A Pennsylvania work permit for minors is issued by the school district where the minor lives, and every worker under 18 needs one on file with their employer before the first day on the job.1Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Child Labor Act – Department of Labor and Industry The permit itself is free and easy to obtain. The rules that come with it — hour caps, break requirements, prohibited jobs — are where most families and employers run into trouble.
Who Needs a Permit
Any minor under 18 taking a job in Pennsylvania needs a work permit, whether the work is part-time, full-time, or seasonal.1Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Child Labor Act – Department of Labor and Industry This covers private businesses, nonprofits, and entertainment productions.
Children under 14 generally cannot be employed at all. The narrow exceptions are newspaper carriers, allowed at 11 and up, and golf caddies, allowed at 12 and up. Most permits go to teens between 14 and 17.
A few situations sit outside the permit requirement. A child of any age can work on a farm owned or operated by a parent without a permit or hour restrictions. On non-family farms, minors 14 and older working outside school hours are generally exempt from both state and federal child labor rules, though seasonal farm work for 14- to 17-year-olds does require a permit and follows the standard Child Labor Act rules. Newspaper carriers and golf caddies also fall outside the normal permit framework but remain subject to some limits on hours and conditions. If you’re not sure a job qualifies, ask the school district’s issuing officer before the minor starts.
How to Apply
Pennsylvania issues a single, wallet-size, transferable permit that stays valid from the date it’s issued until the minor turns 18.2Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Child Labor Law – Department of Education The minor keeps the original and gives a copy to each employer. There’s no separate permit per job.
To apply, the minor brings proof of age to the school district’s administrative office: a birth certificate, passport, or baptismal certificate. If none of those is available, the issuing officer can accept a school record or other official document showing the date of birth. The application form comes from the district, and some districts accept online submissions. The minor signs the application in front of the issuing officer, who verifies the documents and issues the permit at no charge.
For minors under 16, a parent or legal guardian must also sign the LLC-75, a separate acknowledgment form confirming that the parent understands the duties and hours and grants permission for the employment.3Department of Labor & Industry. Parental Acknowledgement of Minors Duties and Hours of Employment Minors 16 or 17 don’t need parental sign-off on the permit itself.
The issuing officer, typically a guidance counselor or administrator, verifies enrollment and acceptable academic standing. A district can deny a permit for excessive absences or poor grades, and the minor or parent can request a review of that decision. Homeschooled minors follow the same process but may need to show they meet Pennsylvania’s homeschooling requirements.
What the Employer Has to Do
Each employer must notify the issuing officer in writing within five days of hiring the minor and again within five days of the minor leaving the job.2Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Child Labor Law – Department of Education The employer must keep a copy of the permit on file and maintain accurate records of the days and hours actually worked, including break times.
Hour Limits by Age
Pennsylvania’s hour rules depend on the minor’s age and whether school is in session. Where state and federal law differ, the stricter standard applies.4U.S. Department of Labor. Selected State Child Labor Standards Affecting Minors Under 18 in Non-farm Employment
Ages 14 and 15
When school is in session, 14- and 15-year-olds can work up to three hours on a school day and 18 hours in a school week (Monday through Friday). Shifts must fall between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.1Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Child Labor Act – Department of Labor and Industry
During school vacation periods, the limits open up to eight hours per day and 40 hours per week, with shifts allowed until 9 p.m. The 9 p.m. cutoff ties to when the minor’s own school district is on vacation, not a fixed calendar date. A minor whose school lets out in late May has different summer hours than one whose school runs through mid-June. No minor in this age group can work more than six days in a row.
Ages 16 and 17
During the school term, 16- and 17-year-olds can work up to eight hours on any day and 28 hours in a school week, with shifts between 6 a.m. and midnight. They can pick up additional hours on Saturdays and Sundays beyond the 28-hour weekly cap.
During school vacations, the daily limit rises to 10 hours and the weekly limit to 48 hours, with shifts permitted until 1 a.m.1Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Child Labor Act – Department of Labor and Industry A minor can refuse any request to work more than 44 hours in a week. Six consecutive days of work is the maximum.
Required Breaks
No minor can be employed for more than five continuous hours without a break of at least 30 minutes. A rest period shorter than 30 minutes does not count as interrupting that continuous stretch, so a quick 15-minute pause won’t reset the clock. Employers must record the actual start and end times of every break in their payroll records.
Jobs Minors Cannot Do
The Child Labor Act bars minors from occupations classified as hazardous under state and federal rules. The prohibited list includes crane operation, electrical work, excavation, roofing, woodworking, and demolition. That list isn’t exhaustive: any job involving dangerous equipment, weapons, or hazardous substances is off limits.
For 14- and 15-year-olds, the restrictions run tighter. Federal rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act limit this age group to a narrow set of occupations, mostly retail, food service, and office work. Jobs involving cooking over an open flame, operating power-driven equipment, or working in warehouses and construction sites are prohibited regardless of how safe the specific workplace claims to be.
Extra Clearances for Certain Jobs
Some jobs require background clearances on top of the work permit. Positions involving direct contact with children — day camp counselor, daycare assistant, after-school program worker — require three clearances under the Child Protective Services Law: a Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance, a Pennsylvania State Police Criminal History Clearance, and an FBI Criminal History Clearance.5Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Child Abuse Clearances – Department of Human Services The employer cannot let the minor start until all three come back.
Healthcare facilities and nursing homes may impose their own background check requirements under state protective services regulations. A minor applying to a hospital, assisted living facility, or home care agency should expect paperwork beyond the work permit.
Pay Rules
Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, matching the federal floor, and it applies to minors like any other employee.6U.S. Department of Labor. State Minimum Wage Laws Pennsylvania allows employers to pay a training wage of 85% of minimum wage, or $6.16 per hour, to workers under 20 during an initial training period. Once that period ends, the full minimum wage applies.
Overtime rules apply too. If a minor works more than 40 hours in a week — possible only during school vacations for older teens — the employer must pay time-and-a-half for hours beyond 40, just as for an adult.
Losing the Permit and Employer Penalties
Permits can be pulled. If a school district finds that a student’s grades or attendance have dropped because of work, officials can suspend or revoke the permit, and the employer must end the employment immediately.
On the employer side, the Department of Labor & Industry’s Bureau of Labor Law Compliance enforces the Child Labor Act. Civil penalties can reach $5,000 per violation.7Department of Labor and Industry. L&I Fines Wendys Franchise Owner $300,000 for Child Labor Violations at 21 Restaurants in Southeast Pennsylvania A first criminal offense is a summary offense carrying a $500 fine per violation. A repeat offender faces $1,500 per violation and up to 10 days in jail.
How to Report a Violation
Anyone can file a complaint about a suspected child labor violation — the minor, a parent, a coworker, or a community member. The fastest route is the online complaint form on the Department of Labor & Industry’s website.8Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. File a Child Labor Complaint The Bureau of Labor Law Compliance investigates and has the authority to inspect employer records, interview workers, and impose penalties without a court order.