Get Massachusetts Work Permit

If you live in Massachusetts, go to the school superintendent for the town where you live or go to school. Your superintendent may have designated someone in your school to issue work permits. If you do not live in Massachusetts, go to the superintendent of schools for the town where you will be working.

Questions about this application should be directed to the Department of Labor Standards at (617) 626-6952. If you are under 18 years of age, you must obtain a work permit before starting a new job.

Persons under 14 may not work. There are a few exceptions to this such as working as news carriers, on farms, and in entertainment (with a special permit).

All minors under the age of 18 must complete an employment permit application and get their permit before starting a new job. You can download Youth employment permit application and Youth Permit Process.

Child labor laws limit the hours workers under 18 can work and the kinds of jobs that they can do. State law also requires employers to have Youth Employment Permits (work permits) on file for all workers under 18. In Massachusetts, children under 14 may not work, except in very limited cases.

What is the Massachusetts under 18 minimum wage? Massachusetts employers may pay 18 year olds and minors the youth minimum wage of $4.25 for the first 90 days of employment. Other labor law exemptions for minors in Massachusetts may exist.

You should bring with you proof of your age, such as your birth certificate, passport, or immigration record. The Superintendent, or the person your school (including a charter school) has authorized to issue work permits, will then issue you an Employment Permit.

With very limited exceptions, minors under the age of 14 may not work. All minors under the age of 18 must complete an employment permit application and get their permit before starting a new job. You can download Youth employment permit application and Youth Permit Process.