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What are Permitted Occupations for 14 & 15 Year Olds?

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The Connecticut Department of Education only issues Working Papers for 14 year-olds to work as caddies or in the pro shops of private or municipal golf courses, and for 15 year-olds to work in that capacity or in mercantile/retail environments. Working Papers for 14 and 15 year-olds are not issued under any other circumstances but for the above mentioned.

No working papers are required for the below list of examples of permitted occupations for 14 and 15 year olds.

  • Agriculture
  • Street trades (newspaper delivery, shoe shining, baby-sitting)
  • Hospitals (no food service or laundry)
  • Convalescent homes (no food service or laundry)
  • Hotels and motels (no food service or laundry)
  • Banks
  • Insurance companies
  • Professional offices (lawyers, CPAs)
  • Municipalities (library attendants, recreation departments)
  • Acting
  • Household chores for private homeowners (yard work)
  • Licensed summer camps

*15-year old may be employed or permitted to work in certain mercantile establishment as a bagger, cashier, or stock clerk (See 31-23b).

Any questions on non-hazardous occupations not contained in this list should be directed to the Wage & Workplace Standards Division.

Any questions regarding working papers should be directed to the Connecticut Department of Education: 860-807-2130.

14 & 15 year-old minors may not be employed:

The times and hours of this employment generally are limited to periods of school vacation, during which school is NOT in session for five consecutive days or more, and with the following conditions:

  • more than 40 hours in any week;
  • more than eight hours in any day; and
  • may work between the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except from July 1 to the first Monday in September, when the 15-year-old minor may work until 9 p.m.  

A 15-year-old minor employed in a retail food store may work on any Saturday during the year after obtaining working papers.

Employment Of Minors

Wage and workplace standards