To get a work permit in Ohio for a minor, the student, a parent, the employer, and a physician each complete part of an application, and the finished packet goes to the superintendent of the school district where the minor lives. Ohio calls this document an Age and Schooling Certificate, and only certificates filed electronically with the Ohio Department of Commerce are valid.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 3331.01
Who Needs One
Anyone 14 or 15 years old needs a valid Age and Schooling Certificate for any job in Ohio, year-round, summer included. Workers who are 16 or 17 need one only while school is in session; once summer break starts, they can work without a permit as long as the job is not in agriculture or a prohibited hazardous occupation.2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4109.02 – Age and Schooling Certificate for Minor of Compulsory School Age Teens who have graduated or earned a GED are generally exempt. Children under 14 cannot be issued a certificate at all.
A few jobs sit outside the permit system entirely. Newspaper delivery is exempt, and so is agricultural work on a farm operated by the minor’s parents, grandparents, or guardians when the minor is a member of that household. Working on a neighbor’s farm or for a commercial agricultural operation does not qualify for the household exemption.3Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4109.06
What to Gather Before You Apply
The certificate is issued only when the whole packet is complete. Assembling everything first is what keeps this from turning into multiple trips to the school office.
The Application and Proof of Age
The Application for Minor Work Permit asks for the student’s name, date of birth, address, grade level, and school district. A parent or guardian signs to confirm they approve of the employment.4Ohio Department of Commerce. Application for Minor Work Permit Proof that the minor is at least 14 comes with it. A birth certificate is the standard document, but a passport, baptismal record, or other documentation the superintendent considers satisfactory also works.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 3331.01
The Pledge of Employer
The employer completes a separate section of the same form called the Pledge of Employer. It must list the work location, the specific nature of the job, the number of days per week, hours per day, and start and stop times. The employer’s tax identification number is required. By signing, the employer agrees to follow Ohio’s minor-labor laws and to give the minor a written copy of the wage agreement.4Ohio Department of Commerce. Application for Minor Work Permit A signed pledge means there is already a specific job lined up; the certificate is tied to that employer.
The Physician’s Certificate
The minor also needs a physical exam confirming fitness for the job duties. A physician, physician assistant, certified nurse practitioner, or district health commissioner signs the Physician’s Certificate for Minor Work Permit.5Ohio Department of Commerce. Ohio Physician’s Certificate for Minor Work Permit A recent athletic physical often satisfies this requirement, so it is worth asking before scheduling a separate visit. The certificate stays valid as long as the minor keeps working in duties similar to those originally described.
Where to Submit and How It Is Issued
Once the application, proof of age, employer pledge, and physician’s certificate are all in hand, the minor brings the packet to the superintendent of the school district where the minor lives, or to the chief administrative officer of the private or community school the minor attends.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 3331.01 Most districts route these requests to a designated staff member at the school office. That official reviews each document, confirms the minor is at least 14, and checks that the described job falls within legal limits.
Every Age and Schooling Certificate must be filed electronically with the Ohio Department of Commerce, and only electronically filed certificates are valid.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 3331.01 The state runs an online portal for this at minorworkpermit.com.ohio.gov.6Ohio Department of Commerce. Minor Work Permits Most school offices process complete packets within a few business days. After the certificate is issued, the minor should give a copy to the employer before the first shift.
A minor who lives outside Ohio but works in Ohio applies through the superintendent of the school district where the job is located, not where the minor lives.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 3331.01
Homeschooled Students
Homeschooled teens over 16 who are exempt from school enrollment under Ohio law can skip the superintendent step. A parent may issue the Age and Schooling Certificate directly by signing the parent section of the application and leaving the superintendent’s signature line blank.7Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 3331.04 – Certificate for Child Over Sixteen Attaching a copy of ORC 3331.04(C) to the paperwork helps, since some employers have not seen this route before. Homeschooled 14- and 15-year-olds still go through the superintendent of the public school district where they reside.
Once the Permit Is Issued
The certificate authorizes the specific job the employer described. A different job means a new certificate. A few limits apply immediately once work starts:
Work Hour Limits
During the school year, a 14- or 15-year-old cannot work before 7:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m., and is capped at three hours on a school day and 18 hours in a school week. During summer break and school holidays of five or more days, the evening cutoff shifts to 9:00 p.m., with up to eight hours a day and 40 hours a week allowed. A 16- or 17-year-old who is still required to attend school cannot work past 11:00 p.m. on a night before a school day, and cannot start before 7:00 a.m. on a school day, though a 6:00 a.m. start is allowed if work ended by 8:00 p.m. the previous night. No minor of any age can be required to work more than five consecutive hours without a 30-minute rest break, which is unpaid.8Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4109.07 – Restrictions on Hours of Employment
Prohibited Jobs
Ohio’s Director of Commerce lists occupations considered hazardous or harmful to minors, and no minor may work in them.9Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4109 – Employment of Minors The list is longest for 14- and 15-year-olds, who are barred from manufacturing, mining, construction, most power-driven machinery, warehouse work beyond office tasks, most restaurant cooking and all baking, meat slicers and freezers, and loading or unloading trucks and rail cars, among other tasks.10Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Administrative Code Rule 4101:9-2-02 – Prohibited Occupations for Minors Additional hazardous-occupation orders apply to all minors under 18, covering explosives, roofing, excavation, logging, and power-driven metalworking or woodworking machinery. Where both Ohio and federal rules apply, the stricter one controls.
Employer Duties After Hiring
The employer must review the Age and Schooling Certificate before the minor starts work, post a list of all minors employed at the location where those employees can see it, and post or make available online the abstract of Ohio minor-labor laws furnished by the Director of Commerce.11Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4109.0312Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4109.08 – Enforcing Age and Schooling Certificate Requirements If the minor quits or is fired, the employer notifies the issuing superintendent within five working days and states the reason. The superintendent can revoke a certificate at any time for noncompliance, a change in the minor’s physical condition, or other sufficient cause, in which case the minor must stop working until a new one is issued.
Pay
Ohio’s 2026 minimum wage is $11.00 per hour, but workers under 16 are paid at the federal minimum of $7.25.13Ohio.gov. 2026 Minimum Wage Once a minor turns 16, they are entitled to the full $11.00 Ohio rate. Some employers keep paying the lower rate past a 16th birthday out of habit, so it is worth watching the first paycheck after that date.