HIRING WORKERS UNDER AGE 18
BEFORE hiring workers younger than 18 years old, you must do the following:
OBTAIN A MINOR WORK PERMIT
To obtain a Minor Work Permit, you must complete a Master License Application form and indicate that you are seeking a Minor Work Permit. The Department requires you to complete the entire form and pay $15 for submitting the form to get the Minor Work Permit.
Once received, the Department will respond in about 2 - 3 weeks with your Minor Work Permit. If you want the Permit more quickly, take the completed Master License Application form to a Department of Labor and Industries office and they can process the form there.
CLICK HERE for a Master License Application form. You need a PDF document reader to obtain this Application form. CLICK HERE to download a FREE PDF document readerPARENT SCHOOL AUTHORIZATION
You must have a completed Parent/School Authorization form competed for each worker under age 18.
CLICK HERE for a Parent/School Authorization form. You need a PDF document reader to obtain this Authorization form. CLICK HERE to download a FREE PDF document readerHOURS OF WORK
You must comply with the limitations on the number of hours a minor worker can work and the time of day they are allowed to work.
See page 2 of the Parent/School Authorization form for details on limitations on work hours for workers under age 18.
PROHIBITED WORK
You must ensure that workers under age 18 are not performing any of the work activities prohibited by state law.
RECORDS THAT MUST BE KEPT
You must keep a file for each minor worker you employ including their Parent/School Authorization form, variances, etc. for 3 years after they leave your employment.
Click Here to view parts of the Washington State law on what records an employer must keep for workers under age 18.DISCLAIMER
This is NOT a complete explanation of the laws related to hiring workers under age 18 but only highlights portions of major elements of those laws. Employers need to review the entire law to assure their compliance with all of its requirements.