What it takes to be a child actor in New York City

Depending on what state you are shooting in, each Department of Child Labor has its own rules and regulations. Many of them might be similar, but the only ones I am familiar with is the state of New York. Minors, which is a label used to group all actors who are under the age of 18, must have a work permit to work in television or film in the state of New York.

For first-timers, getting a temporary permit isn’t as difficult as you might think. But, parents need to follow up with a permanent permit in order to avoid problems down the line for both you and the production company. First-time applicants may apply on-line through the web address listed at the end of this article, or by mail. Permits filled out on-line expire in 15 days. The permanent permit, mailed back to you, will expire in six months.

Make sure you renew your permit 30 days prior to expiration. Parents also need to make sure they open a locked trust account for their child. Fifteen percent of each paycheck will be deposited directly into your child’s trust account. If your child plans on working again after the temporary permit has expired, then make sure you hold onto a copy of all the documents filled out online. You will then mail a copy of those forms, as well as the following documentation, together to the Department of Labor’s Albany office:

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Children in school need a completed copy of Labor Dept. Form LS-560, “Verification of Satisfactory Academic Performance,” signed and dated by the principal or authorized school official stating that the child performer is maintaining a satisfactory school average. For children not in school yet, a copy of the birth certificate will suffice.
2. Copy of parent or guardian’s photo ID, such as a license or passport.
3. For trust account verification: a copy of deposit slip, passbook or other official document showing the financial institution’s name, child’s name, parent/guardian’s name, account number, as well as a statement stating the account is a trust.

Each child needs to have a locked trust account set up for them. Both the production company and the NY State Department of Labor will need your account information. You must supply account information to the production’s payroll company as well as the New York State Department of Labor. The account should only be accessible to the child for withdrawals after his or her 18th birthday.

To contact the New York State Department of Labor, you can call 1-800-HIRE-992 or click here to go to the department's website and click on "Child Performer On-line Application System" for your temporary 15 day permit. When going to set, don’t forget to bring your permit, as well as a copy for production, and photo identification.

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