Work Permit Request

A work permit is a legal document required by the state of California that allows a person under 18 years of age to hold a job. You may get a work permit from your local public high school.

There are four steps in obtaining a work permit:

1. Obtain a work permit application at your local high school (or the application form may be downloaded from the California State Department of Education website(click here).

2. Fill out the personal information at the top of the application, get your prospective employer to fill out the information required in the middle portion, and have a parent or guardian sign the bottom portion of the application.

3. Return the completed work permit application to Mrs. Benitez by emailing cbenitez@riversideunified.org  or calling her at (951) 788-7308 ext 42612, where the work permit will be processed and typed. It usually takes 48 hours to process.

4. Bring the typed work permit back to the prospective employer.

Minors aged 12 through 17 are required to get work permits before starting a job. A minor under the age of 12 cannot receive a work permit except in the entertainment industry. There are a few exceptions to these rules. No work permit is required for the following jobs: 1) certain agricultural industry jobs, 2) odd jobs in private homes such as gardening and babysitting, 3) newspaper delivery jobs, 4) casual work in a family-owned business, and 5) self-employment.

Minors under 18 years of age must attend school to get a work permit. If a student graduates from high school before age 18, he or she no longer needs a work permit. If a student passes the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) or the G.E.D. before the age of 18, he or she no longer needs a work permit. When an employer hires someone under 18 years old who has graduated, passed the CHSPE or G.E.D., the document verifying that fact must be given to the employer as proof that no work permit is required. Minors between 16 and 18 years of age who have dropped out of school must be enrolled in continuation or adult school classes for at least four hours per week before getting a work permit. Emancipated minors must attend school in order to get a work permit. Emancipated minors are those who have gone through court proceedings to be legally separated and freed from the control of their parents for certain reasons. Emancipated minors are still required to get a work permit before being employed, but may obtain the work permit without parental consent and signature.

Yes, the work permit can be cancelled and taken away at any time by a high school administrator. In addition, a work permit can be cancelled at a parent's request with good reason. Good reasons for canceling a work permit include: the job does not fit legal requirements for minors, the hours scheduled create a truancy or absence problem for the student, or the demands of the job are causing the student to fail classes at school.

A minor must obtain a work permit for each job. A work permit is no longer valid when a minor quits or leaves a job. A new work permit application must be filled out for each new job. In addition, all work permits in the state of California expire five days after the opening of school in the fall. This is to ensure that all minors report to school in the fall before continuing to work after summer vacation. Therefore, if a minor obtained a job and work permit in June and still had that same job in September, the work permit would expire. The minor would need to obtain a new work permit for the new school year, even though it was for the same continuing job.