Work Permits

Who Needs a Work Permit? (Including Summer)

Minors under the age of 18 are required to have a work permit prior to starting work. Minors under the age of 18 cannot be employed or permitted to work, with or without pay, or volunteer until the person, company, business, firm or corporation proposing to employ the minor obtains and keeps on file at the minor’s place of employment (work location) a current and valid age and color appropriate work permit, which has been issued by a state of Michigan issuing officer of the school district, intermediate school district, public school academy or nonpublic school prior to starting work.

How to Obtain Work Permit

The minor first must go in person to a state of Michigan school district, intermediate school district, public school academy or nonpublic school official designated as an issuing officer and provide one of the following acceptable forms of evidence of age:

Minors seeking employment who are homeschooled shall be issued a work permit by the state of Michigan issuing officer of the school district, intermediate school district, public school academy, or nonpublic school in which the minor’s residence or prospective employer is located.  The minor must present a signed, written statement from the parent or guardian, as the instructor of record, indicating how many hours per week the student is being homeschooled (Nonpublic and Home School information).  The state of Michigan issuing officer will attach the parent/guardian statement to the work permit and keep a copy of the statement with their copy of the work permit filed at the school.

• A certified copy of birth record or other proof of age showing the place and date of birth
• A certified copy of valid operator’s license issued by this state showing date of birth
• The school record or the school census record
• The sworn statement of minor’s parent/guardian and statement from physician
• If a minor comes from another state to work in Michigan, the minor should bring a certified birth certificate and an unofficial transcript from the out-of-state school attended which includes the school’s complete name, address, city, state, zip code, county and telephone number.

The minor and parent/guardian must complete Section I of the work permit in its entirety (all areas must be completed).

The minor then takes the work permit to the employer, after completing Section I, and the employer must complete Section II of the work permit, in its entirety (all areas must be completed including listing all work the minor will be performing, equipment and/or tools minor will use, starting and ending hours to be worked, number of days per week to be worked and number of hours per days to be worked, etc).

The minor must take the work permit, after the employer has completed Section II, in person to a state of Michigan school district, intermediate school district, public school academy or nonpublic school official designated issuing officer for review and to complete section III.

The issuing officer must copy the work permit and place the work permit in the minor’s permanent school file and return the original work permit to the minor.The minor must give the original work permit (after the designated official issuing officer has reviewed and approved by signing and dating) to the person, company, business, firm or corporation prior to start of work which is kept on file at the minor’s place of employment.

Download Work Permits Here: