Skip to main content
Student Services Center » Work Permits

Work Permits

Student Work Permits

A work permit is a legal document required by the state of California that allows a person under 18 years of age to hold a job. You may get a work permit from your local public high school. There are four steps in obtaining a work permit: 
  1. Obtain the work permit from the Main Office or download the form that is on this webpage.
  2. Fill out the personal information at the top of the form, have your prospective employer fill out the middle portion, and have a parent and/or guardian sign the bottom portion. 
  3. Return the completed work permit form to the Main Office or email it to Ms. Lynn Pragastis at [email protected]. 
  4. Bring the completed work permit back to your prospective employer. 
It generally takes 24 hours to process the Work Permit. Ms. Pragastis will call or email the student to let them know when they can pick up their work permit from the Main Office. The office hours are 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM when school is in session. Please note that they student must pick up the work permit as we require their original signature on the form. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1.   At what age can I get a work permit? Minors aged 12 through 17 are required to get work permits before starting a job. A minor under the age of 12 cannot receive a work permit except in the entertainment industry. There are a few exceptions to these rules. No work permit is required for the following jobs:
    • Certain agricultural industry jobs
    • Odd jobs in private homes such as gardening and babysitting
    • Newspaper delivery jobs
    • Casual work in a family-owned business
    • Self-employment 
 
2.   Does a work permit require school attendance? Minors under 18 years of age must attend school to get a work permit. If a student graduates from high school before age 18, he/she/they no longer need a work permit. 
 
3.   Can a work permit be taken away? Yes, the work permit can be cancelled and taken away at any time by a high school administrator. In addition, a work permit can be cancelled at a parent/guardians request with good reason. Good reasons for canceling a work permit include: job does not fit legal requirements for minors, hours scheduled create a truancy problem for the student, or demands of job are causing student to fail classes at school. 
 
4.   When does a work permit expire? A minor must obtain a work permit for each job. A work permit is no longer valid when a minor quits or leaves a job. A new work permit application must be filled out for each new job. In addition, all work permits in the state of California expire five days after the opening of school in the fall. This is to insure that all minors report to school in the fall before continuing to work after summer vacation. Therefore, if a minor obtained a job and work permit in June and still had the same job in September, the work permit would expire. The minor would need to obtain a new work permit for the new school year even though it was for the same continuing job. 

More Information

For more information regarding work permits for minors, child labor laws, and entertainment work permits, please visit the California Department of Industrial Relations online resources.