Almost every minor under 18 working in California needs a work permit, called the Permit to Employ and Work (CDE Form B1-4). The teen gets the application (Form B1-1) from school, the teen, employer and a parent fill it in, and the school issues the permit.
That's the process in two lines. The rules that matter are when a permit expires, who issues it in summer, and how many hours a teen can work in a school week. This guide uses the California Labor Commissioner's child labor pages and booklet and the California Department of Education's work permit FAQ, read in October 2026.
The three forms
| Form | Common name | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| CDE Form B1-1 | Work permit application (Statement of Intent to Employ a Minor and Request for a Work Permit) | Minor, employer and parent or guardian |
| CDE Form B1-4 | Work permit (Permit to Employ and Work) | Issued by the school, kept by the employer |
| CDE Form B1-8 | Self-certification form | Private school principals who issue permits |
How to get a California work permit, step by step
- Get a job offer first. The employer agrees to hire the minor.
- Pick up Form B1-1 from the minor's school.
- The minor and employer complete it, and the parent or guardian and employer sign it.
- Return it to the school. An authorised person there can issue the Permit to Employ and Work.
- The employer must hold the valid permit before the minor starts work.
During summer, or when school isn't in session, the permit comes from the superintendent of the school district where the minor lives. A minor can have more than one valid permit if they work for more than one employer, but the total hours across all jobs still can't go over the legal limit.
The expiry date nobody diarises
Here's the insight families and managers miss. A permit issued during the school year expires five days after the next school year opens, and it must be renewed. So the teen who's been working happily all summer can be out of date by the first week back. Put the date in the rota system the day the permit arrives.
Schools also have some discretion. The law says a school may issue a permit, not that it must, so a school can refuse or limit hours if it thinks the job will hurt the student's education.
Hour limits in California
| Rule (as of October 2026) | Ages 14 and 15 | Ages 16 and 17 |
|---|---|---|
| School day | 3 hours outside school hours | 4 hours |
| Non-school day | 8 hours | 8 hours |
| School week | 18 hours | 48 hours |
| Non-school week | 40 hours, 8 a day | 48 hours, 8 a day |
| Time of day | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., until 9 p.m. from June 1 to Labor Day | 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., until 12:30 a.m. before a non-school day |
Both age groups must have finished 7th grade to work while school is in session. Teens aged 14 or 15 can't work during school hours at all. Students in an approved Work Experience Education programme can sometimes work longer, and a 16 or 17 year old in that programme who works between 10 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. must be paid at least the adult minimum wage for those hours.
Who doesn't need a state permit
- Teens who've graduated from high school.
- Teens who've passed the California High School Proficiency Exam.
- A few other cases set out in the Labor Commissioner's booklet.
Even then, federal rules still require a certificate of age for employed minors under 18, and the top part of Form B1-1 can do that job. Entertainment work is different again: minors from 15 days to 18 years old need an entertainment work permit from the Labor Commissioner's Office, and the employer needs its own permit to employ.
Dropouts, volunteers and performers
A teen who's dropped out of school is still covered. The Labor Commissioner says dropouts are subject to California's compulsory education laws, so every child labor rule still applies to them. Unpaid work has its own paperwork too: a volunteer or unpaid trainee needs CDE Form B1-6, the Request for Volunteer or Unpaid Trainee Authorization. And for entertainment work, applicants aged 14 to 17 must complete sexual harassment prevention training before they can get an entertainment work permit.
New Jersey calls its version working papers and lets minors apply online, as NJ working papers explains.
What employers must keep, and the fines
The employer must hold a valid permit before and while the minor works. The school keeps copies of the application and permit until the end of the fourth year after it was issued. Breaking the hour rules is costly: the Labor Commissioner's booklet lists a first violation of the hours law as a Class B penalty of $500 and a second as $1,000, as of October 2026.
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Breaks follow the adult rules too, so read my guides to California meal breaks and California rest breaks before you set a teen's shift pattern.
My verdict
California's permit system is old-fashioned paper, but it works if you treat it as part of hiring, not an afterthought. Get the B1-1 signed before day one, track the expiry five days into the new school year, and build the school-week hour caps into your rota. For other states, my New York working papers guide shows how a fully digital system compares.
Frequently asked questions
Do minors need a work permit in California?
Yes. Except in limited cases, all minors under 18 employed in California must have a permit to work, and the employer must hold a valid Permit to Employ and Work first.
Where do you get a work permit in California?
From the minor's school. In summer or when school isn't in session, it comes from the superintendent of the school district where the minor lives.
When does a California work permit expire?
A permit issued during the school year expires five days after the next school year opens and must be renewed.
How many hours can a 16 year old work in California on a school day?
Four hours on a school day, eight on a non-school day, and up to 48 hours a week, between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Can a minor have more than one work permit in California?
Yes. A minor can work for more than one employer with a permit for each, but total hours across all jobs can't go over the legal limit.
