Overview
Minors must attend school full-time until the last day of the session in the school year in which the minor turns sixteen. School years run July 1 to June 30. A community can require minors who do not work to attend school full-time until the last day of session in the school year in which the minor turns 17. High school graduates, regardless of age, do not have to continue attending school. However, they must give their employer a Full-time Employment Certificate until they reach their 18th birthday.
Minimum Age For Employment
There are certain exceptions to these rules. Those exceptions are subject to the following employment certification rules:
- Minors not yet 14 may not be employed at any time:
- Not after school
- Not during vacation
- Minors 14 and 15 years old may work after school hours and during vacations, but not in factory work
- Minors 14 and 15 years old may:
- Do delivery and clerical work in any enclosed office of a factory
- Work in:
- Dry cleaning
- Tailor
- Shoe repair
- Similar service stores
- Minors 16 and 17 years of age, if not attending school, may work full time throughout the year
- Minors 16 and 17 years of age may work in factories if the work they perform is NOT listed as a Prohibited Occupation (see Related Content below)
Exceptions - Minimum Age For Employment
- Minors 12 years of age or older may work in the hand harvest of berries, fruits and vegetables
-
Minors 12 years of age or older may work outside school hours for their parents or guardians:
- On the home farm
- At other outdoor work not connected with a business
- Minors 11 years of age or older may work outside school hours as newspaper carriers to deliver or sell and deliver to homes or business places:
- Newspapers
- Shopping papers
- Periodicals
- Minors 14 years of age and older may work in street trades, i.e. selling newspapers or periodicals on streets or public places*
- Child performers at theatrical, radio, or television performances
- Child models