Almost all minors under the age of 18 are subject to California's child labor protections. May not be employed in occupations declared hazardous in federal regulation for minors under 16 in agriculture (listed in the chart for 14 and 15-year-olds).Minors 16 and 17 years old may attend school part-time. All minors employed in. Youth who are 14 and 15 years old may enroll in a work experience education program and be issued permits to work in fulltime employment if:. The general rule is that the legal working age in California is 14-years-old, but anybody under the age of 18 must have a work permit. Schools are not permitted to issue permits for children under age 12, but under federal law it is generally impermissible to employ an individual under age 14. Unfortunately it's going to be an uphill battle simply because there's a lot more rules and regulations involved when hiring someone under 18. Minors at least 16 years of age and enrolled in a Work Experience Education (WEE) program. There are no restrictions on hours of work that a 16 or 17 year old minor may perform when school is not in session.