Official Site of The State of New JerseyFrequently Asked Questions: Working Papers for Minors
According to New Jersey law, all youth workers – under the age of 18 – who accept a job offer need Working Papers to be employed in the state. Remember: Minors only apply for Working Papers after getting an offer of employment.
As of June 1, 2023, the New Jersey Department of Labor (NJDOL) oversees and administers Working Papers for minors. (This process was previously handled by the New Jersey Department of Education.)
No, you can only submit your application once you have an offer of employment. If you submit an application and the employer hasn't yet offered you a job, they will reject your application.
Working Papers protect the rights and safety of youth workers. NJDOL won’t approve an application for Working Papers if the job is unsafe or asks a minor to work more than the maximum hours allowed by law.
Employers can hire minors as young as 12 for some jobs, but there are minimum age requirements for certain types of work, including retail and food service. Click here for more information, and a list of allowable jobs for minors.
We’ve streamlined the paper process into an easier online application for minors, employers and caregivers at myworkingpapers.nj.gov.
Click here for a step-by-step guide.
Yes, if you only started the paper process, but did not receive your full work authorization before June 1st, you must apply through myworkingpapers.nj.gov.
No, minors that have been approved and authorized to work this year using the former paper system, will not need to reapply on the online system June 1. However, if you only started the paper process, but did not receive your full work authorization before June 1st, you must apply through myworkingpapers.nj.gov.
No, you should log in using the same account. Then click the "Apply for Working Papers" link to start an application for your new employer.
Your caregiver will be asked to upload proof of age (acceptable documents can be found here) when they complete their part of the application. Your employer will also ask for proof of age via the federal I-9 form (Employment Eligibility Verification).
No, proof of address is not required.
To make the process smooth, you’ll need the following information:
- Your email address
- Your caregiver’s email address (different from your own email)
- Your Social Security number
- Your employer’s unique 8-digit code (they'll give it to you after offering you a job)
- The business name, worksite location, and email address for the employer
You might have made a typo, or you may have already registered.
You only register once to set up your account with us. To start a new Working Papers application, log in using your existing account and click the "Apply for Working Papers" link.
Our online application system requires that a caregiver’s email address cannot be the same as the minor’s email address. If your caregiver needs to set up a new email address, many service providers such as Google or Yahoo allow users to create email accounts at no cost.
The process is designed to be quick and seamless. It is all done online. Remember that you and your employer register separately at myworkingpapers.nj.gov to start. You, your employer and your caregiver will be emailed every step of the way. You can expect to receive an approval/rejection within 24 hours of the time your caregiver takes action on the application.
If your employer denies the application, reach out to them directly for more information. If they denied the application by mistake, you will need to submit a new one. If NJDOL denies your application, you will get an email stating the reason. You can email myworkingpapers@dol.nj.gov if have questions about the reason for denial.
Generally speaking, yes, but the term also covers a wider range of individuals under the law:
“Caregiver” means a person over 18 years of age who is the biological parent, adoptive parent, foster parent, resource family parent, step-parent, parent-in-law or legal guardian, having a "parent-child relationship" with a child as defined by law, or having sole or joint legal or physical custody, care, guardianship, or visitation with a child, or who became the parent of the child pursuant to a valid written agreement between the parent and a gestational carrier.
If your caregiver does not approve your application within two weeks, but your employer does, it will be considered approved unless and until your caregiver submits a rejection through our system. So yes, you can work, but if your caregiver ends up rejecting your application for any reason, you can no longer work for that employer.
- Confirm that you got a job offer from the employer. You only apply for Working Papers after receiving an offer of employment.
- If the business has more than one location, you might have selected the wrong one. Start a new application and make sure you choose the correct worksite location from the employer list.
- Are you 18 or older? If so, you no longer need Working Papers. Applications submitted by anyone 18+ will be rejected.
Yes. The employer, caregiver and minor will receive an email notification of application approval that can be printed.
Yes, you will need an approved Working Papers application for every employer you work for.
Yes. Any minor who resides outside of New Jersey but obtains a job in New Jersey must obtain working papers.
Yes, minors who will be employed only during the summer will still need to obtain approval to work in New Jersey.
You do not need to submit an application annually if the employer and the job duties have not changed. However, if you change employers, change job title or job duties, you will need to submit a new application through myworkingpapers.nj.gov.
No. The new streamlined process to apply for minor working papers does not require medical certification, per the law.
Yes, all minors working in New Jersey below 18 years of age will need to apply for minor Working Papers and receive authorization to work.
Workers under 18 are entitled to minimum wage in the following jobs:
- Retail
- Food service (restaurant)
- Hotel/motel
- Beauty culture
- Laundry/cleaning/dyeing
- Light manufacturing apparel
- First processing of farm products
Click here to learn more about minimum wage requirements for minors.
According to New Jersey law, all youth workers – under the age of 18 – need to apply for Working Papers be employed in the state. As of June 1, 2023, the New Jersey Department of Labor (NJDOL) oversees and administers Working Papers for minors. (This process was handled by the New Jersey Department of Education before June 1.)
Working Papers protect the rights and safety of youth workers. NJDOL won’t approve an application for Working Papers if the job is unsafe or expects a minor to work more than the maximum hours allowed by law.
Employers can hire minors as young as 12 for some jobs, but there are higher minimum age requirements for certain types of work, including retail and food service. Click here for more information, including allowable jobs for minors.
We’ve streamlined the paper process into an easier online application for minors, caregivers, and employers at myworkingpapers.nj.gov. Click here for a step-by-step guide to the process.
You will be asked to upload proof of age (acceptable documents can be found here) as part of the process. Separately, the employer will also verify the minor’s age via the federal I-9 form (Employment Eligibility Verification).
When the minor applies for Working Papers, they’ll give us your name and email address. We’ll send you an email to set up a caregiver account in our system if you haven’t already and review the minor’s application. The application will include job title, description, and proposed working hours.
You’ll be asked to approve or reject the application, and if approved, to upload documentation of proof of the minor’s age. If the minor works for more than one employer, you will review the Working Papers application for each one.
You’ll also be notified by email when both the employer and NJDOL review, approve, or reject the minor’s application.
Our online application system requires a caregiver’s email address. This email address cannot be the same as the minor’s email address. Many service providers such as Google or Yahoo allow users to create email accounts at no cost.
Yes, the employer, caregiver and minor will receive an email notification of application approval that can be printed.
No, minors that have been approved and authorized to work this year using the former paper system, will not need to reapply on the online system June 1. However, if you started the paper process, but did not receive full work authorization before June 1st, the minor must apply through myworkingpapers.nj.gov.
Yes, if they only started the paper process, but did not receive their full work authorization before June 1st, they must apply through myworkingpapers.nj.gov.
Yes, all minors working in New Jersey below 18 years of age will need to apply for minor working papers and receive authorization to work.
Yes, each new application requires a separate upload of proof of age documents.
Minors do not need to submit an application annually if the employer and the job duties have not changed. However, if the minor changes employers, change job title or job duties, they will need to submit a new application through myworkingpapers.nj.gov, which requires caregiver approval.
According to New Jersey law, all youth workers – under the age of 18 – need to apply for Working Papers to be employed in the state. As of June 1, 2023, the New Jersey Department of Labor (NJDOL) oversees and administers Working Papers for minors. (This process was handled by the New Jersey Department of Education before June 1.)
First, register in our new online system. You only need to register once, but you will need to review the application of every minor you hire. You’ll need your FEIN and the worksite address to register.
If the minor applied for Working Papers for a job with your business before you register with us, they were asked to provide your email address so we could send you an invitation to create an account. If you didn’t get that invitation, you can still create an account yourself.
You will receive an email explaining the reason for rejection along with information about next steps.
The system sends email communication to the employer or staff representative who registers an account online. Only one email address can be used to register.
Our online application system requires that all users must have a unique email address. If you need to set up a new email address, many service providers such as Google or Yahoo allow users to create email accounts at no cost.
Yes, the employer, caregiver and minor will receive an email notification of application approval that can be printed.
Yes. Any minor who resides outside of New Jersey but obtains a job in New Jersey must obtain working papers.
Minors do not need to submit an application annually if the employer and the job duties have not changed. However, if the minor changes employers, changes job title or job duties, they will need to submit a new application through myworkingpapers.nj.gov.
No, minors that have been approved and authorized to work this year using the former paper system will not need to reapply on the online system June 1. However, if they started the paper process, but did not receive their full work authorization before June 1st, they must apply through myworkingpapers.nj.gov.
Yes, all minors working in New Jersey below 18 years of age will need to apply for minor working papers and receive authorization to work.
No action is needed when a minor stops working.
Employers can access their business account on myworkingpapers.nj.gov and revise and update information including contact person and email address. Doing so will change who will receive email communication. If you need to change your login information, email myworkingpapers@dol.nj.gov.
Yes. If the One-Stops or Workforce Development Boards are the entity paying the minor, they are required to register as an employer and include the One-Stop or Workforce Development Board address as the worksite address.
Yes. There is no separate process for public entities. All public entities will be required to file online as employers.
Yes. In both cases, the minor is required to apply for Working Papers. Ultimately, for any scenario in which a minor is required to complete an I-9 form, a Working Papers application is also required.
No. Once the application is approved, you do not have to make any changes to the hours of work.
If you have a question about a working papers application that's already been submitted, email us.
For other questions, call 609-659-9047.
