Apply for a child employment permit

You'll need to know:

• the planned working hours of the child
• their school
• their form / class

You must follow the following rules about when a child can work.

School days

Children can work:

• between 7am and 7pm
• for two hours on school days and only one hour before school
• 12 hours per week during term time

Saturdays and school holidays

Children can work:

• 5 hours a day if between 13 and 15 years old
• 8 hours a day if they're 15 and older

Sundays

Children can work for 2 hours on a Sunday. 

Children must have two weeks free from work during their school holidays and each year.

Download the Suffolk Bylaws (PDF, 30KB).

Children can do work such as:

• light work in shops or garden centres
• light work in agriculture/horticulture
• delivering newspapers
• office work
• car washing by hand
• shampooing and sweeping up in a hairdressing salon
• waiting at tables
• some work with animals
• in a cafe or restaurant
• in riding stables

Children can only work full-time after they’ve reached the minimum school leaving age and can work up to 40 hours a week.

Download the child employment information leaflet for parents and carers (PDF, 163KB).

Telephone: Child Employment office on 01473 265195

Email: childemployment@suffolk.gov.uk

Address:

You can apply for a:

• body of persons licence
• chaperone licence
• child performance licence