Work Permits
Minors under 16 years old must obtain a work permit before beginning a job. This includes home-schoolers. They must get a new permit every time they begin a new job until they reach 16 years old, even if they work for their parents.
In order to apply for a work permit, the minor must be:
enrolled in school;
not habitually truant or under suspension; and
passing a majority of courses during the current grading period.
Employers must have a stamped, approved work permit on file before allowing any minor under 16 years old to work.
Once the minor has the promise of a job, she or he must take proof of age, via passport or original birth certificate, to April Schneider at the Office of the Superintendent of Schools, located at 469 US Route 1, York, Maine. Parental permission is required to work.
The Superintendent’s Office will complete the permit and submit it to the Maine Department of Labor. The Department will review the permit to ensure that the minor is of legal age to work at the business and that the occupation is not hazardous. If the permit is in order, the Department will validate the form, and return a copy to the Superintendent’s Office for you to pick up at your convenience.
The minor cannot work until the Department of Labor approves the permit.
The Maine work permit application can be found here: https://www.maine.gov/labor/labor_laws/publications/2018/work_permit_072018.pdf
For more information about the Work Permit program, please visit the Maine Department of Labor site.