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NJ · Employer compliance

Hire a minor in New Jersey: 6-step compliance checklist

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets a floor; New Jersey adds its own rules. The stricter of the two always wins. This page walks through the six checks every New Jersey employer must complete before a 14-, 15-, 16-, or 17-year-old starts work — sourced from the US DOL New Jersey state page and New Jersey Child Labor Law, N.J.S.A. 34:2-21.1 et seq..

Last verified:

Minimum work age

14

State work permit

Required (14–17)

Restricted occupations on file

5

Stricter than federal?

Yes

  1. Verify the minor's age

    Before scheduling the first shift, get documentary proof of the employee’s date of birth. In New Jersey the state work permit (New Jersey Combined Working Papers (Form A300)) doubles as the age certificate — the issuing authority verifies the birth date when the permit is issued.

  2. Apply the stricter of federal or New Jersey hour caps

    Use the stricter rule for the employee’s age band and school-in-session status. Below are New Jersey’s state-specific caps for the two main age bands.

    Ages 14–15

    School in session

    3 hr / day · 18 hr / week

    07:00 – 19:00

    School out (summer)

    8 hr / day · 40 hr / week

    07:00 – 21:00

    Ages 16–17

    School in session

    8 hr / day · 40 hr / week

    06:00 – 23:00

    School out (summer)

    8 hr / day · 48 hr / week

    06:00 – 23:30

  3. Block hazardous and restricted occupations

    The 17 federal Hazardous Orders (HO-1 to HO-17) prohibit minors under 18 from specific non-agricultural occupations — meat processing, power tools, roofing, mining, certain driving roles, and more. See the full federal HO list.

    New Jersey adds the following restrictions on top of the federal floor:

    • All federal hazardous orders HO-1 through HO-17(29 CFR Part 570)
    • Operating power-driven meat-processing machines(HO-10)
    • Roofing operations and work on or about a roof(HO-16)
    • Door-to-door sales for minors under 18 without bonded supervisor
    • Beach and pool lifeguard for minors under 16

  4. Obtain the New Jersey work permit

    Since the 2023 'Working Papers Modernization' law, New Jersey uses a single combined application. The minor, parent, and employer each complete sections online through the NJ Department of Labor portal; the school then verifies enrollment and issues the working papers electronically. Required for every new job.

    Form
    New Jersey Combined Working Papers (Form A300)
    Issued by
    School superintendent (Working Papers)
    Applies to ages
    14–17
    New Jersey permit info page →

    How to apply for the New Jersey work permit →

  5. Post the required notices

    Display the federal FLSA Youth Employment poster and the New Jersey state child-labor poster where employees can see them. Both are free downloads from the US DOL Wage & Hour Division and the New Jersey labor agency. Failure to post is one of the most common citations issued during WHD audits.

  6. Keep records for at least 3 years

    Federal FLSA §11(c) sets a 3-year minimum for payroll, hours, age verification, and (where applicable) the New Jersey work permit. Many states require longer retention specifically for minor-employment documents — typically until 3 years after the minor turns 18. Keep: payroll + hours, age verification, the state permit, parental consent forms (where applicable), and any time-off / training records.

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