How to Get a Louisiana Work Permit for Minors

To get a Louisiana work permit for minors, the prospective employer completes an Application to Employ Minors form, a parent or legal guardian signs it, and the minor brings the signed form and proof of age to a school board office or high school, where an issuing officer typically hands over the employment certificate the same day.1Louisiana Workforce Commission. Employment for Minors The certificate must reach the employer before the minor’s first shift.

Who Needs a Work Permit

Every worker under 18 in Louisiana needs an employment certificate before starting a job.1Louisiana Workforce Commission. Employment for Minors Children under 14 cannot be employed at all in most industries.2Justia Law. Louisiana Code 23:162 – Minors Under Fourteen Employments Prohibited

Three situations sit outside the standard certificate process. Agricultural work and domestic service in private homes are exempt from Louisiana’s child labor rules entirely, so a teenager mowing a neighbor’s lawn or helping on a farm does not need a state certificate (federal agricultural rules may still apply).3Justia Law. Louisiana Code 23:151 – Application of Provisions4U.S. Department of Labor. State Child Labor Laws Applicable to Agricultural Employment Minors working in film, television, theater, modeling, or other performing arts follow a separate permit process handled by the employer rather than the regular employment certificate.5Louisiana Workforce Commission. Employment of Minors Informational Booklet

The certificate is tied to a specific job. If a minor leaves one employer and takes a job somewhere else, a new certificate is required for the new position. The rules apply year-round, in and out of the school year.

Step by Step: How to Get the Certificate

Three people have to touch the paperwork: the employer, a parent or guardian, and an authorized issuing officer at a school board office or high school.

What Counts as Proof of Age

The issuing officer verifies the minor’s date of birth from an official document. A birth certificate, a current valid Louisiana driver’s license, or another state-issued ID showing the date of birth will do.7Louisiana Workforce Commission. Tips for Employers – Young Workers Under 18 Years of Age Bring the original, not a photocopy.

Where to Go When School Is Closed

Summer break, winter holidays, and homeschooling do not stop the process. The minor can obtain a certificate at any school board office, at any high school that issues employment certificates, or at a local Louisiana Workforce Commission office.8Louisiana Workforce Commission. FAQs About Youth Employment Programs for an Employer Homeschooled students and students at virtual schools follow the same steps as everyone else.

One Certificate per Job

The employment certificate covers one employer and one set of job duties. Change jobs, and you start over. The application asks the employer to describe the work and the schedule for a reason: the certificate is issued in reliance on that description, so a move to a different employer, or a significant change in the nature of the work, means a fresh application.

What the Employer Has to Do After Hiring

The employer keeps the certificate on file for as long as the minor works there. It has to be accessible at the job site or in the immediate area of the work location so a state labor inspector can review it on request.5Louisiana Workforce Commission. Employment of Minors Informational Booklet An employer who cannot produce a valid certificate during an inspection is treated as having hired the minor without one.

What the Permit Does Not Authorize

Getting the certificate is only the first hurdle. Louisiana still restricts what jobs a minor can hold and how long they can work.

A long list of occupations is off-limits to anyone under 18, including mines and quarries, explosives, logging, sawmills, most metalworking, power-driven woodworking machines, elevators and hoisting machines, spray painting or work involving lead or poisonous chemicals, and cleaning or oiling machinery. Minors also cannot work at establishments where selling alcohol is the main business; a restaurant that also serves drinks is generally fine so long as the minor does not sell, mix, or serve alcohol. Driving on public roads as part of the job is barred for anyone 16 or under and sharply limited at 17.9Justia Law. Louisiana Code 23:161 – Minors Prohibited Employments

Hours are capped for younger teens. Workers who are 14 or 15 are limited to three hours on a school day and 18 hours in a school week, rising to eight hours a day and 40 a week when school is out, and they generally cannot work before 7:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. during the school year (9:00 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day).10Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code 23:214 – Minors Under Sixteen Maximum Hours When School in Session Sixteen- and 17-year-olds have no daily or weekly cap, but face nighttime restrictions before school days: no work between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. for 16-year-olds, and no work between midnight and 5:00 a.m. for 17-year-olds. A minor who has graduated from high school or earned a state-issued equivalency diploma is no longer subject to the school-day hour rules.11Justia Law. Louisiana Code 23:215 – Minors Prohibited Hours Maximum Work Week

Workers under 16 must get a 30-minute unpaid meal break for every five consecutive hours worked.12Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code 23:213 – Minors Under Sixteen Meal Period

Penalties for Skipping the Permit

An employer who hires a minor without a certificate, breaks the hour rules, or puts a minor in a prohibited job can face criminal and civil penalties at the same time. The criminal side runs from $100 to $500 in fines, 30 days to six months in jail, or both. A separate civil penalty of up to $500 applies per violation, and multiple infractions stack.13Louisiana Workforce Commission. Minor Labor Law State labor inspectors can show up at any worksite and ask to see the certificates, which is why the paperwork needs to be in place before the first shift.