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  4. Work Permits
Labor Standards Home Work Permits Prevailing Wage Workplace Posters Equal Rights Decision Digest US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division Online Services (e.g. Work Permit) Contact Information

Work Permits

Permit Office hours vary. Please call ahead.

Work Permit Requirements for Employment of Minors

  • A work permit is required before anyone under the age of 16 is allowed to work in any job with the exception of agriculture or domestic service work.
  • Employers must have a work permit on file for the minor being employed before they may allow the minor to begin work.
  • 16- and 17-year-old minors do NOT need to obtain a work permit prior to beginning work. Work permits will not be issued for minors ages 16 or 17.
    • State law prohibits the use of minors to perform hazardous work. Prohibited employment provisions still apply to work that 16- and 17-year-old minors can be employed to perform.
  • This law makes no changes to the requirements for minors younger than 16. Minors younger than 16 must obtain a work permit prior to beginning work, unless an exception applies.
    • There are no changes to the maximum hours or times of days that minors younger than 16 may work, or the types of work that minors younger than 16 may perform.

How to Obtain a Work Permit

To obtain a work permit, either the minor alone or the minor and a parent must visit the permit office, taking with them:

  • the minor's birth certificate or other proof of age,
  • the minor's social security card
  • letter from the employer expressing intent to hire, on employer's regular letterhead, describing:
    • job duties,
    • hours of work,
  • a written parents consent
  • a $10.00 permit fee

Proof of Minor's Age

We may accept a valid operator's license or an identification card issued by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation as proof of a minor's age. This means that we may now accept either a duly attested birth certificate, a verified baptismal certificate, or a driver's license or photo ID card issued by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

For the Employer - Permit Fee Requirement

The employer must reimburse the $10.00 permit fee to the minor by no later than the date of the first paycheck.

Copies of the permit go to the employer and the minor, in addition to the school district where the minor is enrolled.

For more information