All students ages 14, 15, 16, and 17 need employment certificates in order to comply with state and federal Child Labor Laws. Students ages 12 and 13 may only work as caddies (restricted to caddying 18 holes per day). They are required to obtain employment certificates. Newspaper carriers are not required to obtain employment certificates. Applications for all employment certificates for public and nonpublic students can be obtained on the Bethlehem Area School District website or at the Child Accounting Office at the Education Center (1516 Sycamore Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania). BASD students can also obtain employment certificate applications at their middle schools, the Liberty High School freshman campus and main campus, and Freedom High school.

Vacation Employment Certificate applications (ages 12, 13, 14, and 15) for Bethlehem Area School District public school students, once completed, can be turned in to the student’s middle school, high school, or the Child Accounting Office who will issue the Vacation Employment Certificate. The Vacation Employment Certificate is valid only for the job listed on the back of the application. A new Vacation Employment Certificate is needed if the student changes jobs. The student must return the completed application, not the parent. The student needs to sign their employment certificate in our presence.

Transferable Work Permit applications for Bethlehem Area School District students (ages 16 and 17), once completed, must be turned in to the Child Accounting Office at the Education Center. Transferable Work Permits are transferable from job to job and are valid until age 18 or graduation from high school. The student must return the completed application, not the parent. The student needs to sign their employment certificate in our presence.

All nonpublic students (ages 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17) must obtain and turn in their completed employment certificate applications to the Child Accounting Office at the Education Center. The student must return the completed application, not the parent. The student needs to sign their employment certificate in our presence.

It is not necessary to complete 1, 2, 3, and 4 in this order, but all must be completed before obtaining an employment certificate:

1. A parent must appear in person at the school office (BASD public school students only) or the Child Accounting Office to sign the application.
2. Bring in the student’s birth certificate, baptismal certificate, or passport as evidence of age. Sixteen and seventeen year olds may also present a driver’s license or driver’s permit.
3. The student must take the application to the employer to be completed and signed.
4. The student must have a physical examination. The physician must complete the physician’s portion of the application. All public and nonpublic students may receive free physicals from the Bethlehem Area School District physician. This information can be obtained from your school nurse (BASD public school students only) or the Child Accounting office. If you choose to take your student to your family physician, you will not be reimbursed for the cost.