Working Papers in New Jersey

Short answer

• In New Jersey, a minor under 18 must have working papers, formally called an employment certificate, approved before starting any job. The process is now fully online through MyWorkingPapers.nj.gov, and schools are no longer part of it. The order matters: first get a job offer, then the employer registers online and gives the minor a unique eight digit Employer Unique Code, then the minor applies online using that code, then the caregiver completes their part and uploads age verification, and only after approval can the minor start work. A new application is needed when the minor changes employers, job titles or duties, including for seasonal and annual employment. In most jobs, the minimum age is 14, although New Jersey lists a small number of permitted activities for younger minors, such as newspaper delivery and farm work, which follow their own rules. This article is general information about the New Jersey procedure only. It is not legal advice and it is not advice for any one minor's situation. Age and hour rules change, so the figures here are date stamped to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development pages checked on November 5, 2026, and readers should confirm the current rules on those pages before acting.

What working papers are, and why New Jersey requires them

Working papers are the employment certificate that New Jersey law requires for a minor who is gainfully employed. The certificate links three parties together: the minor, the caregiver, and one specific employer for one specific job. That link is the point. It lets the state check, before work starts, that the minor is old enough for the job, that the job is permitted for the minor’s age, and that the employer is registered. It also creates a record that the job exists, which matters if a pay dispute, an hours dispute or a safety problem arises later.

Readers sometimes confuse working papers with a general permission to work anywhere. They are not that. A certificate is tied to a particular employer and a particular set of duties. That is why a new application is required when the employer changes, when the job title changes, or when the duties change. A summer job at one store does not carry over to an autumn job at a different store, and a move from cashier to kitchen work inside the same business can also require a fresh application if the duties change in a way the system treats as a new job. The safe habit is simple: if anything about the employer or the job changes, check whether a new application is needed before starting the new work, rather than assuming the old approval still covers it.

Another common misunderstanding is that working papers are a school form. They used to involve schools, and older guides still describe a paper form collected from a school office. That process has ended. The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, usually shortened to NJDOL, states plainly that schools are no longer part of the working papers process. Applications, caregiver steps and employer registration now run through the online system, and updates arrive by email. Any guide that still tells a minor to collect a paper form from a school nurse or school office is out of date for New Jersey, and following it will waste time. For readers who want the general idea of work permits in other states, Amberaisle’s guide to work permits for minors explains how the concept works more broadly, but New Jersey’s own online procedure is the one that governs a New Jersey job.

Who needs working papers in New Jersey

The NJDOL rule, as stated in its April 2026 press release and on its young workers pages, is broad: every New Jersey minor under 18 must have working papers before starting work, and employers who hire workers under 18 are required to register online. There is no general rule in the NJDOL material that lets a minor start first and sort out the papers later. The approval must come first. A minor who is offered a job on a Friday and asked to start on Saturday still needs the approval in place before the first shift, even if that means the start date moves.

Age is the next question, and it needs care because New Jersey sets different floors for different kinds of work. For most jobs, a minor must be at least 14 years old. NJDOL’s young workers material for employers lists the jobs open at 14, and the list is wide: clerical and office jobs, hotel jobs, sales work, restaurant jobs, supermarket and food store jobs, amusement industry jobs, library attendant work, camp counselor work, lifeguard and caddie work, domestic helper work such as babysitting and cleaning, and delivery jobs that do not involve a motor vehicle, among others. At 16, the list widens further to include factory machine operator work, power lawn mower and power tool operator work, tractor operator work and mechanic jobs, except for work specifically prohibited. Those lists are described by NJDOL itself as not comprehensive, so they are a starting point for checking, not a complete catalog.

Younger minors are not left out entirely, but their permitted work is narrow. NJDOL lists work open at 12, including newspaper delivery over residential routes, which it notes may start at 11, farming in all of its branches, gardening, nursery work, raising livestock, bees, fur bearing animals or poultry, forestry, and theatrical productions, which it notes have no minimum age limit. Theatrical production is a special case: NJDOL’s employer material says a minor must have an employment certificate or a special permit, and theatrical work is the kind of work where the special permit route matters. A family dealing with stage, film or television work should check the NJDOL theatrical production guidance directly rather than assuming the standard online working papers application covers it, because the permit route for that work is separate from the ordinary employer and minor application described in this article.

Two cautions belong here. First, being old enough for a category of work does not make every job in that category lawful for that minor. Prohibited machinery, prohibited products and prohibited establishments still apply, and they are covered in a later section. Second, a paper approval for one job does not prove that a different job is permitted. The job itself must be lawful for the minor’s age, and the certificate must match it. If an employer offers a 14 year old work that involves prohibited machinery, the working papers process does not make that work lawful. The right response is to ask NJDOL’s Division of Wage and Hour Compliance, which NJDOL lists as the contact for questions about a specific occupation, rather than to accept the employer’s word.

The online application, step by step

The whole process runs through MyWorkingPapers.nj.gov. NJDOL launched the site in 2023, and by April 2026 it reported that more than 227,000 minors had applied through it, with approximately 215,000 applications approved, and that nearly 20,000 employers who hire young workers had registered. Those figures show the scale of the system, but they do not promise any one application will be approved, and they do not set a processing time. NJDOL does not publish a guaranteed turnaround in the material checked for this article, so this article does not promise one. Families planning around a start date should apply as soon as the job offer and the employer code are in hand, and should treat the approval email, not the employer’s start date request, as the signal that work can begin.

Step 1: Get a job offer first

A minor must have a job offer before applying for working papers. This is the step most often missed by readers who search for working papers before they have a job. The application asks for the employer’s code, which only exists once an employer has registered and hired, or offered to hire, that minor. Applying without a job offer cannot work, because there is no employer for the application to link to. The practical sequence is therefore: search for jobs, interview, receive an offer, and then start the working papers application. Readers who are still looking for work will find Amberaisle’s guides to high school resume examples and interview questions and answers useful for the earlier stage, but neither of those steps replaces the working papers application once an offer exists.

Step 2: The employer registers and shares the code

Employers visit MyWorkingPapers.nj.gov to register and receive a unique eight digit Employer Unique Code, often shortened to EUC. The employer must give that code to every newly hired minor. Without the code, the minor cannot complete the application, because the code is what links the minor’s application to that specific employer. If an employer has never hired a minor before, registration is part of hiring, not an optional extra. If an employer cannot provide a code, or says the papers are unnecessary, that is a warning sign worth pausing over. A lawful employer of minors in New Jersey should be able to register and provide the code, and a minor should not start work for an employer who refuses to do so.

Step 3: The minor applies online

The minor completes the online application for working papers, entering the caregiver’s contact information and the employer’s eight digit code. If this is the minor’s first time applying, NJDOL says the minor must register on the system to access the application. Applications can only be submitted from a minor’s account, not from a caregiver’s or an employer’s account. That detail matters for families who share devices or email addresses: the minor needs their own account on the system, even though the caregiver will also have a role. The minor should enter the employer code exactly as given, because a wrong digit will link the application to the wrong employer or to no employer at all, and will delay approval.

Step 4: The caregiver completes their part

Email prompts notify the minor’s potential employer and caregiver to complete their respective portions of the application. A caregiver account is automatically created when a minor submits the application, and returning caregivers can log in to that account. The caregiver uploads age verification documents, such as a birth certificate, a passport, or another official document. NJDOL lists a birth certificate and a passport as examples, and says another official document may serve, but it does not publish an exhaustive list of acceptable documents in the press release checked for this article. Families should therefore have an official age document ready in a clear digital copy before starting, and should check the system’s own instructions for exactly which documents it will accept. The caregiver step is not a formality. An application without completed caregiver verification cannot be approved, and a minor cannot complete the caregiver’s part from their own account.

Step 5: Wait for the email decision, then start

Minors, caregivers and employers receive email updates throughout the process, and again when an application has been approved or rejected. The minor can begin working once the application has been approved. That sentence should be read literally: approval, not submission, is the permission to start. Starting before approval, even for training, even for a single trial shift, and even at the employer’s request, puts the minor and the employer outside the required process. If an application is rejected, the email updates should explain what further action is needed, and the family should follow that instruction rather than starting work and hoping the rejection is resolved later. If no update arrives and the start date is approaching, the family should contact the employer first to confirm the employer’s portion is complete, because an incomplete employer portion is a common holdup, and then contact NJDOL if the employer portion is complete and the application still has not moved.

What you need before you start the application

A short checklist prevents most avoidable delays. Before opening the application, the minor should have: a job offer; the employer’s eight digit code; the caregiver’s full name and email address, entered carefully, because email prompts go to that address; and an official age verification document in digital form, such as a birth certificate or passport. The caregiver should know that an account will be created automatically when the minor submits the application, and should watch for the email prompt rather than trying to apply separately. The employer should know that registration and the code come first, and that the employer’s own portion must be completed after the minor applies. Every party should use an email address they actually check, because the system communicates by email at each stage.

Families should also keep a copy of the approval once it arrives. The approval email is the record that the minor was cleared to start for that employer and that job. If the minor later changes jobs, the old approval does not transfer, but keeping it is still useful as a record of the earlier employment, and it helps the family remember which employer and job title each application covered. Employers are required to keep certain records for employees under 18, including name, address, date of birth and start and end hours of work, according to NJDOL’s child labor abstract, so the family’s own copy is a useful cross check, not a replacement for the employer’s records.

New application for a new job, a new title, or new duties

NJDOL states the rule in one sentence: a new application must be submitted when a minor changes employers, job titles or duties, including annual and seasonal employment. That sentence covers more situations than most families expect. A minor who works a summer job, leaves, and returns to the same employer the next summer needs a new application for the new season. A minor who moves from one store in a chain to another store in the same chain needs a new application if the employer record changes. A minor who is promoted, or moved to different duties, needs a new application if the title or duties change. The reason is the same as before: the certificate is tied to a specific employer and a specific job, and a changed job is, for the purposes of the system, a new job.

The practical consequence is that families should treat every job change as a fresh working papers task, with a fresh employer code check and a fresh caregiver step, even when the employer is familiar. Employers sometimes assume that a returning seasonal worker is already covered. They are not, under the rule as NJDOL states it. A minor who is asked to start a new season or a new role without a new application should ask the employer to confirm the new application, and should not start the new work until it is approved. The same logic applies to a second job. A minor who already holds approved papers for one employer still needs a separate application for a second employer, and the hours from both jobs together still have to fit within the legal limits described below. Holding papers for one job never authorizes a second job.

Age and hour rules, date stamped to NJDOL

Hour rules are where families most often go wrong, because the limits change with age and with whether school is in session. The figures in this section are taken from NJDOL material checked on November 5, 2026, and they are stated as NJDOL states them, with the important distinction between the summer period and the school year kept explicit. Readers should confirm the current figures on NJDOL’s young workers pages before relying on them for a schedule, because hour rules are the kind of rule that can be amended, and an out of date summary is worse than no summary.

For minors aged 14 and 15, NJDOL’s April 2026 press release gives the summer position in plain terms: work is limited to eight hours each day, with a total of 40 hours per week. For minors aged 16 and 17, the same press release gives 10 hours each day, with a total of 50 hours per week, and NJDOL’s employer material narrows that higher limit to a specific window: workers 16 and up may work up to 50 hours in one week and up to 10 hours a day only between the last day of school and Labor Day. In other words, the 10 hour and 50 hour figures for 16 and 17 year olds are a summer window figure, not a year round figure. Outside that window, the general position for workers under 16, given on NJDOL’s employer pages, is no more than 40 hours a week and eight hours a day, with certain exceptions for agricultural work, and minors under 16 may only work outside scheduled school hours during the school year.

During the school year, the limits for the youngest workers tighten further. NJDOL’s child labor law abstract, form MW-129, states that when school is in session, minors under 16 are limited to three hours per day and 18 hours per week. That figure is the one families should use for school week scheduling for 14 and 15 year olds, alongside the rule that work must fall outside scheduled school hours. A 14 year old cannot lawfully work during the hours they are required to attend school, and a schedule that overlaps school hours is unlawful even if the total weekly hours look small. For 16 and 17 year olds during the school year, NJDOL’s employer material does not state a separate reduced weekly cap in the same terms, but the summer only nature of the 50 hour limit means the higher summer hours do not carry into the school year. Families should check the current NJDOL hour chart for the exact school year position for 16 and 17 year olds before agreeing to a school year schedule, and should treat any employer schedule that promises summer hours during term time as a schedule to verify, not to accept.

Two further limits apply across ages. All minors must be given a 30 minute meal break after six continuous hours of work, and a break shorter than 30 minutes does not count as an interruption of continuous work. Minors may not work more than six consecutive days in a week. Those two rules are stated identically on NJDOL’s young workers pages for workers and for employers, which makes them among the most reliable figures in this article. A schedule with seven consecutive days, or a long shift with only a short break, fails those rules regardless of the total hours.

Permitted jobs and prohibited work

New Jersey does not only limit hours. It also limits what work a minor may do, and the lists are long. The permitted lists quoted earlier show the range: at 14, retail, food store, restaurant, hotel, office, library, camp and domestic helper work; at 16, factory machine, power tool, power lawn mower, tractor and mechanic work, except for work specifically prohibited. But the prohibited lists are just as important, and they include prohibited products, prohibited machinery, prohibited establishments and prohibited activities.

Prohibited products include paints, colors, white and red lead in manufacture and packing only, dangerous or poisonous acids and dyes, injurious quantities of toxic or noxious dust, gases, vapors or fumes, benzol and volatile benzol compounds, explosives in manufacture, transportation or use only, toxic and hazardous substances, radioactive substances and ionizing radiation, carcinogenic substances, corrosive materials, highly inflammable substances, and pesticides. Prohibited machinery includes power driven woodworking machinery, with a supervised bona fide apprentice exception, grinding, abrasive, polishing or buffing machines, punch presses and stamping machines with over one quarter 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, with push button operation excepted, corn pickers, power driven hay balers or power field choppers, compactors, and circular saws, band saws and guillotine shears. Minors under 16 may use standard domestic type machines, standard office machines and certain standard farm equipment, but may not use other power driven machinery such as power tools, power lawn mowers, power woodworking and metal working tools, or power driven meat slicing and meat grinding machines or conveyors.

Prohibited establishments include ore reduction works, smelters, hot rolling mills, furnaces, foundries, forging shops and other places where 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, with exceptions noted in the law, pool and billiard rooms, junk and scrap metal yards, and disorderly houses. Prohibited activities include oiling, wiping or cleaning machinery in motion or assisting in that work, steam boilers carrying a pressure above 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 or immoral exposure, and most occupations in slaughtering, meat packing, processing or rendering.

Those lists explain why a job title alone is not enough to judge whether work is lawful. A restaurant job for a 14 year old may be lawful for hosting, bussing, cashier work and sandwich making, but unlawful if it involves operating a meat slicer, working with prohibited machinery, or working in a freezer in a way NJDOL prohibits for that age. NJDOL’s own employer material gives exactly that kind of example: a 15 year old dishwasher who is paid minimum wage and works weekends may make and package sandwiches and operate toasters, milk shake blenders, warming lamps and coffee grinders, and may be trained on the cash register and in customer service, but may not operate the meat slicer, bake bread, work in the freezer, or operate grills, because of age. Families should use that example as a model: ask what tasks the job actually involves, not only what the job is called, and check any task that involves machinery, heat, chemicals or vehicles against the prohibited lists before accepting it.

Pay, breaks, sick leave, and the right to complain

NJDOL states that minors must be paid for all hours worked, with payment at least twice per month and with detailed pay stubs. That rule matters because a common first job problem is unpaid time, such as unpaid training, unpaid setup, or unpaid closing work. Hours worked means hours worked, and a pay stub should let the worker check hours, rate and pay. If a stub is missing, vague or inconsistent with the hours actually worked, the worker should ask for a corrected stub and keep their own record of shifts.

On the rate itself, NJDOL’s young workers material says workers under 18 are entitled to minimum wage in a listed set of jobs, including retail, food service, hotel and motel work, beauty culture, laundry, cleaning and dyeing, light manufacturing apparel, and first processing of farm products, and it adds that certain types of employers are not required to pay minors minimum wage, with a reference to the law for detail. The statewide minimum wage for most employees was $15.92 per hour effective January 1, 2026, according to NJDOL’s October 2025 announcement, with lower scheduled rates for seasonal and small employers, at $15.23, and for agricultural workers, at $14.20, and a separate tipped worker cash wage. Those figures are date stamped to January 1, 2026, and they illustrate why a single minimum wage number should never be quoted without its date and its employer category. A minor’s actual rate depends on the job and the employer category, and the current rate should be confirmed on NJDOL’s minimum wage pages before a job is accepted. For the general meaning of pay terms, see Amberaisle’s explainer on what wages mean.

Breaks and sick leave are stated plainly by NJDOL. The 30 minute meal break after six continuous hours, already covered above, is a right, not a favor. On sick leave, NJDOL’s April 2026 press release states that all employees, including minors, can earn up to 40 hours of paid sick leave annually, and its employer material explains the accrual as one hour of earned sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours each year, under the New Jersey Earned Sick Leave Law in force since October 29, 2018. NJDOL’s young workers hub also notes that young workers are entitled to certain benefits, and that workers should not be bullied into not taking sick time. A minor who is told not to use sick leave, or who is punished for using it, should treat that as a rights issue, not as a normal workplace rule.

NJDOL also states that minors can file complaints with NJDOL if their rights are violated or if they face retaliation. That right is important for a first job, where a young worker may fear that complaining will cost them the job. Retaliation for asserting a labor right is itself a violation to raise with NJDOL, not a risk the worker must silently accept. The complaint route does not require the worker to prove a legal case before contacting NJDOL. It requires a clear account of what happened, when, and for which employer, which is another reason to keep pay stubs, schedules and approval emails. Employers also face a specific consequence if a minor is injured while employed in violation of child labor laws: NJDOL notes that an illegally employed minor may be entitled to extra benefits, including double workers compensation benefits paid by the employer, not by the employer’s insurer, and a civil suit in Superior Court for compensation beyond workers compensation. Those consequences are stated here as NJDOL states them, not as a prediction about any one case.

Overtime is a related point where New Jersey and federal law can differ. NJDOL’s employer material notes that workers aged 16 and 17 are only eligible for an overtime rate in certain jobs, including first processing of farm products, seasonal amusements, hotels and motels, and restaurants, and that in any other job, employers can require 16 and 17 year olds to work up to 50 hours per week in the summer window but are not required under New Jersey law to pay time and a half beyond 40 hours, although federal law under the Fair Labor Standards Act may require it. That distinction is exactly why this article does not give a single overtime answer. Readers who need the general overtime question answered should read Amberaisle’s article on whether salary workers get overtime, and should check the current NJDOL and federal position for their own job category before relying on any summary.

Common problems and how to handle them

The most common problem is starting work before approval. It usually happens innocently: an employer is short staffed, a start date was promised, and the application is still pending. The fix is to pause and complete the approval, even if that means moving the start date. Working without approval does not create a valid employment certificate after the fact, and it leaves the minor without the protection the certificate is meant to provide. If an employer pressures a minor to start before approval, the family should treat that pressure as information about the employer, and should contact NJDOL if the pressure continues.

The second common problem is a missing employer code. The fix is to ask the employer, in writing if possible, for the eight digit code and for confirmation that the employer has registered. If the employer says registration is unnecessary, or that the minor’s age makes papers unnecessary, that claim should be checked against NJDOL’s rule that every minor under 18 must have working papers before starting work. A family business, a small business and a seasonal business are not described by NJDOL as exempt from the registration requirement in the material checked for this article, so a claim of exemption should be verified with NJDOL, not accepted on the employer’s word.

The third common problem is a caregiver step that stalls. The usual causes are an email address entered incorrectly, an email prompt missed in a spam folder, or an age document that the system will not accept. The fix is to check the email address entered in the minor’s application, check spam and promotions folders for the prompt, and prepare a clear scan or photograph of an official document. If the document is repeatedly rejected, the family should use the system’s help route or contact NJDOL, rather than submitting a document that is not an official age record.

The fourth common problem is a schedule that breaks the hour rules. The fix is to compare the offered schedule, hour by hour, against the age and season limits in this article, including the meal break and the six consecutive day limit. A schedule that looks reasonable in total hours can still fail if it includes school hours, seven consecutive days, or a long shift without a 30 minute break. Families should raise the specific rule, politely and in writing, with the employer, and should keep a copy of the schedule offered. If the employer will not correct the schedule, NJDOL is the authority to contact, not a social media post or a peer’s advice.

The fifth common problem is a job change that is treated as covered by old papers. The fix is the rule already stated: a new application for a new employer, title or duties, including seasonal return. Families should ask, at the moment a change is proposed, whether a new application is needed, and should not start the changed work until the new approval arrives. That question is easier to ask before the change than after the work has begun.

For employers: registration and record keeping in brief

Employers who hire minors in New Jersey have duties that go beyond providing the code. They must register online, provide the code to every newly hired minor, complete their portion of each application, keep the employment certificate on file, keep the records NJDOL requires for employees under 18, pay for all hours worked with detailed pay stubs at least twice per month, provide the 30 minute meal break after six continuous hours, respect the hour and consecutive day limits, and avoid assigning prohibited work. NJDOL’s employer material also notes that employers must have workers compensation coverage, and that illegally employing a minor can lead to double benefits and civil liability, as described above. Employers who are unsure whether a job is permitted for a minor’s age can call NJDOL’s Division of Wage and Hour Compliance, which NJDOL lists at (609) 292-2305 for questions about a specific occupation. That phone number is given here as NJDOL publishes it, and readers should use NJDOL’s current contact pages to confirm it before calling.

Small employers sometimes ask whether the rules apply to them. NJDOL’s material does not describe a small employer exemption from working papers or from the hour limits in the pages checked for this article. The minimum wage schedule does have separate rates for seasonal and small employers, which is a pay distinction, not a working papers exemption. An employer who claims to be too small for working papers should be asked to show the NJDOL rule that supports that claim, because the general rule as NJDOL states it applies to every minor under 18 and to employers who hire workers under 18.

Working papers and other first job topics

Working papers are only one part of a first job. Once papers are approved, the practical questions shift to scheduling, pay, safety and saving. Readers looking for weekend work that fits around school may find Amberaisle’s guide to weekend jobs you can do one day a week useful for thinking about schedule shape, although any job found through it still needs New Jersey working papers if the worker is under 18 and the job is in New Jersey. Readers interested in online earning should read Amberaisle’s guide to how to make money online as a teenager, with the same caution: online work does not remove the New Jersey requirement if the work counts as employment of a minor in New Jersey, and families should check the NJDOL position for the specific kind of online work before assuming it is exempt. The working papers rule is about employment in New Jersey, not about where the work is advertised, and a job found online is still a job for these purposes if it otherwise meets the definition.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need working papers for a summer job in New Jersey?

Yes, if you are under 18. NJDOL states that every New Jersey minor under 18 must have working papers before starting work, and that rule includes summer and seasonal work. A summer job is not exempt because it is short, seasonal or part time. The application is the same online process, and a new application is needed for each seasonal return, even to the same employer.

Can I apply for working papers before I have a job offer?

No, not under the current online system. A minor must have a job offer before applying, because the application requires the employer’s eight digit code, which only exists once the employer has registered for that hire. The right order is: find a job, get an offer, get the code from the employer, then apply.

Do schools still handle working papers in New Jersey?

No. NJDOL states that schools are no longer part of the working papers process. Applications run through MyWorkingPapers.nj.gov, and minors, caregivers and employers receive email updates. Older guides that describe collecting a paper form from a school office are out of date for New Jersey.

What documents does a caregiver need to upload?

The caregiver uploads age verification documents. NJDOL gives a birth certificate and a passport as examples, and says another official document may serve. Families should have an official age document ready in digital form before starting, and should check the system’s own instructions for exactly which documents it will accept, because NJDOL does not publish an exhaustive list in the press release checked for this article.

How long does approval take?

NJDOL does not publish a guaranteed processing time in the material checked for this article, so this article does not give one. Approval depends on all three parties completing their portions: the employer registering and completing their part, the minor applying with the correct code, and the caregiver uploading age verification. Apply as soon as the offer and the code are in hand, and do not start work until the approval email arrives.

Do I need new working papers if I change jobs?

Yes. NJDOL states that a new application must be submitted when a minor changes employers, job titles or duties, including annual and seasonal employment. A second job with a second employer needs its own application, and a return to the same employer for a new season needs a new application too.

What happens if my application is rejected?

Minors, caregivers and employers receive email updates when an application has been approved or rejected. Follow the instruction in that update for what further action is needed, and do not start work until a later approval is issued. If the update is unclear, check first whether the employer’s portion is complete, then contact NJDOL for guidance on the specific application.

Can a 14 year old work in New Jersey?

Yes, in most jobs, subject to the permitted job lists and the hour limits. NJDOL lists a wide range of jobs open at 14, including retail, restaurant, supermarket, hotel, office, library, camp and domestic helper work, but prohibited machinery, products, establishments and activities still apply. A 14 year old may not work during required school hours, and school year hours are tighter than summer hours.

What are the hour limits for 16 and 17 year olds in summer?

NJDOL states that minors aged 16 and 17 may work up to 10 hours a day and 50 hours a week, but its employer material limits that higher figure to the period between the last day of school and Labor Day. Outside that window, the higher summer hours do not apply. All minors must receive a 30 minute meal break after six continuous hours, and may not work more than six consecutive days in a week.

Do working papers from another state work in New Jersey?

No assumption of that kind should be made. Working papers in New Jersey are the New Jersey employment certificate issued through NJDOL’s online system for a New Jersey employer and job. A certificate or permit from another state is a different state’s document, and it does not replace the New Jersey application for a New Jersey job. Families moving to New Jersey should start the New Jersey process after a New Jersey job offer, following the steps in this article.

Where do I complain if my rights are violated?

NJDOL states that minors can file complaints with NJDOL if their rights are violated or if they face retaliation. Keep pay stubs, schedules and approval emails, and give NJDOL a clear account of what happened, when, and for which employer. The complaint route is the authority to use for pay, hours, break and prohibited work problems, rather than relying on the employer’s internal process alone.

Sources & references

• New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, press release, April 6, 2026, "Looking for a Summer Job? Labor Department Reminds New Jersey Teens Working Papers Are the First Step." https://www.nj.gov/labor/lwdhome/press/2026/20260406_workingpapers.shtml
• New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Young Workers hub. https://nj.gov/labor/youngworkers/
• New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Young Workers, For Employers of Workers Under 18. https://nj.gov/labor/youngworkers/employer-info/index.shtml
• New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, press release, October 1, 2025, "New Jersey's Minimum Wage to Increase to $15.92/Hour for Most Employees on Jan. 1." https://www.nj.gov/labor/lwdhome/press/2025/20251001_Minimum_Wage.shtml
• New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Child Labor Law Abstract, form MW-129. https://www.nj.gov/labor/forms_pdfs/EmployerPosterPacket/mw-129.pdf. Cited directly from the NJDOL hosted PDF; the school year figure of 3 hours per day and 18 hours per week when school is in session, and the required records list for employees under 18, were read from that PDF first hand.
• New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, press release, May 15, 2025, "New Jersey Department of Labor Reminds Young Workers and Their Families: Working Papers are Required Before Starting a New Job." https://nj.gov/labor/lwdhome/press/2025/20250515_Working_Papers.shtml