Official Site of The State of New Jersey

The lists below pertain only to workers under 18 years of age and is not all inclusive.

Note: the work accident rate incidence is twice the average for workers under 18.

If you have a question about a specific occupation, call the Division of Wage and Hour Compliance at (609) 292-2305.

• Paints, colors, white and red lead (manufacture and packing only)
• Dangerous or poisonous acids and dyes
• Injurious quantities of toxic or noxious dust, gases, vapors, or fumes
• Benzol or any benzol compound which is volatile or which can penetrate the skin
• Explosives (manufacture, transportation or use only)
• Toxic and hazardous substances
• Radioactive substances and ionizing radiation
• Carcinogenic substances
• Corrosive materials
• Highly inflammable substances
• Pesticides

• Power-driven woodworking machinery (supervised bona-fide apprentices may do this work)
• Grinding, abrasive, polishing, or buffing machines
• Punch presses and stamping machines with over 1/4 inch clearance
• Guillotine action cutting machines
• Corrugating, crimping, or embossing machines
• Paper lace machines
• Dough brakes or mixing machines in bakeries or cracker machinery
• Calendar rolls or mixing rolls in rubber manufacturing
• Centrifugal extractors or mangles in laundries or dry cleaning establishments
• Operation or repair of elevators or other hoisting apparatus (they may operate the push button type)
• Corn pickers, power-driven hay balers, or power field choppers
• Compactors
• Circular saws, band saws, guillotine shears
• Minors under 16 may use standard domestic type machines or appliances, standard office machines, standard types of poultry feeders, egg graders, egg washers, egg coolers, and milking machines but may not use other power-driven machinery such as power tools, power lawn mowers, power woodworking and metal worker tools and power-driven meat slicing and meat grinding machines or conveyors

• Ore reduction works, smelters, hot rolling mills, furnaces, foundries, forging shops or any other place in which the heating, melting, or heat treatment of metals is carried on
• Mines and quarries
• Establishments where alcoholic liquors are distilled, rectified, compounded, brewed, manufactured, bottled, or sold for consumption on the premises *
• Pool and billiard rooms
• Junk and scrap metal yards
• Disorderly houses

* See Child Labor Law or Abstract for exceptions

• Oiling, wiping, or cleaning machinery in motion or assisting therein
• Steam boilers carrying a pressure in excess of 15 pounds
• Construction work
• Fabrication or assembly of ships
• Transportation of payrolls off the employer's premises
• Demolition of buildings, ships, or heavy machinery
• Indecent of immoral exposure
• Most occupations in slaughtering, meat packing, processing, or rendering

• Minors cannot work more than 6 consecutive days
• Minors must be given a 30-minute meal break after 5 continuous hours of work

• No more than 18 hours per week
• No more than 3 hours per day on school days
• No more than 8 hours per day on Saturday or Sunday
• No more than 6 consecutive days in a pay week
• Not before 7am or after 7pm

• No more than 40 hours per week
• No more than 8 hours per day
• No more than 6 consecutive days in a pay week
• Not before 7am or after 7pm during school year
• Not before 7am or after 9pm from the last day of school to Labor Day with written permission from a parent

• No more than 40 hours per week
• No more than 8 hours per day
• No more than 6 consecutive days in a pay week
• Not before 6am or after 11pm
• Not before 6am or after midnight on Fridays and Saturdays or days not followed by a school day

• No more than 40 hours per week
• No more than 8 hours per day
• No more than 6 consecutive days in a pay week
• Not before 6am or after 11pm
• Not before 6am or after 3am in restaurant and seasonal amusements and with written permission from a parent

Training site experiences may not exceed 5 hours on any day that school is in session, nor may the combination of school and work exceed 8 hours on any day that school is in session.

• A minor is entitled to a minimum wage in the following industries:
  • Retail/mercantile
  • Food service (restaurant)
  • Hotel/motel
  • Beauty culture
  • Laundry/cleaning/dyeing
  • Light manufacturing apparel
  • First processing of farm products

Certain places are not required to pay minimum wage. For more information, read the law here.

Effective January 1, 2022, the New Jersey minimum wage is $13.00 per hour for most workers. Please refer to New Jersey Minimum Wage Chart for scheduled increases.      

Where tips are part of the pay, the sum of cash wages plus tips earned in a week, and meal credits (where meals are provided), divided by hours worked during the same week, must amount to at least minimum wage.

Minors may not work more than 40 hours per week.

• All minors under the age of 18 who work in New Jersey must have an employment certificate, also known as “working papers,” or a special permit (for agriculture, newspaper carrier, or theatrical employment)
• An employment certificate is required for each employer

Beginning October 2012, minors may obtain a blank A300 employment certification form from either the New Jersey Department of Education or from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Minors may continue to obtain a blank employment certification from the Issuing Officer of the local school district where the minor resides.

After the minor completes the personal information on the employment certification, the minor takes the form to the employer to complete the employment information and “Promise of Employment.”

The minor then must obtain a physical or doctor’s note. The school district is responsible for performing the physical examination at no cost to the minor. A school physical (including a sports physical) performed during freshman year is good for all four year of high school (unless the school district policy specifies more frequent physicals).

If the minor’s parent/guardian prefers their child to be examined by a doctor other than the one employed by the school district, they may do so at their own expense. A minor is not required to obtain a physical if the parent/guardian objects (in writing) based on their religious beliefs and practices.

If the school does not have a copy on file, the minor may be asked to provide a birth certificate, passport, baptismal certificate, or other identification documentation to the School Issuing Officer.

The parent/guardian must indicate his/her authorization of the minor’s employment as specified in the employment information section.

The minor must bring the completed certification to their school district. A designated school official will review the form and issue the employment certificate only after being satisfied that the working conditions and hours will not interfere with the minor’s education or damage the minor’s health. The school official may refuse to issue the employment certificate if such refusal would be in the minor’s best interest.

Depending on the age of the minor and whether the minor will be working in agriculture, newspaper carriers, or theatrical employment, the minor may need to obtain a special permit (A310 Combined Certification Form for Agriculture, Newspaper Carrier, Street Trades or Theatrical Employment). The minor must obtain this permit from the Issuing Officer of the local school district where the minor resides. If the minor is not a New Jersey resident, the A310 special permit can be obtained from the district in which the minor has obtained a promise of employment.

Certificate guidelines by occupation / industry:

• Agriculture
  • Minimum age: 12 years old
  • 12 to 15 years old: must obtain a special agriculture permit
• Newspaper Carriers
  • Minimum age: 11 years old
    11 to 15 years old: must obtain a special newspaper carrier permit
    16 and 17 years old: must obtain an employment certificate
• Theatrical
  • minimum age: none
  • Under 16 years old: must obtain a special theatrical permit
  • 16 and 17 years old: must obtain an employment certificate

A young worker between 18- and 21-years-old may need to obtain an age certificate because the employer is requesting proof of age. The young worker must complete the “Minor's Personal Information” section on the employment certification form and show a birth certificate, passport, baptismal certificate, or other identification if the school does not already have a copy on file.

• Reference Guide - Labor Laws for Young Workers
• Your Child's Job - A Parent's Guide
• Restaurant Work for Minors (English/Spanish)
• Employer Guide - About Working Papers

• NJ Child Labor Law Abstract
• Schedule of Hours of Minors Under 18 Years of Age (an employer is required to post this when employing workers under 18 years of age) (04/22) MW-191
  
• Additional Employer Posters and Law Abstracts

• Employment Certificate Form
• Theatrical Production Application