If your New Jersey call sheet includes anyone under 18, put the permit process in preproduction rather than in the week of the shoot. On August 1, 2026 the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development moved theatrical minors onto a separate online permitting system. The old working-papers route no longer covers this work.
The short version
You no longer apply through myworkingpapers.nj.gov. There is a separate registration system specifically for theatrical productions.
There are two separate applications, and on a normal production both have to exist: one filed by the parent or guardian for the minor, and one filed by the employer for permission to employ minors. Both are one-year permits, and there is no charge for them.
A permit issued by another state does not work here.
What counts as theatrical production. NJDOL says the permit covers stage, motion picture and television performances and rehearsals for minors under 18. The Commission’s own child labor page goes slightly further and describes stage or production work including rehearsals and fittings. Neither a rehearsal day nor a fitting is a gap in the requirement.
Who files what
The parent or guardian files for the minor’s one-year permit. The application asks for:
- The minor’s name, age, date of birth and address
- The parent or guardian’s name, age, date of birth and address
- Written verification from the child’s school district confirming the minor’s school record, attendance, and compliance with the district’s standards for age, academic performance, attendance and health
- Production details
- Any additional information NJDOL considers necessary and appropriate
For a minor who is not of mandatory school age, which in New Jersey means outside the ages of 6 to 16, NJDOL may also require a physical examination to confirm the minor is physically able to perform the work specified in the permit.
The school-district verification is the item that will bite a fast schedule. A production cannot produce it on the parent’s behalf, and a district office works to its own calendar. If a minor is being considered for a role, start that conversation before the offer, not after.
The employer files separately for its own one-year permit to employ minors in any work or activity. That is the production company’s job, not the location owner’s, the vendor’s or the municipal film office’s. Because the employer permit runs a year, a company that works with minors regularly should hold a current one rather than applying per project.
If the paperwork will not be ready in time
A parent or guardian can request a temporary work permit valid for 15 days to allow more time to produce everything the one-year permit requires.
Treat that as a bridge, not a production plan. Fifteen days is shorter than most shooting schedules involving a child performer.
Working hours
Days before a school day, typically Sunday through Thursday: no work
before 5:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m.
Days before a non-school day, typically Friday and Saturday: work is
permitted between 5:00 a.m. and 12:30 a.m.
A minor may not be employed for more than six days in any seven-day period.
Two separate limits then apply by age: how long the minor may work, and how long the minor may be on set. Time on set is consistently the longer of the two, and a call sheet has to respect both.
| Age range | Maximum work time | Maximum time on set |
|---|---|---|
| 15 days to under 6 months | 20 minutes | 2 hours |
| 6 months to under 2 years | 2 hours | 4 hours |
| 2 years to under 6 years | 3 hours | 6 hours |
| 6 years to under 9 years | 4 hours on a school day; 6 hours on a non-school day | 8 hours |
| 9 years to under 16 years | 5 hours on a school day; 7 hours on a non-school day | 9 hours |
| 16 years to under 18 years | 6 hours on a school day; 9 hours on a non-school day | 10 hours |
A minor may work for more than one employer or on more than one production, provided the total combined hours still comply with the limits for that age group. If a performer is working elsewhere, those hours are not somebody else’s problem.
These are ceilings, not scheduling targets. School, meals, rest, wardrobe, hair and makeup, transport and the resets nobody planned for all have to fit inside them.
Education requirements
If the minor is scheduled to work three or more days a week for an employer, the employer must provide an average of at least three hours of teaching time for each day of school missed within the work week, calculated weekly.
NJDOL’s own worked example: a minor scheduled six days in one week, three of them school days, means nine hours of scheduled teaching time, and those nine hours may be spread across all six work days.
The employer must provide a teacher credentialed for the level of education required by State law, from the third missed day of school through the remainder of the minor’s employment.
Supervision. The minor must be under the direct care and supervision of an adult who is a parent, guardian or designated representative during their entire employment, including any period when the minor lives away from home because the employment requires it. Name that person in the production plan and make sure they are actually available for the whole time the child is working.
Waivers
Parents, guardians and employers may request a waiver from a specific permit requirement. NJDOL gives two grounds:
- where the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission determines that it involves a significant contribution to the development of the motion picture industry in New Jersey, or
- for good cause shown, as determined by NJDOL.
NJDOL sets the terms of any waiver within the permit itself and may issue waivers electronically. Employers must keep a copy of the waiver at the workplace, which in production terms means on set, not in an office across the state.
A waiver can alter or amend the hours of the day during which a minor may work. It cannot increase the total hours in the day.
So a time waiver can move a child’s window, for a night exterior for example, but it will not buy you a longer day. Schedule to the ordinary limits until a written permit says otherwise, and remember the waiver is a determination somebody else makes, not a box you tick. Time waivers are requested in writing through whtheatrical@dol.nj.gov.
One thing the State pages do not settle, and we are not going to guess at. They do not spell out whether unpaid or non-employment participation is covered. The employer permit is described as covering employment of minors “in any work or activity,” which is broad, but that is not the same as an explicit statement about unpaid student, community or non-commercial work. Ask NJDOL directly rather than reasoning from the wording.
Where to apply, and who to ask
Parents and guardians: NJDOL theatrical permit application
Employers: NJDOL employer permit application
NJDOL Wage and Hour Division: whtheatrical@dol.nj.gov or 609-292-7880
Film Commission: the Commission advises productions to contact Charles Ricciardi at charles.ricciardi@njeda.gov or 609-404-8984 to review the new process.
Producer checklist before the first call
- Confirm the role, rehearsals and fittings fall under the theatrical rules.
- Send the parent and employer application links early.
- Get the school-district verification moving before the offer.
- Confirm the production’s employer permit is issued before the minor works.
- Confirm the parent or guardian holds valid New Jersey authorization, not another state’s.
- Check the school calendar, then calculate both work time and time on set.
- Arrange instruction and a credentialed teacher where the schedule requires them.
- Name the supervising adult and record it in the production plan.
- Get any waiver in writing before relying on it.
- Recheck the NJDOL pages whenever the schedule changes.
Common questions
Do permits from New York, California or another state work in New Jersey?
No. The New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission states that child labor permits or working papers from other states are not valid for work in New Jersey.
Does a theatrical minor also need ordinary New Jersey working papers?
No. NJDOL’s FAQ for parents says you only need to apply for a Theatrical Permit, which is a separate process from the New Jersey Minor Working Papers application.
How much does the permit cost?
There is no charge. The Commission’s child labor page states plainly that there is no charge for these permits.
Does New Jersey require a Coogan-style trust account?
No. NJDOL states that New Jersey does not require trust accounts. If the minor resides in a state that does require one, a trust account may be required by that state.
How long is the temporary permit valid?
Fifteen days. A parent or guardian can request a temporary work permit from NJDOL, valid for 15 days, to allow more time to produce the documentation required for the one-year permit.
Can a minor work on more than one production at once?
Yes. NJDOL says the law permits minors to work for multiple employers or on multiple productions if all requirements are met, but the total combined hours must still comply with the limits for the minor’s age group.
How many days a week can a minor work?
No more than six days in any seven-day period, so the minor gets at least one day off each week for rest and personal time.
Can a waiver extend the number of hours a minor works in a day?
No. NJDOL may alter or amend the hours of the day during which a minor may work, but not the total hours in the day. Time waivers are requested in writing through whtheatrical@dol.nj.gov.
Who can answer a production-specific question?
The Commission advises productions to contact Charles Ricciardi at the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission on 609-404-8984, or the NJDOL Wage and Hour Division at whtheatrical@dol.nj.gov or 609-292-7880, to review the new process.
This is a production-planning summary of a State process, not legal, labor or payroll advice, and it is not a substitute for the official pages. Requirements change. Confirm current requirements directly with NJDOL and the Commission’s child labor page before employing a minor. For the municipal side of a shoot, see our New Jersey film permit guide.
Information checked August 8, 2026