Licence

Child work permit (England and Wales)

To employ a child in the UK, you may need to get a work permit from your local authority

England and Wales Issued by your council

What this covers

Arts and recreationEventsRetail: manufacturing and wholesaleStreet trading and marketsTourist accommodation, including hotels and campsitesHospitality, restaurants, bars and catering

Why you need it

Parliament created it. The power to require it comes from Children and Young Persons Act 1933.

What the Act carries

What our graph holds for Children and Young Persons Act 1933 as a whole — the Act behind this licence, not the licence conditions themselves.

Duties on businesses
1
Penalties
1
Exemptions
1

Duties on businesses under the Act

  • Fail to remove cached child-safety content when required Schedule 1A para.4

What happens if you get it wrong

  • Fail to remove cached child-safety content when required Unlimited fine

Exemptions that may take you outside it

  • Licensed child performers exempt from employment restrictions — The child is employed under the authority of a licence granted under Part I of the Children and Young Persons …

Read our full dossier on Children and Young Persons Act 1933

Who issues it

Your local council issues this. Councils apply the same statute but set their own fees, conditions and timescales.

Where to apply

Duty, penalty and exemption labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the enabling instrument, not the instrument itself. Fees, forms and conditions are set by the issuing authority — always check the linked source.