In Washington State, employers must follow specific rules when hiring employees under the age of 18. Employers who fail to follow the minor work rules may be subject to penalties.

Employers are also subject to federal child labor requirements. When state and federal standards differ, employers must follow the one that is most protective of the minor and has the higher standard. For more information on federal child labor requirements, please visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division website at dol.gov/agencies/whd/youthrules.

If you believe an employer has violated child labor laws, you can file a child labor complaint through L&I.

A minor employee, parent/guardian, co-worker, school employee, or any member of the public can report employer violations related to child labor requirements. There are 3 ways you can file a Child Labor Complaint form:

• File a child labor complaint online.
• Download and mail a completed Child Labor Complaint form.
• Visit your nearest L&I office.

Hiring Minors

Before hiring minors in the workplace, employers must:

Get a minor work permit endorsement approved by L&I and issued by the Department of Revenue (DOR) business licensing services. You can apply for a permit by visiting dor.wa.gov/manage-business/state-endorsements/minor-work-permit. Employers must have a current minor work permit endorsement for each location where minors are employed. Employers may hire any number of minor workers at a location with a valid minor work permit endorsement.

Minor work permit suspension

L&I must suspend an employer’s minor work permit endorsement if:

• The employer receives an Order of Immediate Restraint from L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) and/or the child labor unit.
• The employer has been issued a DOSH and/or child labor citation where the violation caused serious physical harm or death to a minor.

If an employer has had their minor work permit suspended, they cannot get a new permit for 12 months. During that time, the employer cannot:

• Employ any minor employees.
• Bid on a public works project.

You can verify that a business does not have a suspended minor work permit or that an employer has an active minor work permit by visiting the Washington State Department of Revenue.

Complete a parent/school authorization form, or a parent authorization for summer work form, for each minor before they begin work. Parent/school authorization forms must be signed by the employer, the minor, an official from the minor's school, and the minor's parent or legal guardian. Employers must complete their section of the form first before sending it to the minor, their parent/guardian, and their school. A minor’s parent/guardian or school may revoke their authorization at any time by simply notifying the other parties of the revocation.

All parent/school authorization forms expire each year on the 30th day of September and must be renewed annually.

A Parent/School Authorization form is not required for minors who are emancipated by court order.

• Parent/School Authorization form 
• Parent Authorization for Summer Work form (if hired during summer break only)

Verify the minor's age by getting a proof-of-age document which lists the date of birth for each minor. Acceptable forms of proof of age include:

For non-agricultural jobs

• Birth certificate.
• Driver's license.
• Notarized statement from the parent or legal guardian.
• Federal identification, such as a passport.

For agricultural jobs

• Birth certificate.
• Driver’s license.
• Notarized statement from the parent or legal guardian.
• Federal identification, such as a passport.
• Insurance policy that’s at least 1 year old indicating the date of birth.
• Completed federal employment eligibility verification (form I-9).

Legal Age to Work

In general, the minimum age to work in Washington State is 14 years old. For more information on hiring minors younger than 14, see the hiring youth under 14 web page.  

Exemptions

There are certain circumstances where Washington’s child labor rules do not apply. Employers may still be subject to federal child labor standards.

Agriculture

Minors working on family farms are exempt from Washington’s agricultural child labor rules.

Non-agricultural work

State and municipal governments

Public entities, including state and municipal governments, are not covered by Washington’s child labor rules. These employers must still follow the federal child labor requirements.

Casual laborers

Casual labor is not subject to Washington’s child labor rules. To be casual labor, the work must be performed in or around a private residence and cannot be connected to a business or for business purposes. Examples include babysitting on a casual basis for a friend in a private residence or raking leaves on occasion for a neighbor at their private residence.

Volunteers

Washington’s child labor rules only apply to minor employees, not volunteers. Minors may volunteer or donate their services to an educational, charitable, religious, or nonprofit organization without expectation of compensation for the voluntary work performed.

Newspaper vendors or carrier

Minors employed in house-to-house sales by their parents or stepparents.
For non-agricultural employment of minors see Chapter 296-125 WAC.
For agricultural employment of minors see Chapter 296-122 WAC.