Does Your Child Need an Entertainment Work Permit in States Other Than California?

Previously, I’ve discussed entertainment work permits for children working in the state of California. But there are many of you in states other than California who are wondering if you need an entertainment work permit for your child.

If you are looking for employment within the state of California, refer to my posts concerning entertainment work permits in California (see “Where Is the California Entertainment Work Permit Office in Van Nuys?“, “How Do You Renew Your Child’s Entertainment Work Permit?“, “Do You Need an Entertainment Work Permit for Your Child Actor?“).

Currently, about half of the 50 states in the United States require work permits for minors working in the entertainment industry. So you are wise to look into the laws that are specific to a particular state before your child obtains employment in that state.

If your child lives in one state and gets employment in another, you can certainly get assistance and advice on how to get that work permit quickly when it is needed. Often, the production company can advise you on what to do when the time comes.

So, “Does Your Child Need an Entertainment Work Permit in States Other Than California?”

If your minor child is seeking work in a state other than California, it is a good idea to look into the requirements and laws for that state.  About half of the states in the U.S. require work permits in at least some cases. Most states have certain requirements and labor laws related to employment of minors, so it is good to look into the laws regardless of where you are.

You can start with the U.S. Department of Labor website on the page for State Labor Laws for Child Entertainment. This provides basic information on child entertainment work permit and labor laws for each of the 50 states as of December 2009. To obtain additional information, you can contact the labor office for each particular state. To find the contact and number you need, refer to the list of labor office contacts.

States without any real regulation for Child Entertainment include:

1. Arizona
2. Colorado
3. Kansas
4. Kentucky
5. Mississippi
6. Montana
7. Nevada
8. New Hampshire
9. New Mexico
10. Ohio
11. Oklahoma
12. Rhode Island
13. South Carolina
14. South Dakota
15. Tennessee
16. Utah
17. West Virginia
18. Wisconsin

Even if you are in or planning for your child to work in one of the above states, it is still good to look into what the laws stipulate in regards to child entertainment. Even in some of the above states, children are not allowed to work in certain venues.

Keep in mind that child labor laws are created to protect children in the entertainment industry. While it may seem so, and even though it is convenient, it is not always a good thing to be in a state where no child entertainment labor laws exist.

You must be vigilant to make sure that your child is not exploited or mistreated in any way in every case in the entertainment industry. This is even more true in states where child entertainment labor laws do not exist or are very limited.

For more information on this and many other topics related to children in showbiz, subscribe to Your Young Actor’s Newsletter. You’ll also get a free mini-course on getting started in showbiz.

To your success and safety,

Debbie Sikkema