How to Get a Work Permit in Illinois?

Are you planning to go out and get a part-time job?

Working after school and on weekends is a great way to get some extra cash. As well as having money in your pocket, working also teaches you skills that can be useful later in life. However, if you are under the age of sixteen, you may need to get an Illinois work permit before you can start work. The work permit states the types of jobs you can do and when you are allowed to work.

So, let’s find out how to get a work permit in Illinois.

Working Age Restrictions in Illinois

Generally speaking, you need to be at sixteen years old to work in the state of Illinois. However, there are several factors that affect where and when you can work. For example, you need to be at least twenty years old to work at a business that serves alcohol like a bar.

If you are fourteen or fifteen, you have to get a special employment certificate before starting work. While there are fewer restrictions for sixteen and seventeen-year-olds, so-called hazardous occupations are prohibited.

The Secretary of Labor has defined a number of hazardous occupations, including:

Warehouse work
Processing, manufacturing, and mining
Communications or public utilities role
Construction or repair
Work using ladders or scaffolding
Operating power-driven machinery
Outside window cleaning
Amusement park operator or ride attendant
Driving motor vehicles
Youth peddling, sign-waving, or door-to-door sales
Poultry cooping or catching
Lifeguarding
Public messenger jobs
Transporting people or property
Warehousing and storage
Boiler or engine room work
Cooking
Baking
Working in a freezer or meat cooler
Loading or unloading goods
Meat processing
Maintenance or repair work

Where To Get A Work Permit?

Most high schools and large registered private high schools can issue work permits. You can go to your school guidance counselor or favorite teacher to find out how to get a work permit. They will usually check your school record to make sure your grades are OK. If they approve, they will help you to get a work permit.

What To Do If You Are Homeschooled?

If you are homeschooled or do not go to school for another official reason, you can still get a work permit. You need to visit your nearest high school with your parent or guardian. Take a statement from your future employer describing the job and the hours you would be working.

Also, take the following documents:

Proof of your exact age
A statement of physical fitness signed by your doctor
A statement from your parent or guardian giving their permission for you to work.

Working In The School Holidays

Even during the summer and winter breaks, you need to have a certificate of employment if you are under sixteen. When school is not in session, you can download an application from the Illinois Department of Labor website. Once you have found the Employment Certificate form on the Illinois Department of Labor webpage, take the following steps:

Open the form and choose a password
Complete the form and submit it
Print the document
Get your future employer and parent or guardian to sign the document

Once your document has been signed and submitted, the department will issue the work permit. You will receive an email with your work permit, which you need to print out. Give a copy of the work permit to your employer and make sure they keep it on file. Your new work permit will be valid for one year.

Restrictions On Working Periods

Even fourteen and fifteen-year-olds who have a work permit have limits on the hours they can work. This is mainly done to make sure teenagers have enough time to study and get good grades. After the age of sixteen, there are very few restrictions on working hours in the state of Illinois.

When school is in session

Work can only be done between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm when the teenager does not have classes. Teenagers can work up to three hours on a school day and up to eight hours on a non-school day. The maximum number of consecutive days of work is six, and the maximum number of weekly working hours is 24.

During the school holidays

During the summer and winter breaks, teenagers can work between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm. The maximum number of weekly working hours is 48. However, teenagers are still restricted to a maximum of six consecutive days of work.

Other obligations

Teenagers can do a maximum of eight hours of school and work on any day. Employers have to give teenagers a thirty-minute break for every five hours they work in a shift.

Jobs That Do Not Require A Work Permit

There are a lot of jobs that you can do without a work permit, no matter how old you are. If your family owns a business, you can work there in your spare time. You can also do chores around the house for a fee or do your neighbor’s housework.

Here are some of the other Illinois jobs you don’t need a work permit for:

Babysitting
Dog walking
Agricultural tasks
Yardwork
Delivering newspapers
Golf caddying

Age Certificates

You need to be able to prove how old you are to get a work permit. Usually, you would submit your birth certificate. However, if your birth certificate is not available for some reason, you can apply for an age certificate.

An age certificate is stamped with your age and date of birth and can be used as ID. To get an age certificate, you need to show your passport, bible, or baptismal records.

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Final Thoughts

It is important to know your rights and when you are allowed to work before starting your first job. If you are working for an employer, make sure you get a contract. The contract should state the hours you have to work, the hourly rate, and when you get paid.

Make sure you read the contract carefully before signing it. It is a good idea to get your parent or guardian to read the contract to make sure it is fair.

If there is anything in the contract you don’t agree with, bring it up with your employer and get it changed.

All the very best getting your Illinois Work Permit!

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