§21-6-5. Age certificate for employers; contents of certificate; forms; records; filing; inquiry as to age; revocation of certificate.

(a) A child 14 or 15 years of age may be employed or permitted to work in any gainful occupation, except as provided in §21-6-2 of this code, when the person, firm, or corporation by whom the child is employed or permitted to work, obtains and keeps on file and accessible to officers charged with the enforcement of this article, an age certificate issued by the State Commissioner of Labor or a person authorized by him or her in writing. Upon request of any employer who is desirous of employing a child who represents his or her age to be 16 years or over, the commissioner or a person authorized by him or her in writing shall issue to the employer an age certificate in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(b) The commissioner, or a person authorized by him or her in writing to issue an age certificate under this article, shall issue the certificate only upon obtaining proof of age of the child in the form of a birth certificate, or attested transcript thereof, issued by the registrar of vital statistics or other officer charged with the duty of recording births. The age certificate shall set forth the full name and the date and place of birth of the child, with the name and address of his or her parents or parent, or guardian or custodian. It shall certify that the child has submitted for review proof of age, school attendance, prospective employment, brief description of job supplied by the employer, parental or other consent for children under 16 years of age as required by §21-6-3 of this code, and applicable work hours for children under 16 years of age as provided for in §21-6-7 of this code, with such work hours to be printed on the age certificate.

(c) The commissioner shall prepare printed forms for age certificates and make them available by posting on the Division of Labor's website or other method determined pursuant to rule. A record of all age certificates issued shall be kept in the office of the commissioner.

(d) The age certificate, when filed in the office of the employer, must be accepted by an officer charged with the enforcement of this article as evidence of the age of the child in whose name it was issued.

(e) Any officer charged with the enforcement of this article may inquire into the true age of a child apparently under the age of 16 years who is employed or permitted to work in any gainful occupation and for whom no age certificate is on file; and if the age of the child is found to be actually under 16 years, the employment of the child shall be considered a violation of the provisions of this article.

(f) The commissioner may at any time revoke any age certificate if in his or her judgment it was improperly issued, and for this purpose he or she is authorized to investigate the true age of any child employed, to hear evidence, and to require the production of relevant books and documents. If an age certificate is revoked, the issuing officer shall be notified of the action.