Volunteers under eighteen: what to settle first
Published on September 18, 2026
The French framework has no single status for a volunteer under eighteen, and that is exactly why you have to set the rules yourself. Six points, in order.
1. Parental consent, in writing
This comes first, and it is not negotiable. A dated note signed by whoever holds parental responsibility, naming the event, the dates, the hours, the job entrusted, the adult in charge, and a number to call during the event.
Add what will save you a phone call at the worst moment: consent to treatment in an emergency, allergies or medication to know about, permission for or refusal of photographs. The document is produced from a template, pre-filled with the young person's name and hours, by mail merge.
2. A named adult, present
A minor is never alone on a position, and the adult answering for them must be named, on site and reachable. This is not a formality: it is what lets you answer a parent, and yourself, when a question comes up.
3. The positions to rule out
Volunteering by a minor is not work, but common sense and prudence call for ruling out the same jobs that are forbidden to young workers:
- anything involving the sale and service of alcohol: selling alcohol to a minor is illegal, and putting a minor behind a bar puts you in an impossible position;
- working at height, machinery, heavy lifting, hazardous substances;
- security and crowd screening, traffic management;
- handling money unsupervised.
That leaves the welcome desk, directing people, water stations, the cloakroom, activities, clearing up: most of the positions at an event.
4. Hours
No night slots, no long stretches, a break and a meal planned in. A slot of three to four hours during the day is the right unit. Set that framework in the schedule once and for all, rather than remembering it position by position.
5. Insurance
Tell your insurer that minors will be present and ask for written confirmation that the cover answers for them. Policies do not all treat them the same way, and the association's responsibility is judged more strictly where a minor is involved. See insuring volunteers.
6. School and university schemes, which are another matter
A group coming as part of a course (a placement, a national service scheme, a class project) falls under an agreement between the institution and the association, with its own rules on supervision and insurance. That is not individual volunteering, and it is the institution that sets the framework: ask them for it in writing before committing.
What this changes at sign-up
Add a mandatory date of birth question to the form, which lets you spot minors before the event rather than at the welcome desk, and a "parental consent received" question that you tick when it arrives. The list can then be filtered on those two columns. See volunteer sign-up.
Frequently asked questions
How old do you have to be to volunteer?
No general minimum age is set for volunteering with an association in France, but parental consent is needed for anyone under eighteen, an adult must supervise, and some jobs have to be ruled out. Many associations set their own threshold, often sixteen for a public event.
Can someone under eighteen work a bar?
Serving or selling alcohol has to be ruled out. For a bar with no alcohol, adult supervision and parental consent remain the rule we recommend.
Is parental consent needed for a seventeen-year-old?
Yes: minority runs until eighteen. What changes is how much autonomy you leave them on the position, not whether the parents have to agree.