The Maine Department of Labor has made the youth work-permit application available online in time for the summer hiring season. All minors under the age of 16 must have a work permit before they start a job, whether or not they attend school.

For teens under the age of 16, restrictions limit the types of jobs and the hours they can work. Minors cannot work jobs considered “hazardous.” Some of the jobs Maine teens under 18 years old cannot do include operating most mechanical equipment, driving for work and working alone in a cash-based business.

“There a few steps teens must take to obtain a work permit,” said Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette. “First, teens must look for work and receive a job offer. They then must apply for a work permit at the superintendent’s office of the school district in which they live.”

Teens or parents can download the work-permit application at www.maine.gov/labor/labor_laws/publications/maine_work_permit.pdf/, and drop off the completed form, which must include a parent’s signature, at the superintendent’s office. Blank forms are available at superintendent’s offices for pick up as well.

Parents and employers can expedite the approval process by making sure the work permit request includes both proof of age and parental/guardian approval. The application must contain the specific job duties (e.g., “dishwasher”). The name of the business on the permit must be the actual business name, which may be different from what people commonly call it.

The school district sends the completed application to the Maine Department of Labor for approval. Teens can have two active work permits in the summer but only one permit during the school year.

A copy of the Guide to Maine Laws Governing the Employment of Minors is posted on the Maine Department of Labor website and is available by request by calling 207-623-7900. Additional forms and information about employment law in Maine are available at the Bureau of Labor Standards’ website at www.maine.gov/labor/bls/index.shtml/.