In New York, anyone aged 14 to 17 needs working papers, officially an employment certificate, to hold a job. School officials issue them. There are different certificates for 14 and 15-year-olds, 16 and 17-year-olds in school, and 16 and 17-year-olds who have left school, and the process goes digital in 2027.
If you're a parent, a teenager or a business hiring one, this is everything the New York State Department of Labor says about working papers, read in October 2026.
Which working papers you need
| Certificate | Colour | Who it's for | What it allows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student Non-Factory Employment Certificate, AT-18 | Blue | 14 and 15-year-olds | Permitted jobs after school and in vacations; no factory work |
| Student General Employment Certificate, AT-19 | Green | 16 and 17-year-olds attending school | Factory and other work after school and in vacations; not hazardous work |
| Full-Time Employment Certificate, AT-20 | Salmon | 16 and 17-year-olds not attending school or leaving for full-time work | Factory or other work; not hazardous work |
No certificate allows hazardous work such as cleaning, oiling, wiping or adjusting belts on machinery. Other permits cover farm work and street trades: AT-25 (white) for 12 and 13-year-olds hand-harvesting berries, fruit and vegetables, AT-24 (yellow) for 14 and 15-year-olds on farms, and AT-26 (ivory) for self-employed 14 to 18-year-olds selling newspapers or periodicals.
How to get working papers, step by step
- Get a physical exam. You need a doctor's statement from the last 12 months saying you're physically fit, and a sports physical done at school counts.
- Gather proof of age, such as a birth certificate, a state-issued photo ID, a driver's license or a passport.
- Take them to your school. School officials issue all working papers except child performer permits, so the guidance office is the place to start.
- Give the certificate to your employer, who keeps it on file while you work there.
If you've lost your Social Security card or don't have photo ID, the Department's page links to ways to replace them, including the New York State non-driver photo ID card.
Newspaper routes, farm work and performers
Some groups get their own permits. Young people aged 11 to 18 who deliver newspapers, or sell and deliver them to homes or businesses, need a newspaper carrier permit and must carry it while working. On the farm permits, each employer must sign the permit and the young worker carries it on the job. Child performers need a child performer permit, and that's the one type of working paper the school doesn't issue.
The 2027 digital switch
Here's the change most families and employers haven't heard about. In 2027 the Department will move working papers online. Instead of exchanging and filing a paper certificate, young workers and businesses will use a one-stop portal run by the Department, and any business planning to employ workers under 18 will need to create an account on it. If you hire teenagers, expect to set that up before your 2027 summer hiring.
How many hours teenagers can work
The Department describes New York's child labor law as one of the strictest in the country. During weeks when school is in session, 14 and 15-year-olds in most jobs can't work:
- more than 3 hours on a school day,
- more than 8 hours on a Saturday or non-school day,
- more than 18 hours in a week, or
- more than 6 days in a week.
When school is closed for a full calendar week or more, minors under 18 can work up to 8 hours a day and 6 days a week. The weekly cap is 40 hours for 14 and 15-year-olds and 48 hours for 16 and 17-year-olds. No minor can work during school hours unless they've graduated or left school, and home-schooled children can't work during local public school hours.
Who's exempt from the hours limits
The law makes exceptions for babysitters, bridge caddies at bridge tournaments, farm laborers, newspaper carriers, performers and models. Students in an approved Cooperative Education Program can work up to 6 hours on the day before a school day when the hours are part of the programme.
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For employers: before a teenager's first shift
- Ask to see the working papers and check the colour matches the job and the worker's age.
- Keep the certificate on file for as long as they work for you.
- Build school-week rotas inside the 3-hour, 8-hour and 18-hour limits for 14 and 15-year-olds.
- Keep every under-18 away from hazardous machinery work, whatever their certificate.
- Watch for the Department's portal launch so you can register your business in time for 2027.
Common mistakes
- Starting a 15-year-old on a factory floor with blue papers.
- Letting a 14 or 15-year-old work a 4-hour shift on a school night.
- Treating a sports physical from 18 months ago as current.
- Forgetting that 16 and 17-year-olds who've left school need the salmon certificate, not the green one.
- Waiting until 2027 summer hiring to set up the new portal account.
For how other states handle this, see my federal minimum wage guide. If you're paying teenage staff in New York, my New York minimum wage page has the regional rates.
My verdict
Working papers in New York are quick if you go in prepared. Get a physical from the last 12 months, bring proof of age, and ask the school guidance office. Employers should check the colour matches the job, keep teenagers inside the school-week hours, and plan for the online portal arriving in 2027.
Frequently asked questions
Who needs working papers in New York?
Anyone aged 14 to 17 who wants to hold a job in New York State needs working papers, officially an employment certificate.
Where do I get working papers in NY?
From school officials, usually through your school's guidance office. They issue all working papers except child performer permits.
What do I need to get working papers in New York?
A doctor's statement from a physical exam in the last 12 months saying you're fit, which can be a school sports physical, and proof of age such as a birth certificate, photo ID or passport.
What is the difference between blue and green working papers?
Blue papers are for 14 and 15-year-olds and don't allow factory work. Green papers are for 16 and 17-year-olds in school and do allow factory work, though not hazardous work.
Are New York working papers going digital?
Yes. The Department of Labor says it will introduce digital youth working papers in 2027, with businesses that employ under-18s creating an account on its online portal.
