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PA · Employer compliance

Hire a minor in Pennsylvania: 6-step compliance checklist

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets a floor; Pennsylvania adds its own rules. The stricter of the two always wins. This page walks through the six checks every Pennsylvania employer must complete before a 14-, 15-, 16-, or 17-year-old starts work — sourced from the US DOL Pennsylvania state page and Pennsylvania Child Labor Act of 2012, 43 P.S. §§ 40.1-40.16.

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 Pennsylvania the state work permit (Pennsylvania Work Permit (Form LLC-1)) doubles as the age certificate — the issuing authority verifies the birth date when the permit is issued.

  2. Apply the stricter of federal or Pennsylvania hour caps

    Use the stricter rule for the employee’s age band and school-in-session status. Below are Pennsylvania’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 · 28 hr / week

    06:00 – 23:00

    School out (summer)

    10 hr / day · 48 hr / week

    06:00 – 01:00

  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.

    Pennsylvania 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 16 without adult supervision
    • Construction work and demolition for minors under 18

  4. Obtain the Pennsylvania work permit

    The minor applies in person at the school district's Issuing Officer with proof of age and a parent or guardian's signature. The permit is general (not job-specific) and remains valid until age 18 or revocation.

    Form
    Pennsylvania Work Permit (Form LLC-1)
    Issued by
    School district (Issuing Officer of the school the minor attends)
    Applies to ages
    14–17
    Pennsylvania permit info page →Download Pennsylvania work permit (PDF)

    How to apply for the Pennsylvania work permit →

  5. Post the required notices

    Display the federal FLSA Youth Employment poster and the Pennsylvania state child-labor poster where employees can see them. Both are free downloads from the US DOL Wage & Hour Division and the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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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