Texas does not issue work permits, so there is nothing to apply for before starting a job at 16. What Texas uses instead is a Certificate of Age, a free document from the Texas Workforce Commission that an employer can request to confirm you meet the minimum age for the position. It is voluntary under state law, but most employers hiring teens will ask for one, so treating it as the Texas version of a work permit at 16 is a fair way to think about it.
The certificate is created by Texas Labor Code Chapter 51. Under Section 51.022, an employer “may require” a young worker to furnish a Certificate of Age, and any child who is at least 14 may apply to the Texas Workforce Commission for one.1Texas Workforce Commission. Texas Code – Employment of Children Once issued, it counts as conclusive proof of your age in any child labor enforcement proceeding, which is why employers like having it on file.
How to Apply for a Certificate of Age
The application is short, free, and handled by mail. You send in a completed form, a photo of yourself, and one document proving your age.
Acceptable Proof of Age
Under 40 Texas Administrative Code Section 817.5, the TWC accepts one of the following:2Cornell Law Institute. 40 Texas Administrative Code 817.5 – Certificate of Age
- A birth certificate
- A baptismal certificate showing your date of birth
- A life insurance policy on you that reflects your date of birth
- A passport or certificate of arrival issued within one year of the application date
- A school record or school census record, combined with a sworn parental statement and a physician’s certificate covering your age and physical development
A birth certificate or passport is the easiest option. A driver’s license is not on the list, even though some online guides suggest otherwise.
Parental Signature
The application form includes a signature line for a parent, guardian, or person with custody. TWC will not process it without that signature.3Texas Workforce Commission. Certificate of Age If you are using school records as your proof of age, a sworn parental statement is also required on top of the signature.
Where to Send It
Mail the completed application, your photo, and a copy of your proof-of-age document to:
Texas Workforce Commission
Wage and Hour Department
101 East 15th Street, Room 514
Austin, TX 78778-00013Texas Workforce Commission. Certificate of Age
TWC does not accept electronic submissions, so plan on standard mail. Processing usually takes several business days to two weeks, depending on volume. Once approved, TWC issues the certificate to you or directly to your employer.
How Many Hours You Can Work at 16
Texas caps daily and weekly hours only for 14- and 15-year-olds. Those younger workers can’t exceed eight hours a day or 48 hours a week and can’t work late on school nights.1Texas Workforce Commission. Texas Code – Employment of Children None of that applies at 16. There is no state or federal limit on how many hours per day or week a 16-year-old can work, and no restriction on the time of day.4Texas Law Help. Child Labor: Youth Minimum Wage Full-time summer hours, late closing shifts, and early-morning stocking are all allowed.
One protection does still apply. Texas requires employers to give workers under 18 an uninterrupted 30-minute break when they work more than five consecutive hours. Adult employees in Texas don’t automatically get that break, so it’s worth knowing you’re entitled to it.
Jobs You Still Can’t Take at 16
Flexible hours do not mean every job is open to you. Federal law lists 17 categories of work considered too hazardous for anyone under 18, and a Certificate of Age does not override any of them.5eCFR. 29 CFR Part 570 – Child Labor Regulations, Orders and Statements of Interpretation The prohibited categories include:
- Mining, including any work in or around coal mines
- Manufacturing or storing explosives
- Logging, timber tract work, sawmill operation, and forest fire fighting
- Operating power-driven meat-processing machines, slaughtering, and rendering
- Operating woodworking, metal-forming, bakery, and paper-products machines like balers and compactors
- Operating forklifts, cranes, and similar hoisting equipment
- Roofing and excavation
- Wrecking, demolition, and shipbreaking
- Work involving radioactive substances or ionizing radiation
Driving for Work Is Off-Limits
This one catches most 16-year-olds by surprise. Even though Texas issues driver’s licenses at 16, federal Hazardous Occupations Order No. 2 completely bars anyone under 17 from driving on public roads as part of a job, and it also bars serving as an outside helper on a delivery vehicle.6U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for Nonagricultural Occupations Pizza delivery, gig delivery apps, running bank deposits, and similar driving tasks are not available until you turn 17, and even at 17 the exception is narrow and hedged with conditions.7U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #34: Hazardous Occupations Order No. 2
What You’ll Earn and What Gets Withheld
Texas follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, and that rate applies to you at 16 just as it does to any adult. In a tipped job like bussing tables, an employer can pay a cash wage as low as $2.13 per hour as long as your tips bring you to at least $7.25 an hour overall; if they don’t, the employer has to make up the difference.8U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #15: Tipped Employees Under the Fair Labor Standards Act
Whether Social Security and Medicare taxes come out of your paycheck depends on who employs you. If your parent runs a sole proprietorship, or a partnership where both partners are your parents, your wages are exempt from those payroll taxes until you turn 18.9Internal Revenue Service. Family Employees Work for anyone else, including a corporation your parent owns, and the taxes apply normally.
You may also need to file a federal income tax return. As a dependent on your parents’ return, you generally have to file if your earned income tops the standard deduction for dependents. For 2025 that threshold was the greater of $1,350 or your earned income plus $450.10Internal Revenue Service. Check if You Need to File a Tax Return The IRS adjusts these figures each year. Even if you fall below the threshold, filing is worth it when federal income tax was withheld from your checks, because filing is how you get that money back.