Apply for Special Permit to Employ Child Performers

Employers, you must have a permit from the Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) to hire performers under 18. Submit an application for a permit on behalf of each child performer, and make sure you have it approved before rehearsal begins.

Overview

Children employed as performers are subject to special protections under Pennsylvania law. This includes explicit approval from the child's parent/guardian and a school official.

Employers of child performers must apply for special permits on behalf of each child performer. This includes artistic or creative performance in a variety of mediums:

  • live performance (including Halloween-themed attractions)
  • radio
  • television
  • movie
  • Internet
  • publication
  • documentary
  • reality programming
  • or other broadcast medium that is transmitted to an audience

Employers may not include child performers in a rehearsal, filming or production until they have received a permit.

L&I's Bureau of Labor Law Compliance (BLLC) approves permits that meet the requirements of the Child Labor Act –including signed permission from the child's parent or guardian.

A school official must complete the section applicable to performing or rehearsing during school hours.

BLLC does not approve permits for performances that are potentially dangerous or hazardous to the child’s well-being, which includes acrobatic acts and dangerous activities involving speed, height, and a high level of physical exertion of stunts.

Violations of the Child Labor Act may be punishable by either administrative or criminal penalties. Criminal penalties could include fines of up to $500 for first violations, and up to $1,500 per violation and/or up to 10 days of imprisonment for subsequent violations. Administrative penalties may include fines of up to $5,000 per violation and corrective action orders to violating parties.

About Child Labor Laws

Child labor laws ensure the protection of young workers by regulating employment types, working hours, and hazardous tasks.

The Child Labor Act, enforced by L&I’s Bureau of Labor Law Compliance (BLLC), protects the health, safety, and welfare of children employed in the Commonwealth by limiting employment in certain establishments and occupations, restricting the hours of work, regulating work conditions, and requiring work permits for children hired to fill a position.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the federal child labor law, also applies in Pennsylvania.

Where the laws overlap, the most protective standard applies.

Contact Us

By phone

Call the Bureau of Labor Law Compliance at 1-800-932-0665 or 717-787-4671.

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By email

Send an email to:

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By mail

Bureau of Labor Law Compliance 651 Boas Street, Room 1301 Harrisburg, PA 17121-0750