Newspaper Carriers

• No minor under the age of 11 years old may participate in the sale of newspapers, magazines, periodicals, or any other such publications, in any street or public place. (43 P.S. § 48).
  
  
• Minors, under 16 years of age, engaged as newspaper carriers may not work before 5:00 AM, and after 8:00 PM in any given day. (43 P.S. § 48).
  
  
• Minors aged 11 through 15 must obtain employment certificates if they are employed as newspaper carriers. Minors that are 16 and 17 years old and employed as newspaper carriers are not required to have employment certificates. (43 P.S. § 52).
  
  
• Employment certificates for minors under 16 are not necessary if the minors are working independently of the newspaper publisher.
  
  
  • The necessity of employment certificates must be decided on a case-by-case basis. Under the Pennsylvania Child Labor Law, some considerations relating to independent contractor status are whether:
    
    
    • The minors purchase the newspapers from the publisher for resale to the consumer, and
      
    • The newspaper publisher classifies the minors as employees of the newspaper.

If you have any questions regarding minors working as newspaper carriers under the Pennsylvania Child Labor Law, please contact the Bureau of Labor Law Compliance: