NJ Working Papers for Minors: What Happens When You Homeschool?

Parents withdrawing a 14- or 15-year-old from a New Jersey public school to homeschool often hit an unexpected question: what happens to working papers? If your teenager works part-time — or wants to — and their employment certificate was issued through the school, does withdrawing void it? Can a homeschooled minor even get working papers in New Jersey?

These are practical questions with practical answers. Here is what you need to know.

How NJ Working Papers Work for School-Enrolled Minors

In New Jersey, minors between the ages of 14 and 17 who want to work are required to obtain an Employment Certificate — commonly called working papers — before they can be employed. The certificate is issued by the school the minor attends.

The process for an enrolled public school student is: the employer provides a promise of employment, the minor obtains a physical examination from a licensed physician, and the school's issuing officer (typically the principal or a designated administrator) reviews the documentation and issues the certificate.

The certificate is issued by the school because the issuing officer is verifying that the minor is currently compliant with compulsory education requirements — i.e., that they are enrolled in school.

What Changes When You Withdraw to Homeschool

When you formally withdraw your child from the public school to homeschool under N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25, they are no longer enrolled at the school. That means the school is no longer the issuing authority for working papers.

For homeschoolers, the issuing authority shifts. New Jersey recognizes that homeschooled students are receiving "equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school" and are therefore in compliance with compulsory education law. A homeschooled minor is entitled to obtain working papers.

The practical question is which office issues the certificate when there is no school enrollment. In New Jersey, parents of homeschooled minors can pursue one of the following paths:

Option 1: Contact the district's superintendent's office. The district superintendent has authority to designate an issuing officer. Some districts will issue employment certificates to homeschooled minors through the superintendent's office upon request, recognizing that the minor is meeting compulsory education requirements through home instruction.

Option 2: Contact the NJ Department of Labor. The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Wage and Hour Compliance, oversees child labor laws. For situations not covered by the standard school-based issuing process, the department can provide guidance on the appropriate issuing authority.

Option 3: Work with a county issuing authority. Some counties have designated additional issuing officers at the county level. Contact your county superintendent of schools for specifics.

Does Your Teen Need to Prove They Are Being Educated?

This is the question parents worry about most. When you homeschool, you do not submit annual reports, curriculum plans, or progress assessments to the district. But when seeking working papers, the issuing officer needs to be satisfied that the minor is meeting compulsory education requirements.

The most straightforward way to demonstrate this is to present your withdrawal letter — specifically the certified mail receipt showing the district received your formal notification pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25 — along with a brief description of your home education program.

You are not required to submit a detailed curriculum for approval. New Jersey law is clear that local school boards cannot review or approve home education curricula. But providing a simple statement that your child is receiving instruction in core academic subjects (mathematics, language arts, science, social studies) is generally sufficient to satisfy an issuing officer.

Age-Based Work Restrictions for NJ Minors

Working papers do not override New Jersey's underlying child labor restrictions. These apply regardless of whether the minor attends public school or is homeschooled:

• 14 and 15 year olds may not work during school hours, may not work more than 18 hours per week during the school year, and may not work more than 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week during school vacations.
• 16 and 17 year olds may work more hours, but still face restrictions on hazardous work.
• Prohibited occupations for minors include manufacturing, mining, most construction work, and operating certain machinery.

For homeschooled students, "school hours" is not defined by the public school bell schedule. But the intent of the restriction is to prevent work from substituting for education. A homeschooled 14-year-old working during the hours when they would normally be doing academic work is in the same spirit of violation — even if it is harder to enforce.

As a practical matter, many homeschooled families structure their academic day in the morning and allow afternoon or evening work hours for older teens.

What to Do If the District Refuses to Issue Papers

Some districts, unfamiliar with the process for homeschooled students, may initially refuse to issue working papers to a withdrawn student. This is a procedural gap, not a legal prohibition.

If you encounter this, contact the New Jersey Department of Labor's Division of Wage and Hour Compliance directly. They can clarify the issuing authority and, if necessary, intervene with the district. The state's child labor law framework does not exclude homeschooled students from working — it simply requires proof of educational compliance, which your withdrawal letter and basic portfolio documentation can provide.

The Withdrawal Process Comes First

Before any question of working papers can be resolved, the formal withdrawal from school must be properly executed. A clean, documented withdrawal — sent via certified mail, citing N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25, with a return receipt on file — is the foundation that makes all subsequent steps easier. Without a documented withdrawal, your child is still technically enrolled and the school's administrative machinery is still tracking their attendance.

Parents who have completed a proper withdrawal have clear documentation showing the date on which home instruction began. That date is what an issuing officer needs to confirm the minor has been receiving education during the period in question.

If you are withdrawing a teenager from a New Jersey school — whether to homeschool, address mental health needs, or accommodate a medical situation — the New Jersey Legal Withdrawal Blueprint covers the withdrawal process in full, including how to establish the records that make every subsequent step like this one straightforward.

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