To get a California summer work permit for a minor, you’ll complete a single form (CDE Form B1-1) signed by the minor, a parent or guardian, and the prospective employer, then submit it to an authorized issuer, which during summer is usually the school district superintendent’s office rather than the school site. There’s no fee, processing typically takes a couple of days, and the permit that comes back (CDE Form B1-4) sets the specific hours and duties the employer can schedule. You need a job offer in hand before you apply, because the employer fills in part of the form.
Who Needs One
California requires a work permit for every employed minor under 18, and that rule does not pause for summer break.1California Legislative Information. California Code EDC 49160 – Duties of Employer Permits are issued to minors ages 12 through 17.2California Department of Education. Frequently Asked Questions – Work Permits The permit is tied to one employer and one job, so a new one is needed for each new position.
A few situations don’t require a permit: minors who have graduated high school or passed the California High School Proficiency Exam; work for a parent or guardian in agriculture, horticulture, viticulture, or domestic labor on property the parent owns or controls; self-employment; odd jobs in private homes like babysitting or lawn mowing; work for a state or local government agency; and unpaid volunteer or trainee positions.2California Department of Education. Frequently Asked Questions – Work Permits When in doubt, get the permit.
Emancipated minors are not exempt. They still have to follow child labor rules and get a permit, but they can apply without a parent’s signature.3State of California Department of Industrial Relations. California Child Labor Laws
The B1-1 Form and What Each Person Signs
The application is called the “Statement of Intent to Employ a Minor and Request for a Work Permit,” or CDE Form B1-1.4State of California Department of Education. CDE Form B1-1 – Statement of Intent to Employ a Minor and Request for a Work Permit You can pick it up from a school attendance or counseling office, or download it from the California Department of Education or Department of Industrial Relations. It has three sections, and all three must be completed before you submit.
The minor fills in full legal name, date of birth, home address, phone, Social Security number, school name, and grade, then signs.
A parent or legal guardian prints, signs, and dates the parent section, certifying that they know about and consent to the employment and that the information is accurate.4State of California Department of Education. CDE Form B1-1 – Statement of Intent to Employ a Minor and Request for a Work Permit Foster parents, caregivers, and residential shelter providers can sign in place of a parent.5California Department of Education. Permit to Employ and Work CDE Form B1-4
The employer fills in the business name, address, phone, supervisor’s name, a description of the work, and the maximum daily and weekly hours they expect. They also sign a certification that the job is covered by workers’ compensation and that the business complies with California labor laws.4State of California Department of Education. CDE Form B1-1 – Statement of Intent to Employ a Minor and Request for a Work Permit Because of this, you need a real job offer or at least a willing employer before the form can be finished. You can’t get the permit first and shop it around.
Where to Submit It During Summer
During the school year, the completed form goes to the school’s attendance or counseling office. In summer that office is often closed, but the permit can still be issued.
Education Code Section 49110 lists several people authorized to issue work permits. The most common summer path is through the superintendent of the school district where the minor lives, which usually means calling the district office rather than an individual school site.6California Legislative Information. California Code EDC 49110 – Work Permit Issuance Call before summer starts to confirm hours and procedures. Many districts keep a counselor or designated issuer available through the summer for exactly this reason.
Charter school students can go to the charter’s chief executive officer or a designee. Students in an area with no school district and no charter school affiliation go to the county superintendent of schools.6California Legislative Information. California Code EDC 49110 – Work Permit Issuance
Homeschooled students enrolled through a public school or charter follow that program’s process. Students in a private school satellite program can get the permit from the private school’s principal or designated administrator, as long as that person is not the student’s own parent. Single-family private homeschoolers generally need to go through the district superintendent, since a parent typically cannot issue a work permit to their own child.6California Legislative Information. California Code EDC 49110 – Work Permit Issuance
The issuer verifies the minor’s age, checks that the proposed hours and duties comply with the law, and may also look at academic standing or attendance. They fill in the maximum permitted hours for school-in-session and school-not-in-session periods, select the permit type, and sign. There is no fee. Once approved, the issuer produces the official “Permit to Employ and Work” (CDE Form B1-4), which is the actual work permit.7Department of Industrial Relations. Permit to Employ and Work Processing usually takes a couple of days, but summer is peak hiring season, so don’t count on same-day turnaround.
Summer Hour Limits by Age
The permit will spell out the maximum hours the employer can schedule. Those hours come from Labor Code Section 1391, and summer has its own rules.8California Legislative Information. California Code Labor Code 1391
Ages 16 and 17
Up to 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week when school is out. The allowed window is 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. on evenings before a school day, and 5 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. on evenings before a non-school day.8California Legislative Information. California Code Labor Code 1391 During a full summer break, the later cutoff effectively applies every night.
Ages 14 and 15
Up to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week when school is out. The allowed window is 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. most of the year, but from June 1 through Labor Day, the evening cutoff extends to 9 p.m.8California Legislative Information. California Code Labor Code 1391 The extension ends the day after Labor Day, not the day school starts.
Ages 12 and 13
The most restricted group. They can only work during school holidays and vacations, never on a school day. During summer, the maximum is 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week.9State of California Department of Industrial Relations. Summary Chart – Minor Labor Law Provisions The types of jobs available at this age are also very limited.
Federal law under the Fair Labor Standards Act sets the same 8-hour daily and 40-hour weekly cap for 14- and 15-year-olds when school is not in session.10U.S. Department of Labor. Non-Agricultural Jobs – 14-15 Where the two systems differ, the stricter limit wins. In California, that’s usually the state rule.
How Long a Summer Permit Lasts
Work permits expire five days after the opening of the next school year.7Department of Industrial Relations. Permit to Employ and Work A summer permit does not roll over automatically. To keep the same job once school starts, the minor needs a new permit, and the new permit will reflect the tighter school-year hour limits. The employer has to keep the current, valid permit on file at the workplace for the entire time the minor is employed.11California Legislative Information. California Code Labor Code 1299 – Occupational Privileges and Restrictions
One detail worth flagging: the hour limits on the permit follow the calendar of the school the student actually attends, not the local public school district’s calendar.6California Legislative Information. California Code EDC 49110 – Work Permit Issuance A year-round school or one that starts earlier than the local public schools can make a student’s “summer” shorter than a neighbor’s.
Pay
California’s minimum wage as of January 1, 2026 is $16.90 per hour, and it applies to all workers regardless of age.12California Department of Industrial Relations. Minimum Wage There is no separate lower rate for minors. Federal law allows employers to pay workers under 20 a reduced $4.25 per hour for the first 90 calendar days,13U.S. Department of Labor. Subminimum Wage but the higher California minimum overrides it. Anything less than $16.90 an hour in California is a state law violation.
Jobs a Permit Doesn’t Cover
A valid permit doesn’t unlock every job. Federal law bans everyone under 18 from 17 categories of hazardous work, including operating forklifts or power-driven meat slicers, mining, logging, handling explosives, and exposure to radioactive materials.14U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 43 – Child Labor Provisions of the FLSA for Nonagricultural Occupations
For 14- and 15-year-olds the list is much longer. Federal law prohibits them from construction, warehousing, manufacturing, processing, and most transportation jobs. They cannot operate power-driven machinery beyond office equipment, work from ladders or scaffolds, or do any baking.10U.S. Department of Labor. Non-Agricultural Jobs – 14-15 The rule at this age is that if a job isn’t specifically listed as permitted, it’s prohibited. Typical summer work — retail, food service without open flames or restricted equipment, office work, lifeguarding — generally fits with the right permit and hours.