Work Permits
- Child Labor Law (Ill. Rev.Stat., Ch. 48. Par. 31.1-31.22) regulates the employment of minors under the age of 16 and requires all minors to have employment certificates. The employment certificates are issued by the Superintendent of Schools or their duly authorized agent.
- When school is in session, children 14 and 15 years of age may work up to three (3) hours per day. The net combined hours in school and at work may not exceed eight (8) hours a day and up to 24 hours per week.
When school is not in session (including summer vacation, holidays and weekends) children under the age of 16 may not work:- More than 8 hours a day
- More than 6 days per week
- More than 48 hours in a week
- Between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (except between June 1 and Labor Day when working hours may be extended to 9:00 p.m.)
- A scheduled meal period of at least thirty (30) minutes must be provided no later than the fifth consecutive hour of work.
No minor under 12 years of age, except for member of the farmer's own family who live with the farmer, may work in agriculture. However, any minor 10 years of age or more may be permitted to work in a gainful occupation in connection with agriculture during school vacations or outside of school hours.
Hazardous Occupations
- Children under the age of 16 may not work in, about, or in connection with any public messenger or delivery service, bowling alley, pool room, billiard room, skating rink (except an ice skating rink owned and operated by a school or unit of local government); exhibition park or place of amusement, garage or as a bell-boy in any hotel or rooming house or about or in connection with power driven machinery.
- In the oiling, cleaning or wiping of machinery or shafting
- In or about any mine or quarry
- In stone cutting or polishing
- In or about any hazardous factory work
- In or about any filling station or service station
- In or about any plant manufacturing explosives or articles containing explosive components, or in the use or transportation of same
- In or about plants manufacturing iron or steel, ore reduction works, smelters, founderies, forging shops hot rolling mills or any other place which the heating, melting or heat treatment of metals is carried on
- In the operation of machinery used in the cold rolling of heavy metal stock, or in the operation of power-driven punching, shearing, stamping, or metal plate bending machines
- In or about sawmills or lath, shingle or cooperage stock mills
- In the operation of power-driven wood-working machines or off-bearing from circular saws
- In the operation of freight elevators or hoisting machines and cranes
- In spray painting or in occupations involving exposure to lead or its compounds or to dangerous or poison dyes or chemicals
- In any place or establishment in which intoxicating alcoholic liquors are served or sold for consumption on the premises or in which such liquors are manufactured or bottled; however, busboy and kitchen employment not otherwise prohibited when in connection with the service of meals at any private club, fraternal organization or veterans' organization is not prohibited.
- In oil refineries, gasoline blending plants, or pumping stations on oil transmissions lines
- In the operation of laundry, dry cleaning, or dyeing machinery
- In the occupations involving exposure to radioactive substances.
- In our about any filling station or service station
- In construction work, including demolition and repair.
- In roofing operations.
- In excavating operations.
- In logging operations.
- In public and private utilities and related services.
- In operations in or in connection with slaughtering, meat packing, poultry processing and fish and seafood processing.
- In operations which involve working on an elevated surface, with or without the use of equipment, including but not limited to scaffolds.
- In security positions or any occupation that requires the use or carrying of a firearm or other weapon, or
- In occupations which involve the handling or storage of blood, blood products, body fluids or body tissue.
Office and office messenger and other non-hazardous employment of 14 and 15 year olds are not prohibited by this Act.
Click here for a list of the required documents.
Click here for the application.