In Some States Kids Can Now Be Fined For Mowing Grass for Profit With No Permit

  • It seems that gone are the days where you could hire your neighbor's entrepreneurial go-getter of a child to cut your grass in exchange for money.

    Now that summer is here it seems that it is almost a right of passage for the business minded child or teen to create flyers offering their services to help neighbors mow their lawn. Heck, it just isn't summer without the smell of freshly cut grass in the air, but that may all soon change.

    It seems that there are sections of this country that feel those kids should have a permit before mowing one blade of grass in exchange for money. As crazy as it sounds it's true. so let's look at the details of this new way of thinking and see if it will soon be affecting your area.

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    261 Comments

    1. Jeff Reichert said:

      What a shake down!
      Follow the $$$
      Kids can’t even have a lemonade stand anymore either!

    2. Brent Maloy said:

      We can all see where this would be an important statistic to enforce before it gets totally out of hand. Unlike the less important murders, robberies, and car thefts…

    3. Goldie said:

      Ridiculous. Is a teen’s learning to work for his/her money going to cut into lawn services territory? Is the city going to make a significant amount of money from the permits? Are the teens going to have to file income tax returns? There must be some criteria on the books that would protect the young, hard-working youth from being punished for trying to make a few honest dollars. Perhaps there’s a minimum income from the venture before permitting is necessary? As long as there’s not an adult running a complete lawn service in the teen’s name to avoid taxes and permitting, I see only good things coming from youth learning to earn what they get.

    4. Trevor Kelly said:

      yayyy lets continue to make the youth even more lazy than before! give them another reason to sit in front of their tv playing video games! way to go!

    5. Willy Wold said:

      In the late 60’s as a kid I had up to 10 mowing “clients” around the neighborhood, plus haying in the fields, and an evening job at a dairy assisting milking cows, making over $1k a month, which has the same buying power of almost $6k today, then I graduated from high school, went in the Army and my first monthly paycheck was $97!

    6. Darlene Grigg said:

      What is wrong with the world!?!?!? Having done this as a “child” to earn money I would love to hear the explanation of why this is being even considered!!! Or is just another “indicator” of he “sue for damages” atmosphere we have today. Is this another “if the kid gets hurt” the “lawn owners” can be sued? Or “make the city, etc. some extra money” or the kid can be sued for doing a lousy job???????????? Insane.

    7. Jo Ellen Swindle said:

      I am all for any kid who will get out and work to be able to do so without a permit. It beats sitting in front of a video game. We need more people with a worth ethic.

    8. Richard Hill said:

      This is total BS. How are kids to earn and learn about the world (no matter how small) of business. The feeling of earning your own money to buy the things they want. I remember selling greeting cards or “white cloveren brand salve” to get “prizes” I really wanted and was so proud of myself for earning things my parents didn’t have to pay for. Now, all you idiot politicians, my advice is, back off the “kid entrepreneurs” they are the future of this country.

    9. Tom Tyler said:

      Probably forced on the population by companies that do yard maintenance. Cannot have ambitious youngsters interferring with licensing fees and commerce. Sounds like the law needs to be modified or representatives replaced.
      .

    10. Samuel Helmick said:

      That is just wrong in so many ways. Kids do better when they learn responsibility at a young age and learning the meaning of work to earn a buck instead of it just being given to them can be invaluable. But not letting them do that is rather heart breaking.

    11. Matthew Gillespie said:

      Um, it would be local code compliance officials who would have to do the actual enforcing of this.
      Super unlikely that they would target kids mowing lawns for operating a business without a license.
      This would precipitate some pretty ugly city council meetings in short order.
      Don’t get all big brother about this. You guys are just falling for the click bait

    12. Guy Lundgren said:

      I mowed lawns, raked leaves, cleaned gutters, pulled weeds all over my neighborhood in the 1970s… had my own money in my pockets!

    13. Brad Seale said:

      America was built on non-compliance. Our freedom depends on it

    14. Mike Guest said:

      The word permit is a means to tax without using the word tax. Insanity is a word for greedy politicians who would force a permit… TAX… on children who are actually willing to earn money. Get rid of these poltitians… they are truly insane…

    15. Sharon A. Gentile said:

      If the ‘kids’ suggest that their payment be deemed a ‘tip’ instead, nothing can be done, as far as I can see. If there isn’t a ‘written’ contract or receipt, I don’t believe the city, state, or government can do anything! JMHO!

    16. I.E. Wheeler said:

      That’s messed up, Americans need to shut down these thugs ruining America!!!!! Instead of thumping them on the head, they should be rewarded with free college tuition!!! God help us all.

    17. Don Campbell said:

      Under the democracy, liberty must be purchased, under the republic, liberty is promised.
      Look at the difference between the republic we pledgd our alegence to, and the democracy(set of laws) that the bankers drew up for us diring civil war times.

    18. Rhona Field said:

      Youngsters earning money mowing is a time honored tradition. Leave the kids alone.

    19. Denise Wilson said:

      Dear government, you already tax the hell out of money the payer paid when they earned it and used it. Are you really that greedy that a kid can’t earn their own spending money? Seriously, what does the average American actually make per dollar these days? $0.10??? And you want to take that from a kid….

    20. Tammy Ivy said:

      this nuts!! how do u them responibity & earn $$ if u punish them 4 trying work !!!

    21. Richard Fraher said:

      This is such bull$#%&!@* Leave the kids alone at a summer thing for them to make extra money session by the things that they want this is just bull$#%&!@*To mess with the kids

    22. Joyce Charlton said:

      I remember the police shutting down a seven year old’s lemonade stand because she didn’t have a business license. If she grew up and went on welfare, that would be much better right?? Arrrghhh!

    23. Alex Lozano said:

      It would have to be a donation. Gov seems to want their part from tips.

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