Work Permits

Do you need a work permit?

All work permits must be picked up / signed / processed at the high school office. 

Please call 231-348-2105, Monday through Friday, 7:30AM - 2:30PM, with any questions.  

Youth Work Permit Process Streamlined  - Coming October 2026

Public Act 196 of 2024 amends the Michigan Youth Employment Standards Act by modifying the procedures for issuing work permits to minors. Under current law, a school’s chief administrator or designee issues and revokes work permits. Starting October 2, 2026, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) will assume the school’s responsibility for processing youth work permits. 

This law also sets new limits on when a minor under 16 years old may work, including prohibiting 14- and 15-year-olds from working outside the hours of 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. between June 1 and Labor Day and outside the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the rest of the year. Employment must be outside school hours. Working hours are limited to three hours per day during any week that school is in session, not to exceed a total of 18 hours per week. When school is not in session, the limitation is increased to 40 hours per week. 

Minors seeking a work permit must use LEO’s free registration website to register for employment and submit necessary information. Likewise, prospective employers must use the platform to submit their business and other legally required information (e.g., name and contact information, work site information, and the minor’s proposed primary work site) to LEO. 

The transfer of responsibility, along with an accessible online platform, is intended to ease the process for students applying for work permits and relieve the administrative burden for schools.