May 9, 2027.⁴ For any application submitted before that date, the AT-16 is still required.

A Parent or Guardian to Sign

Part I requires a parent or guardian’s written consent. For most certificates, the signature is enough and the parent doesn’t have to appear in person. The exception is a first-time full-time employment certificate: the parent or guardian must appear at the school or issuing center to sign, unless the minor is a high school graduate and presents proof of graduation.¹

Choosing the Certificate Type on the Form

Part I asks you to check which certificate you’re applying for. The single AT-17 covers every certificate type; the issuing official issues the correct colored card based on your age and school status. Your options are:

Student Non-Factory Employment Certificate (AT-18, blue): For 14- and 15-year-olds working during vacations or after school. Not valid for factory work or construction.
Student General Employment Certificate (AT-19, green): For 16- and 17-year-olds attending school who plan to work during vacations or after school. Covers factory and non-factory jobs.
Full-Time Employment Certificate: For 16- or 17-year-olds who have left school and need to work full time.

Two separate permits — the Newspaper Carrier Permit (AT-23) and the Street Trades Permit (AT-26) — use different application forms, not the AT-17.⁵ Once issued, an AT-17 certificate is good for an unlimited number of successive jobs in the type of work it authorizes, so you don’t reapply when you change employers.¹

Filling In Part I: The Section You Actually Complete

Part I is where the applicant and parent do their work. Enter the minor’s full name, age, and home address. Check the box for the certificate type. The parent or guardian signs the consent line. That is the entire section.

Write clearly if you’re filling out a printed copy, or type into the fillable PDF before printing. Don’t sign anywhere else on the form — the other signature lines belong to the healthcare provider (on the AT-16), the issuing official, and, in narrow cases, the employer.

When You Also Need Part IV: Pledge of Employment

Most applicants skip Part IV. It only applies in two situations:

The minor has a medical limitation marked on the AT-16, so the issuing official needs to see the specific job before deciding whether it fits within that limitation.
A 16-year-old is legally withdrawing from school in a district that requires unemployed 16- to 17-year-olds to attend school, and must show proof of a job.

In either case, the prospective employer fills in Part IV with a description of the work, the job location, the expected schedule, and their signature.¹ You bring the form to the employer before you submit it to the issuing office.

Parts the Issuing Official Completes

Leave the rest of the form blank. Part II (Evidence of Age), Part V (Schooling Record, which only applies to certain 16-year-olds leaving school), and Part VI (Employment Certification) are all filled in by the issuing official at the school or district office. Your job is to hand over the documents; theirs is to verify and record.

Where to Submit the Application

A minor may apply at any of three offices: the school district where they live, the school they attend, or the school district where the job is located.⁶ Most students walk their AT-17 into their own school’s guidance office. If you don’t attend a New York school — say you live out of state but have a summer job in New York — contact the school district where the employer is located.

Bring the completed Part I of the AT-17, your proof of age, and the AT-16. The official reviews the documents, completes Parts II, V (if applicable), and VI, and hands you the actual employment certificate card. There is no fee.¹ The fillable AT-17 PDF is available from the NYSED website, so you can print or type in Part I before you go.

Starting in 2027, New York plans to launch a statewide online portal for electronic working papers.⁶ Until then, the process is in person and on paper.

After You Get the Certificate

Hand the certificate to your employer on or before your first day. The employer keeps it on file at the worksite while you work there and must post a schedule of hours that identifies minor employees.⁷ When the job ends, the employer returns the certificate to you.⁸ You give it to your next employer without reapplying. The certificate requirement ends the day you turn 18.

What the Certificate Does Not Cover

Working papers authorize employment, but they don’t override New York’s limits on when minors can work or which occupations are off-limits. Hours are capped by age and by whether school is in session, and no minor may work more than 6 days per week.⁹ Federal law also bars workers under 18 from a defined list of hazardous nonagricultural occupations, and New York has its own state-prohibited occupations list; when both apply, the stricter rule controls.¹⁰ Check both lists before you accept a job.

One boundary worth naming: a handful of low-risk situations don’t require working papers at all, including babysitting at the children’s home, caddying, casual yard work, certain farm work for a parent, and some campus jobs for college students 16 and older. Those exemptions apply only when school attendance is not required.¹¹ If your situation fits one of them, you may not need to fill out an AT-17 in the first place.

1
New York State Education Department. Application for Employment Certificate
2
New York State Senate. New York Code EDN 3218 – Evidence of Age
3
The State Education Department. New York Physical Fitness Certification
4
New York State Senate. New York Code EDN 3217 – Procedure for Issuance of Employment Certificates
5
New York State Department of Labor. Working Papers
6
New York State Education Department. Employment of Minors – Working Papers
7
New York State Education Department. Introduction of Two New Documents for Minors Receiving Working Papers
8
New York State Senate. New York Code EDN 3216 – Employment Certificates
9
New York State Education Department. Working Papers Hours for Minors
10
U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 43 – Child Labor Provisions of the FLSA for Nonagricultural Occupations
11
New York State Senate. New York Code EDN 3215 – Unlawful Employment