Youth Employment Standards Act 90 of 1978 defines a minor who is less than 18 years of age, including but not limited to employees, volunteers, independent contractors and performing artists.
Minors under 18 years of age must obtain a work permit or a written agreement or contract entered into between the employer and the governing school district, public school academy, or nonpublic before starting work. Work permits can be obtained from the state of Michigan school issuing officer (the chief administrator of a school district, intermediate school district, etc.) the minor attends or the school district where the minor will be employed. If the minor changes jobs, a new work permit is required for the new employer. A work permit may be revoked for poor academic performance. A work permit is required even if the minor is home/cyber/virtual/online schooled, does not attend school, or out-of-state resident.
Work permits are no longer available for bulk purchase from Michigan Center for Career & Technical Education; work permits are available for printing or download below. Note: CA-6 work permits must be printed, front and back, on pink paper and CA-7 work permits must be printed, front and back, on yellow paper to be valid.
Contact:
Email: WHinfo@michigan.gov
Phone: 517-284-7800
Fax: 517-763-0110
Send forms to:
Wage and Hour Division
ATTN: Jennifer Fields
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
P.O. Box 30476
Lansing, MI 48909-7976
Resources
Youth Employment Posters
Youth Employment Standards Rules
Standards for Issuance of Work Permits
Standards for Issuance of Work Permits Checklist
Legislative link to the Youth Employment Standards Act 90
CA-6 Work Permit (must be printed pink and front to back)
CA-7 Work Permit (must be printed yellow and front to back) - Individual Deviation
Bringing Work Safety and Health to Schools (CDC/NIOSH)
Safe-Skilled-Ready (CDC/NIOSH)
Safety Matters (CDC/NIOSH)
Talking Safety (CDC/NIOSH)
Safety Matters Center (AIHA)
Minors under the age of 18 are required to have a work permit prior to starting work.
If a minor comes from another state to work in Michigan, the minor should bring a certified birth certificate and an unofficial transcript from the out-of-state school attended which includes the school's complete name, address, city, state, zip code, county and telephone number.
The minor first must go in person to a state of Michigan school district, intermediate school district, public school academy or nonpublic school official designated as an issuing officer and provide one of the following acceptable forms of evidence of age:
Minors seeking employment who are homeschooled shall be issued a work permit by the state of Michigan issuing officer of the school district, intermediate school district, public school academy, or nonpublic school in which the minor's residence or prospective employer is located. The minor must present a signed, written statement from the parent or guardian, as the instructor of record, indicating how many hours per week the student is being homeschooled (Nonpublic and Home School information). The state of Michigan issuing officer will attach the parent/guardian statement to the work permit and keep a copy of the statement with their copy of the work permit filed at the school.
The minor and parent/guardian must complete Section I of the work permit in its entirety (all areas must be completed).
The minor then takes the work permit to the employer, after completing Section I, and the employer must complete Section II of the work permit, in its entirety (all areas must be completed including listing all work the minor will be performing, equipment and/or tools minor will use, starting and ending hours to be worked, number of days per week to be worked and number of hours per days to be worked, etc).
The minor must take the work permit, after the employer has completed Section II, in person to a state of Michigan school district, intermediate school district, public school academy or nonpublic school official designated issuing officer for review and to complete section III.
The issuing officer must copy the work permit and place the work permit in the minor's permanent school file and return the original work permit to the minor.